Quadratic forms with prescribed Stiefel-Whitney invariants

Ronald P. Brown

Vol. 75 (1978), No. 1, 59–76

DOI: 10.2140/pjm.1978.75.59

Abstract

Milnor’s construction of Stiefel-Whitney invariants for quadratic forms gives a map ŵ from the Witt-Grothendieck ring of a field to a group arising in the K-theory of the field. Analogous maps are introduced here on the Witt ring and reduced Witt ring of the field. The images of these maps are studied. A central role is played by the degree of stability, in the sense of Elman and Lam, present in the Witt ring of the field.

Mathematical Subject Classification

Primary: 10C15, 10C15

Milestones

Received: 11 January 1977

Published: 1 March 1978