Primitive representations by unimodular quadratic forms (Q687539)

This paper deals with a fundamental problem in the integral theory of quadratic forms; namely, that of determining necessary and sufficient conditions for the primitive representation of a lattice by a unimodular lattice. Results are obtained primarily for the case in which the underlying ring is the ring of integers of a local field. In this context, the analogous problem for arbitrary representations (not required to be primitive) was solved by \textit{C. R. Riehm} [Am. J. Math. 86, 25-62 (1964; Zbl 0135.087)]. The author further indicates how the techniques in his previous paper [J. Number Theory 4, 321-329 (1972; Zbl 0245.12013)] can be applied to obtain global results when the codimension is at least 3 and the ambient space is indefinite, thereby generalizing some results on primitive representations of \(\mathbb{Z}\)-lattices which appear in the work of \textit{V. V. Nikulin} [Math. USSR, Izv. 14, 103-167 (1980); translation from Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat. 43, 111-177 (1979; Zbl 0408.10011)]. Let \({\mathcal O}\) be the ring of integers of a local field \(F\), and let \(V\) be a regular quadratic space over \(F\) of dimension \(n\geq 2\) with quadratic form \(q: V\to F\) and associated bilinear form \(f(x,y)=q(x+y)- q(x)-q(y)\), \(x,y\in V\). Let \(W\) be a regular quadratic space over \(F\) of dimension \(m\) with corresponding quadratic form \(q_ w\) and bilinear form \(f_ w\), let \(L\) be a unimodular \({\mathcal O}\)-lattice on \(V\) (i.e., \(L=\{x\in V:f(x,L)\subseteq{\mathcal O}\}\)), and let \(M\) be an \({\mathcal O}\)- lattice on \(W\) for which \(f_ w(M,M)\subseteq{\mathcal O}\). Then \(M\) is said to be primitively represented by \(L\) if there is an injective isometry \(\varphi: M\to L\) such that \(\varphi(M)\) is a direct summand of \(L\). Conditions for \(M\) to be primitively represented by \(L\) are stated in terms of an orthogonal splitting \(M=M(0)\perp M(1)\), where \(M(0)\) is unimodular and \(f_ w(M(1),M(1))\subseteq P\), the maximal ideal of the ring \({\mathcal O}\). Such a splitting can be obtained from a Jordan splitting of \(M\), and is uniqueley determined (up to isometry) when \(F\) is non- dyadic; the dimensions \(m(0)\) and \(m(1)\) of the summands are still invariant when \(F\) is dyadic. Expansion of determinants leads to the necessity of the following two conditions for \(M\) to be primitively represented by \(L\): \(m+m(1)\leq n\), and if \(F\) is non-dyadic and \(m+m(1)=n\), then \(dM(0)=(-1)^{n-m}dL\), where \(dM(0)\) and \(dL\) denote the respective discriminants. In the non-dyadic case, these conditions are proved to also be sufficient for primitive representation. The remainder of the paper is largely devoted to refining these conditions in the dyadic case. Results for that case are obtained here only when \(M\) is even (i.e., \(q_ w(M) \subseteq{\mathcal O})\). For even \(M\), the problem is completely solved when \(L\) is also even. When \(L\) is odd, results are obtained only for those \(L\) with splittings of a restricted type. This includes all odd unimodular \(L\) when 2 is unramified in \(F\), thus giving complete criteria for the primitive representation of even lattices by unimodular lattices in the important special case of lattices over the ring of 2-adic integers. This work is continued in another interesting paper by the author [``Representations by unimodular quadratic \(\mathbb{Z}\)-lattices'', Preprint Penn State Rep. No. 150 (January 1993)], in which similar criteria are obtained for the primitive representation of odd lattices by unimodular lattices over \(\mathbb{Z}_ 2\), thus completing the determination of all primitive representations by unimodular lattices over the \(p\)-adic completions of \(\mathbb{Z}\).