Congruence of symmetric matrices over local rings (Q840669)

Let \(R\) be a commutative, local ring, every ideal of which is principal. Let \(\mathfrak{m}=R\pi\) be the maximal ideal in \(R\). For every \(k\in \mathbb{N}\setminus\{0\}\), let \(S_k\) be a set of representatives of the congruence classes of symmetric matrices in \(\text{GL}_k(R/\mathfrak{m})\), and \(T_k\) a lift of \(S_k\) to \(\text{GL}_k(R)\), also consisting of symmetric matrices. Suppose that \(1+\mathfrak{m}\subset R^{\ast2}\). The authors show that under these assumptions, every symmetric matrix \(A\) over \(R\) is congruent to a unique direct sum of the form \(A_0\oplus\bigoplus_{i=1}^s\pi^{a_i}A_i\), where \(0\leq a_1<\dots<a_s\), \(A_0\) is a zero matrix and \(A_i\in T_{k_i}\) for \(i\geq1\).