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On the Rank of Universal Quadratic Forms over Real Quadratic Fields

Publication at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics |
2018

Abstract

We study the minimal number of variables required by a totally positive definite diagonal universal quadratic form over a real quadratic field Q and obtain lower and upper bounds for it in terms of certain sums of coefficients of the associated continued fraction. We also estimate such sums in terms of and establish a link between continued fraction expansions and special values of -functions in the spirit of Kronecker's limit formula.