Wednesday, 27 December 2006

nt.number theory - Quadratic forms that evaluate to zero mod p only when their input is zero.

Let QQ be a quadratic form in n variables with integer coefficients. Let us say that Q has the "special property" mod p, if the relation Q(x1,...,xn)=0 (mod p) implies that (x1,...,xn)=(0,...,0) (mod p). (There must be a name for this property, but I don't know it, which is why I'm calling it "the special property".) Let us say that Q is "special infinitely often" if there are infinitely many primes p such that Q has the special property mod p. For example, the one-variable quadratic form Q(x)=x2 is special infinitely often. Another simple example is that Q(x,y)=x2+y2 is special infinitely often because it is special mod p whenever -1 is a quadratic non-residue mod p. In fact, any two-variable quadratic form that is non-degenerate over the rationals is special infinitely often because Q(x,y)=ax2+bxy+cy2 is special whenever p is odd and the discriminant b24ac is a quadratic non-residue mod p.



I've been trying to find a quadratic form in more than two variables that is special infinitely often, but I'm doubtful that such a thing exists. As far as I know, each of the following statements could either be valid or invalid. (Although obviously [c] implies [b] implies [a].)



[a] For every integer quadratic form Q in three or more variables, the set of p such that Q has the special property mod p is finite.



[b] The set of primes p such that there exists an integer quadratic form Q in three or more variables having the special property mod p is finite.



[c] The set of primes p such that there exists an integer quadratic form Q in three or more variables having the special property mod p is empty.



Can anyone help resolve any of these questions?

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