A bilinear form B is anisotropic on a subspace W iff every isotropic vector
in W (one with B x x = 0) is zero.
Instances For
A subspace H is a hyperbolic subspace for B iff it is spanned by n mutually
orthogonal hyperbolic pairs (vs i, ws i) (i.e. B (vs i) (vs i) = B (ws i) (ws i) = 0,
B (vs i) (ws i) = 1, and the cross-pairings between distinct pairs vanish).
Instances For
Given a nondegenerate symmetric form and a nonzero isotropic vector v, there
exists w forming a hyperbolic pair with v: B v w = B w v = 1 and B w w = 0.
If a reflexive nondegenerate form B restricts nondegenerately to a subspace P,
then it also restricts nondegenerately to the orthogonal complement of P.
Restriction of a symmetric bilinear form to a subspace remains symmetric.
The restriction of any bilinear form to the trivial subspace ⊥ is vacuously
nondegenerate.
The orthogonal complement of the trivial subspace ⊥ is the whole space ⊤.
If B is anisotropic on all of V, then its restriction to ⊤ is also
anisotropic on ⊤ (as a subspace of the subtype ↥⊤).
Compatibility of orthogonal complements with the lift Pperp.subtype: the
orthogonal of P ⊔ (H' lifted to V) coincides with the lift of (B|Pperp).orthogonal H'.
Lifting complements through a complement: if P ⊕ Pperp = V and H' ⊕ A' = Pperp,
then (P ⊔ H'.map Pperp.subtype) ⊕ (A'.map Pperp.subtype) = V.
Anisotropy transfers through the lift W.subtype: if (B|W)|A is anisotropic on
⊤, then B restricted to the lifted subspace A.map W.subtype is anisotropic on ⊤.
Garrett's Chapter 7 Corollary (Witt-decomposition corollary): every finite-dimensional
nondegenerate symmetric formed space decomposes as H ⊕ H⊥, where H is a hyperbolic
subspace on which B restricts nondegenerately and B is anisotropic on H⊥. Proved by
strong induction on Module.finrank k V.