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Pythagoras number

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In mathematics, the Pythagoras number or reduced height of a field describes the structure of the set of squares in the field. The Pythagoras number p(K) of a field K is the smallest positive integer p such that every sum of squares in K is a sum of p squares.

A Pythagorean field is a field with Pythagoras number 1: that is, every sum of squares is already a square.

Examples

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Properties

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  • Every positive integer occurs as the Pythagoras number of some formally real field.[2]
  • The Pythagoras number is related to the Stufe by p(F) ≤ s(F) + 1.[3] If F is not formally real then s(F) ≤ p(F) ≤ s(F) + 1,[4] and both cases are possible: for F = C we have s = p = 1, whereas for F = F5 we have s = 1, p = 2.[5]
  • As a consequence, the Pythagoras number of a non-formally-real field is either a power of 2, or 1 more than a power of 2. All such cases occur: i.e., for each pair (s,p) of the form (2k,2k) or (2k,2k + 1), there exists a field F such that (s(F),p(F)) = (s,p).[6] For example, quadratically closed fields (e.g., C) and fields of characteristic 2 (e.g., F2) give (s(F),p(F)) = (1,1); for primes p ≡ 1 (mod 4), Fp and the p-adic field Qp give (1,2); for primes p ≡ 3 (mod 4), Fp gives (2,2), and Qp gives (2,3); Q2 gives (4,4), and the function field Q2(X) gives (4,5).
  • The Pythagoras number is related to the height of a field F: if F is formally real then h(F) is the smallest power of 2 which is not less than p(F); if F is not formally real then h(F) = 2s(F).[7]

Notes

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  1. ^ Lam (2005) p. 36
  2. ^ Lam (2005) p. 398
  3. ^ Rajwade (1993) p. 44
  4. ^ Rajwade (1993) p. 228
  5. ^ Rajwade (1993) p. 261
  6. ^ Lam (2005) p. 396
  7. ^ Lam (2005) p. 395

References

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  • Lam, Tsit-Yuen (2005). Introduction to Quadratic Forms over Fields. Graduate Studies in Mathematics. Vol. 67. American Mathematical Society. ISBN 0-8218-1095-2. MR 2104929. Zbl 1068.11023.
  • Rajwade, A. R. (1993). Squares. London Mathematical Society Lecture Note Series. Vol. 171. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-42668-5. Zbl 0785.11022.