Classification of quadratic forms over skew fields of characteristic 2 (Q5938614)

Let \(F\) be a field of characteristic 2 with the following properties: a) Every central simple \(F\)-algebra of exponent 2 is Brauer-equivalent to a quaternion algebra, b) There is no Cayley division algebra over \(F.\) Global and local fields of characteristic 2 satisfy a) and b). The main aim of the paper is to classify quadratic forms and quadratic pairs over finite-dimensional division \(F\)-algebras with involution in terms of invariants. Quadratic form is in the paper meant as introduced by \textit{J. Tits} [Invent. Math. 5, 19-41 (1968; Zbl 0155.05202)] and quadratic pair as defined in [\textit{M.-A. Knus, A. S. Merkurjev, M. Rost} and \textit{J.-P. Tignol}, The Book of Involutions, Colloq. Publ. Am. Math. Soc. 44, Providence, RI (1998; Zbl 0955.16001)]. The main classification theorems are the following. Theorem A: Let \(q\) and \(q'\) be nonsingular quadratic forms of the same dimension over a central division \(F\)-algebra. If \(q\) and \(q'\) have the same Arf invariants and if the relative invariant \(c(q,q')\) vanishes, then \(q\) and \(q'\) are isometric. Theorem B: Let \((\sigma, f)\) and \((\sigma', f')\) be quadratic pairs on a central simple \(F\)-algebra \(A.\) If the Clifford algebras \(C(A, \sigma, f)\) and \(C(A, \sigma', f')\) are \(F\)-isomorphic, then \((\sigma, f)\) and \((\sigma', f')\) are conjugate. The corresponding classification for \(F\) being a global field of characteristic not 2 was obtained by \textit{H.-J. Bartels} [Math. Ann. 215, 269-288 (1975; Zbl 0311.10027)]. In the above \(c(q,q')\) denotes the image in Br\((F)/\{1,[A]\}\) of either simple component of the Clifford algebra \(C(q\perp q')\) and is an analogue of the invariant defined by Bartels.