Related papers: Pythagoras Numbers for Ternary Forms

For $n,\,d\ge1$ let $p(n,2d)$ denote the smallest number $p$ such that every sum of squares of forms of degree $d$ in $\mathbb{R}[x_1,\dots,x_n]$ is a sum of $p$ squares. We establish lower bounds for these numbers that are considerably…

For each integer $x$, the $x$-th generalized pentagonal number is denoted by $P_5(x)=(3x^2-x)/2$. Given odd positive integers $a,b,c$ and non-negative integers $r,s$, we employ the theory of ternary quadratic forms to determine when the sum…

Given a positive integer $n$, a sufficient condition on a field is given for bounding its Pythagoras number by $2^n+1$. The condition is satisfied for $n=1$ by function fields of curves over iterated formal power series fields over…

Let $d>r\ge 0$ be integers. For positive integers $a,b,c$, if any term of the arithmetic progression $\{r+dn:\ n=0,1,2,\ldots\}$ can be written as $ax^2+by^2+cz^2$ with $x,y,z\in\mathbb{Z}$, then the form $ax^2+by^2+cz^2$ is called…

We give an example of a polynomial of degree 4 in 5 variables that is the sum of squares of 8 polynomials and cannot be decomposed as the sum of 7 squares. This improves the current existing lower bound of 7 polynomials for the Pythagoras…

An integer of the form $p_m(x)= \frac{(m-2)x^2-(m-4)x}{2} \ (m\ge 3)$, for some integer $x$ is called a generalized polygonal number of order $m$. A ternary sum $\Phi_{i,j,k}^{a,b,c}(x,y,z)=ap_{i+2}(x)+bp_{j+2}(y)+cp_{k+2}(z)$ of…

The Pythagoras number of a sum of squares is the shortest length among its sums of squares representations. In many algebras, for example real polynomial algebras in two or more variables, there exists no upper bound on the Pythagoras…

In this paper, we prove that for $d=3,\dots,8$, every natural number can be written as $t_x+t_y+3t_z+dt_w$, where $x$, $y$, $z$, and $w$ are nonnegative integers and $t_k=k(k+1)/2$ $(k=0,1,2,\ldots)$ is a triangular number. Furthermore, we…

Let a and b be positive integers with a \leq b. An (a,b)-triple is a set {x,ax+d,bx+ 2d}, where x,d \geq 1. Define T(a,b;r) to be the least positive integer n such that any r-coloring of {1,2...,n} contains a monochromatic (a,b)-triple.…

We exhibit, for each even degree, a ternary form of rank strictly greater than the maximum rank of monomials. Together with an earlier result in the odd case, this gives the lower bound…

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 $(\alpha, \beta, \gamma)$ for which the ternary sums $\alpha x^2…

We prove that every sum of squares in the rational function field in two variables $K(X,Y)$ over a hereditarily pythagorean field $K$ is a sum of $8$ squares. More precisely, we show that the Pythagoras number of every finite extension of…

In 1973, Calder\'{o}n proved that an $m \times 2$ positive semidefinite (psd) biquadratic form can always be expressed as the sum of ${3m(m+1) \over 2}$ squares of quadratic forms. Very recently, by applying Hilbert's theorem on ternary…

A celebrated result by Hilbert says that every real nonnegative ternary quartic is a sum of three squares. We show more generally that every nonnegative quadratic form on a real projective variety $X$ of minimal degree is a sum of…

Pythagorean triples are the positive integer solutions to the Pythagoras equation for right triangles, a2+b2 = c2. They have been studied for many years, many centuries in fact. In this short paper we present a method for computing…

We bound the Pythagoras number of a real projective subvariety: the smallest positive integer $r$ such that every sum of squares of linear forms in its homogeneous coordinate ring is a sum of at most $r$ squares. Enhancing existing methods,…

An integer of the form $T_x=\frac{x(x+1)}2$ for some positive integer $x$ is called a triangular number. A ternary triangular form $aT_{x}+bT_{y}+cT_{z}$ for positive integers $a,b$ and $c$ is called regular if it represents every positive…

We present some congruences modulo $p^{6-d}$ for sums of the type $\sum_{k=0}^{(p-3)/2}x^k{2k\choose k}/(2k+1)^d$, for $d=1,2,3$ where $p>5$ is a prime.

We show that any sum of squares in a field of transcendence degree $1$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ is a sum of $5$ squares, answering a question of Pop and Pfister. We deduce this result from a representation theorem, in $k(C)$, for quadratic forms…

This article reports the occurrence of binary quadratic forms in primitive Pythagorean triangles and their geometric interpretation. In addition to the well-known fact that the hypotenuse, z, of a right triangle, with sides of integral…