Linked triples of quaternion algebras. (Q403426)

Let \(F\) be a field of characteristic not \(2\). A collection \(Q_1,\ldots,Q_n\) (\(n\geq 2\)) of quaternion algebras over \(F\) is said to have a common slot if there exist \(a,b_i\in F^*\) with \(Q_i\cong (a,b_i)\), \(1\leq i\leq n\). This collection is said to be linked if any pair \(Q_i,Q_j\) has a common slot. \textit{E. Peyre} [Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 58, Part 2, 369-401 (1995; Zbl 0837.14006)] has shown that the triple \((a,b),\;(b,c),\;(c,a)\) (\(a,b,c\in F^*\)) is linked but has no common slot provided \(\sqrt{-1}\in F\) and \((a)\cup (b)\cup (c)\neq 0\) in \(H^3(F,\mathbb Z/2\mathbb Z)\). In the present paper, the author attaches to each linked triple of quaternion algebras a quadratic form that lies in \(I^3F\), the third power of the fundamental ideal \(IF\) of classes of even-dimensional quadratic forms in the Witt ring \(WF\), and he shows that this form is a \(4\)-fold Pfister form if the triple has a common slot. A further investigation of this form provides a new quick proof of Peyre's result. The author also shows that to each non linked triple of quaternion algebras over \(F\) one can use a Merkurjev-type construction to obtain a field extension \(L/F\) over which the triple is linked without common slot and such that \(L\) has no anisotropic quadratic forms of dimension \(>8\), a unique anisotropic \(3\)-fold Pfister form and no odd degree extensions. The author also gives nice necessary and sufficient criteria for a triple of quaternion algebras over \(F\) having a common slot in terms of the existence of a common zero of two \(6\)-dimensional quadratic forms over \(F\), and in terms of the isotropy of a particular \(9\)-dimensional quadratic form over \(F(t)\), respectively. As a corollary, it follows that over a \(C_2\)-field, any triple of quaternion algebras has a common slot. Over global fields, the author can even show that any finite collection of quaternion algebras will have a common slot.