1985 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
Generic Methods and Pfister Forms
Author : Winfried Scharlau
Published in: Quadratic and Hermitian Forms
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Included in: Professional Book Archive
Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.
Select sections of text to find matching patents with Artificial Intelligence. powered by
Select sections of text to find additional relevant content using AI-assisted search. powered by
It seems that any deeper investigation of the algebraic theory of quadratic forms requires a thorough knowledge of the theory of Pfister forms. They are the subject of this chapter. The investigation of Pfister forms is based essentially on the use of transcendental extensions of the ground field: One considers quadratic forms Σ a ij X i X j . with indeterminates X i . This approach leads naturally to the important concept of the function field of a quadratic form which is the function field of the quadratic Σ a ij X i X j =0.