arXiv subjects

Wai Kiu Chan

Publications and source records attributed to Wai Kiu Chan.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Can we recover an integral quadratic form by representing all its subforms?

Let $\mathfrak o$ be the ring of integers of a totally real number field. If $f$ is a quadratic form over $\mathfrak o$ and $g$ is another quadratic form over $\mathfrak o$ which represents all proper subforms of $f$, does $g$ represent $f$? We show that if $g$ is indefinite, then $g$ indeed represents $f$. However, when $f$ is positive definite and indecomposable, then there exists a $g$ which represents all proper subforms of $f$ but not $f$ itself. Along the way we give a new characterization of positive definite decomposable quadratic forms over $\mathfrak o$ and a number-field generalization of the finiteness theorem of representations of quadratic forms by quadratic forms over $\mathbb Z$ which asserts that given any infinite set $\mathscr S$ of classes of positive definite integral quadratic forms over $\mathfrak o$ of a fixed rank, there exists a finite subset $\mathscr S_0$ of $\mathscr S$ with the property that a positive definite quadratic form over $\mathfrak o$ represents all classes in $\mathscr S$ if and only if it represents all classes in $\mathscr S_0$.

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arXiv2021

Hermite reduction and a Waring's problem for integral quadratic forms over number fields

We generalize the Hermite-Korkin-Zolotarev (HKZ) reduction theory of positive definite quadratic forms over $\mathbb Q$ and its balanced version introduced recently by Beli-Chan-Icaza-Liu to positive definite quadratic forms over a totally real number field $K$. We apply the balanced HKZ-reduction theory to study the growth of the {\em $g$-invariants} of the ring of integers of $K$. More precisely, for each positive integer $n$, let $\mathcal O$ be the ring of integers of $K$ and $g_{\mathcal O}(n)$ be the smallest integer such that every sum of squares of $n$-ary $\mathcal O$-linear forms must be a sum of $g_{\mathcal O}(n)$ squares of $n$-ary $\mathcal O$-linear forms. We show that when $K$ has class number 1, the growth of $g_{\mathcal O}(n)$ is at most an exponential of $\sqrt{n}$. This extends the recent result obtained by Beli-Chan-Icaza-Liu on the growth of $g_{\mathbb Z}(n)$ and gives the first sub-exponential upper bound for $g_{\mathcal O}(n)$ for rings of integers $\mathcal O$ other than $\mathbb Z$.

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arXiv2020

Explicit Result on Equivalence of Rational Quadratic Forms Avoiding Primes

Given a pair of regular quadratic forms over $\mathbb{Q}$ which are in the same genus and a finite set of primes $P$, we show that there is an effective way to determine a rational equivalence between these two quadratic forms which are integral over every prime in $P$. This answers one of the principal questions posed by Conway and Sloane in their book {\em Sphere packings, lattices and groups}, Grundlehren der Mathematischen Wissenschaften [Fundamental Principles of Mathematical Sciences], Vol 290, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1999; page 402.

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arXiv2020

On the exceptional sets of integral quadratic forms

A collection $\mathcal S$ of equivalence classes of positive definite integral quadratic forms in $n$ variables is called an $n$-exceptional set if there exists a positive definite integral quadratic form which represents all equivalence classes of positive definite integral quadratic forms in $n$ variables except those in $\mathcal S$. We show that, among other results, for any given positive integers $m$ and $n$, there is always an $n$-exceptional set of size $m$ and there are only finitely many of them.

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arXiv2019

Small representations of integers by integral quadratic forms

Given an isotropic quadratic form over a number field which assumes a value $t$, we investigate the distribution of points at which this value is assumed. Building on the previous work about the distribution of small-height zeros of quadratic forms, we produce bounds on height of points outside of some algebraic sets in a quadratic space at which the form assumes the value $t$. Our bounds on height are explicit in terms of the heights of the form, the space, the algebraic set and the value $t$.

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arXiv2017

A Finiteness theorem for positive definite strictly $n$-regular quadratic forms

An integral quadratic form is called strictly $n$-regular if it primitively represents all quadratic forms in $n$ variables that are primitively represented by its genus. For any $n \geq 2$, it will be shown that there are only finitely many similarity classes of positive definite strictly $n$-regular integral quadratic forms in $n + 4$ variables. This extends the recent finiteness results for strictly regular quaternary quadratic forms by Earnest-Kim-Meyer (2014).

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arXiv2017

On a Waring's problem for integral quadratic and hermitian forms

For each positive integer $n$, let $g_{\mathbb Z}(n)$ be the smallest integer such that if an integral quadratic form in $n$ variables can be written as a sum of squares of integral linear forms, then it can be written as a sum of $g_{\mathbb Z}(n)$ squares of integral linear forms. We show that as $n$ goes to infinity, the growth of $g_{\mathbb Z}(n)$ is at most an exponential of $\sqrt{n}$. Our result improves the best known upper bound on $g_{\mathbb Z}(n)$ which is in the order of an exponential of $n$. We also define an analogous number $g_{\mathcal O}^*(n)$ for writing hermitian forms over the ring of integers $\mathcal O$ of an imaginary quadratic field as sums of norms of integral linear forms, and when the class number of the imaginary quadratic field is 1, we show that the growth of $g_{\mathcal O}^*(n)$ is at most an exponential of $\sqrt{n}$. We also improve results of Conway-Sloane and Kim-Oh on $s$-integral lattices.

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arXiv2015

The representation of integers by positive ternary quadratic polynomials

An integral quadratic polynomial is called regular if it represents every integer that is represented by the polynomial itself over the reals and over the $p$-adic integers for every prime $p$. It is called complete if it is of the form $Q({\mathbf x} + {\mathbf v})$, where $Q$ is an integral quadratic form in the variables ${\mathbf x} = (x_1, \ldots, x_n)$ and ${\mathbf v}$ is a vector in ${\mathbb Q}^n$. Its conductor is defined to be the smallest positive integer $c$ such that $c{\mathbf v} \in {\mathbb Z}^n$. We prove that for a fixed positive integer $c$, there are only finitely many equivalence classes of positive primitive ternary regular complete quadratic polynomials with conductor $c$. This generalizes the analogous finiteness results for positive definite regular ternary quadratic forms by Watson and for ternary triangular forms by Chan and Oh.

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arXiv2014

Totally isotropic subspaces of small height in quadratic spaces

Let $K$ be a global field or $\overline{\mathbb Q}$, $F$ a nonzero quadratic form on $K^N$, $N \geq 2$, and $V$ a subspace of $K^N$. We prove the existence of an infinite collection of finite families of small-height maximal totally isotropic subspaces of $(V,F)$ such that each such family spans $V$ as a $K$-vector space. This result generalizes and extends a well known theorem of J. Vaaler and further contributes to the effective study of quadratic forms via height in the general spirit of Cassels' theorem on small zeros of quadratic forms. All bounds on height are explicit.

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arXiv2013

A generalized Hermite constant and its computations for imaginary quadratic fields

We introduce the projective Hermite constant for positive definite binary hermitian forms associated with an imaginary quadratic number field $K$. It is a lower bound for the classical Hermite constant, and these two constants coincide when $K$ has class number one. Using the geometric tools developed by Mendoza and Vogtmann for their study of the homology of the Bianchi groups, we compute the projective Hermite constants for those $K$ whose absolute discriminants are less than 70, and determine the hermitian forms that attain the projective Hermite constants in these cases. A comparison of the projective hermitian constant with some other generalizations of the classical Hermite constant is also given.

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arXiv2013

Small zeros of quadratic forms outside of a union of varieties

Let $F$ be a quadratic form in $N \geq 2$ variables defined on a vector space $V \subseteq K^N$ over a global field $K$, and $\Z \subseteq K^N$ be a finite union of varieties defined by families of homogeneous polynomials over $K$. We show that if $V \setminus \Z$ contains a nontrivial zero of $F$, then there exists a linearly independent collection of small-height zeros of $F$ in $V\setminus \Z$, where the height bound does not depend on the height of $\Z$, only on the degrees of its defining polynomials. As a corollary of this result, we show that there exists a small-height maximal totally isotropic subspace $W$ of the quadratic space $(V,F)$ such that $W$ is not contained in $\Z$. Our investigation extends previous results on small zeros of quadratic forms, including Cassels' theorem and its various generalizations. The paper also contains an appendix with two variations of Siegel's lemma. All bounds on height are explicit.

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arXiv2013

Class numbers of ternary quadratic forms

G.L. Watson \cite{watson1, watson2} introduced a set of transformations, called Watson transformations by most recent authors, in his study of the arithmetic of integral quadratic forms. These transformations change an integral quadratic form to another integral quadratic form with a smaller discriminants, but preserve many arithmetic properties at the same time. In this paper, we study the change of class numbers of positive definite ternary integral quadratic formula along a sequence of Watson transformations, thus providing a new and effective way to compute the class number of positive definite ternary integral quadratic forms. Explicit class number formulae for many genera of positive definite ternary integral quadratic forms are derived as illustrations of our method.

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arXiv2012

Representations of integral quadratic polynomials

In this paper, we study the representations of integral quadratic polynomials. Particularly, it is shown that there are only finitely many equivalence classes of positive ternary universal integral quadratic polynomials, and that there are only finitely many regular ternary triangular forms. A more general discussion of integral quadratic polynomials over a Dedekind domain inside a global field is also given.

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arXiv2011

Ternary Sums of Squares and Triangular Numbers

For any integer $x$, let $T_x$ denote the triangular number $\frac{x(x+1)}{2}$. In this paper we give a complete characterization of all the triples of positive integers $(α, β, γ)$ for which the ternary sums $αx^2 +βT_y + γT_z$ represent all but finitely many positive integers. This resolves a conjecture of Kane and Sun \cite[Conjecture 1.19(i)]{KS08} and complete the characterization of all almost universal ternary mixed sums of squares and triangular numbers.

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arXiv2009

Small zeros of hermitian forms over a quaternion algebra

Let $D$ be a positive definite quaternion algebra over a totally real number field $K$, $F(X,Y)$ a hermitian form in 2N variables over $D$, and $Z$ a right $D$-vector space which is isotropic with respect to $F$. We prove the existence of a small-height basis for $Z$ over $D$, such that $F(X,X)$ vanishes at each of the basis vectors. This constitutes a non-commutative analogue of a theorem of Vaaler, and presents an extension of the classical theorem of Cassels on small zeros of rational quadratic forms to the context of quaternion algebras.

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