W-Groups under Quadratic Extensions of Fields (Q4514484)

Let \(F\) be a field of characteristic not \(2\). Then the \(W\)-group \({\mathcal{G}}_F\) of \(F\) is defined as follows. Let \(F^{(3)}\) denotes the compositum over \(F\) of all extensions which are cyclic of degree 2, cyclic of degree 4, and dihedral of order 8. Then \({\mathcal{G}}_F\) is just the Galois group of \(F^{(3)}/F\). We know that \({\mathcal{G}}_F\simeq{\mathcal{G}}_L\) if the Witt rings \(W(F)\) and \(W(L)\) are isomorphic. Under a certain assumption the converse is also true. The purpose of the paper under review is to investigate the connection between \({\mathcal{G}}_F\) and \({\mathcal{G}}_{F(\sqrt{a})}\), where \(F(\sqrt{a})\) is a proper quadratic extension of \(F\). A precise description is given in the case when \(F\) is a Pythagorean formally real field and \(a=-1\). This theorem can be viewed as an analogue of the classical Artin-Schreier's theorem describing fields fixed by finite subgroups of absolute Galois groups. A precise result is also given if \(A\) is a so called double rigid element. We call \(a\) rigid, if the quadratic form \(X^2+aY^2\) presents only the square classes \(1\) and \(a\). A double rigid element is a rigid element \(a\) such that \(-a\) is rigid.