Some remarks on pythagorean real curve germs (Q2639119)

In this very short note the authors prove the theorem: Let A be a local henselian excellent domain of dimension 1, with real-closed residue field and formally real quotient field. Then the following assertions are equivalent: (a) A is Arf (i.e. A itself and all of its quadratic transforms have multiplicity equal to the embedding dimension); (b) A is pythagorean (i.e. every sum of squares of A is a square) (c) A is 2n-pythagorean (i.e. every sum of 2n-th powers of A is a 2n-th power) for any \(n\geq 1.\) This settles in the affirmative two conjectures proposed by \textit{J. M. Ruiz} [J. Algebra 94, 126-144 (1985; Zbl 0611.14023)], and the proofs are a continuation of the ideas of that paper. Further investigations on this topic of Pythagoras numbers of curve germs can be found in the recent paper of \textit{J. J. Ortega} [Math. Ann. 289, No.1, 111-123 (1991)].