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For a cyclic extension of p-adic fields, the Herbrand quotient of the local multiplicative group together with Hilbert theorem 90 gives this index. If the ramification index and residue degree are $e,f$, the norm valuation formula $v_K(Nx)=f{v}_L(x)$ then gives the unit norm index $e$. In particular all units are norms in an unramified extension.

A p-adic field has only finitely many extensions of a fixed degree up to isomorphism. There are finitely many possible residue degrees and a unique unramified extension of each such degree. Over each maximal unramified subfield, a totally ramified extension is generated by a root of an Eisenstein polynomial. The coefficient space of these polynomials of fixed degree is compact. Hensel lemma and Krasner's lemma show that sufficiently close polynomials generate isomorphic extensions, giving a finite cover by neighborhoods of a constant extension type.

For a nondegenerate diagonal quadratic form $q=⟨a_1,\dots ,a_m⟩$, this product of quadratic Hilbert symbols is independent of diagonalization. Over a p-adic field, dimension, determinant square class and this invariant classify the form up to isometry. The product of the local invariants of a globally diagonalized form is one by the Hilbert reciprocity law; real places additionally record signature.

For a cyclic extension of p-adic fields, sufficiently deep principal units are equivariantly isomorphic to an additive lattice by the p-adic logarithm. The normal basis theorem makes its Herbrand quotient one. Passing across finite unit quotients preserves it. The valuation exact sequence with quotient $\mathbb{Z}$ therefore gives the displayed formula.

A Diophantine equation is soluble at a place of a number field if it has a solution over the corresponding completion of a valued field. It is locally soluble everywhere if this holds at all finite and infinite places. Over the rational numbers, these are the real field and all p-adic fields. Local solubility is necessary for a rational point, but the local-to-global gap in isogeny descent shows it need not suffice.

For a finite Galois extension $L/K$ with group $G$, there is $\theta \in L$ such that the elements $g(\theta )$ form a $K$-basis. Equivalently the additive $K[G]$-module $L$ is a regular representation. Over p-adic fields, its p-adic lattices are thus commensurable with regular lattices; this is useful in Herbrand quotient calculations after applying a p-adic logarithm to deep principal units.

At $2$ there is good reduction, and the surjectivity of good reduction over a local field gives an exact sequenceThe quotient has order $5$ and is consequently a cyclic group. For every odd integer $n$, multiplication by $n$ is an automorphism of $E_1({\mathbb{Q}}_2)$: its formal group law has multiplication series $nt+O(t^2)$ with unit linear coefficient, whose inverse formal power series has integral coefficients and converges on $2{\mathbb{Z}}_2$. This is the prime-to-residue-characteristic multiplication on a formal group.

Thus the odd-primary torsion subgroup injects into the order-five quotient. It also realizes that quotient: choose a lift $P$ of any reduced point, so $[5]P\in E_1$. There is a unique $Q\in E_1$ with $[5]Q=[5]P$. Then $P-Q$ is killed by five and has the prescribed reduction. This proves the prime-to-p torsion lifts uniquely at good reduction directly here. Therefore, for an odd prime $p$,The five-primary subgroup consists of the unique five-torsion lifts of the five reduced points. These lifts need not be rational over $\mathbb{Q}$; the preceding answer about rational torsion points of an elliptic curve does not contradict their existence over the p-adic field.

The Mordell-Weil theorem gives $E(\mathbb{Q})\cong E(\mathbb{Q}{)}_{\mathrm{tors}}\oplus {\mathbb{Z}}^r$. Move the rational point of order two to $(0,0)$ and clear denominators to obtain an integral Weierstrass equation of an elliptic curveThe two-isogeny formula gives $E^{\prime }:Y^2=X(X^2-2aX+a^2-4b)$ and dual isogenies $\varphi :E\to E^{\prime }$, $\hat{\varphi }:E^{\prime }\to E$ with $\hat{\varphi }\varphi =[2]$. Compute the torsion subgroup using reduction of torsion points on an elliptic curve at several good primes, followed by division polynomials of an elliptic curve to identify the possible points.

For the free part, use two-isogeny descent. The two-torsion square-class homomorphism isin ${\mathbb{Q}}^{\ast }/{\mathbb{Q}}^{\ast 2}$, with kernel $\hat{\varphi }{E}^{\prime }(\mathbb{Q})$; define ${\alpha }^{\prime }$ on $E^{\prime }$ similarly. The prime-support bound in two-isogeny descent restricts the first image to signed square-free divisors of $b$ and the second to those of $a^2-4b$. For each candidate $d$, solve its two-isogeny descent quarticTest local solubility at the real place and the relevant p-adic fields, discard impossible classes, and search the surviving coverings for rational points. A point with $UV\ne 0$ gives $x=d(U/V{)}^2$, $y=dUN/V^3$. Include the identity and rational 2-torsion cases separately. Once both rational images are determined, the two-isogeny rank formula givesThe point searches give explicit candidates for a basis. Their canonical height pairing can certify independence; Mordell-Weil saturation and effective height bounds then certify that they generate the full free part. Rank alone does not certify generators of the whole Mordell-Weil group. If the rational images are not fully determined, the procedure instead supplies lower and upper bounds on the rank of an elliptic curve.

The obstruction is the local-to-global gap in isogeny descent. A two-isogeny descent quartic can have points over $\mathbb{R}$ and every p-adic field without a rational point. Local tests compute an isogeny Selmer group, which can strictly contain the rational-point quotient. For an isogeny of elliptic curves $\varphi :E\to E^{\prime }$, the comparison isThe last group is the kernel of $\varphi :\mathrm{Sha}(E/\mathbb{Q})\to \mathrm{Sha}(E^{\prime }/\mathbb{Q})$, so it records elements of the Tate–Shafarevich group invisible to all local tests. Searching a locally soluble covering which has no rational points never succeeds. Thus a Selmer group of an elliptic curve gives an upper bound and found independent points give a lower bound, and these need not coincide. Higher descent can improve the bounds, but this particular procedure has no unconditional guarantee of closing every gap.

We give the full local-field norm-index argument. Let $G=⟨\sigma ⟩$ be cyclic of order $n$. On an additive $G$-module set $D=\sigma -1$ and $N=1+\sigma +\cdots +{\sigma }^{n-1}$. The two cyclic Tate cohomology groups areWhen these are finite, the Herbrand quotient is $h_G(M)=|{\hat{H}}^0(G,M)|/|{\hat{H}}^{-1}(G,M)|$. The periodic complex alternating $D$ and $N$ yields a six-term periodic exact sequence from a short exact sequence of modules. Taking alternating products of orders in that exact sequence provesFor a finite module, $|NM|=|M|/|\ker N|$ and $|DM|=|M|/|\ker D|$ show that the two Tate cohomology groups have equal order. Thus the Herbrand quotient of a finite module is one. For the trivial integral module $\mathbb{Z}$, the two groups are $\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}$ and zero, giving $h_G(\mathbb{Z})=n$.

We also need cyclic cohomology of a regular lattice. In $R[G]$, fixed coefficient vectors are constant, and every such vector is a norm of a basis vector times its coefficient. The kernel of $N$ consists of vectors whose coefficient sum is zero. For such a vector $(a_i)$, solve $b_{i-1}-b_i=a_i$ successively around the cycle; the final equation holds precisely because ${\sum }_i{a}_i=0$. Thus $\ker N=DR[G]$. Both Tate cohomology groups vanish, so $h_G(R[G])=1$, for $R=\mathbb{Z}$ or ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$, and likewise for finite direct sums.

Now take a cyclic extension $L/K$ of p-adic fields of degree $n$. Write $U_L^r=1+{\mathfrak{p}}_L^r$. For $r>v_L(p)/(p-1)$, the convergent p-adic logarithm and p-adic exponential give mutually inverse $G$-equivariant group isomorphismswhere the right side is additive. The convergence assertion follows from the estimates $v_L(x^j/j)\ge j{v}_L(x)-v_L(p)v_p(j)$ and $v_L(x^j/j!)\ge j{v}_L(x)-v_L(p)j/(p-1)$; formal inverse identities therefore hold on this ball.

By the normal basis theorem, choose $\theta$ so that $\{{\sigma }^i\theta \}$ is a $K$-basis of $L$. The lattice $A={\sum }_i{\mathcal{O}}_K{\sigma }^i\theta$ is a regular ${\mathcal{O}}_K[G]$-module. It is a finite direct sum of regular ${\mathbb{Z}}_p[G]$-modules, hence its Tate cohomology vanishes. The lattices $A$ and ${\mathfrak{p}}_L^r$ are commensurable: their intersection has finite index in both. The exact sequences with these finite quotients establish finiteness of the Tate cohomology groups and show $h_G({\mathfrak{p}}_L^r)=1$. Thus $h_G(U_L^r)=1$. Since ${\mathcal{O}}_L^{\times }/U_L^r$ is finite, $h_G({\mathcal{O}}_L^{\times })=1$ as well.

The $G$-equivariant valuation exact sequence isIts last term has trivial $G$-action. The multiplication rule gives the Herbrand quotient of the local multiplicative group:All the Tate cohomology groups here are finite by the lattice argument and the exact sequence; finiteness of the norm index has not been assumed.

For completeness we prove the needed Hilbert theorem 90. If $a\in L^{\times }$ has field norm one, put $A_0=1$ and $A_i={\prod }_{j=0}^{i-1}{\sigma }^j(a)$. The linear map $c\mapsto b={\sum }_{i=0}^{n-1}{A}_i{\sigma }^i(c)$ is not zero by linear independence of distinct field embeddings. Choose $c$ with $b\ne 0$. The relation $A_n=1$ gives $a\sigma (b)=b$, so $a=b/\sigma (b)$. This proves ${\hat{H}}^{-1}(G,L^{\times })=0$. The zeroth Tate cohomology group is $K^{\times }/N_{L/K}{L}^{\times }$. Consequently the cyclic local norm index isWriting $n=ef$, the valuation of a field norm is $v_K(Nx)=f{v}_L(x)$. The valuation quotient has order $f$, and a norm with valuation zero comes from a unit. ThereforeIn particular every unit is a norm in an unramified extension. These results give the norm assertions used in the quadratic Hilbert symbol computation.

We finish with the Hasse norm theorem: for a cyclic extension of number fields, an element is a global norm if and only if it is a norm at every place. More precisely the local norm is the norm from the product $L{\otimes }_K{K}_v$; in a Galois extension its factors have the same norm subgroup. The forward implication is immediate. For the converse associate to $a\in K^{\times }$ the cyclic algebra $(L/K,\sigma ,a)$. The splitting criterion for a cyclic algebra, proved below, identifies its splitting with $a\in N_{L/K}{L}^{\times }$. At a place where the tensor product of fields has several factors, this algebra is a matrix algebra over the cyclic algebra of one decomposition-field factor, with the generator restricted to its cyclic decomposition subgroup. Thus the local norm assumption makes its Brauer class zero at every place. Injectivity in the Albert-Brauer-Hasse-Noether theorem makes the global Brauer class zero, giving the desired global norm. This is the required proof outline; cyclicity is essential to this reduction.

We give the detailed norm-index argument for a cyclic extension $L/K$ of p-adic fields; thus $K$ is a finite extension of ${\mathbb{Q}}_p$. Write $G=⟨\sigma ⟩$, $|G|=n$. For an additive $G$-module $M$, put $D=\sigma -1$ and $N=1+\sigma +\cdots +{\sigma }^{n-1}$. The two periodic Tate cohomology of a cyclic group groups and the Herbrand quotient arewhen these groups are finite. For multiplicative modules, $N$ is the product of conjugates and $D(z)=\sigma (z)/z$.

The periodic complex alternating $D$ and $N$ gives a six-term exact sequence for every short exact sequence of modules. Taking the alternating product of the finite group orders in that exact sequence provesFor a finite module, the counting fibers gives $|NM|=|M|/|\ker N|$ and $|DM|=|M|/|\ker D|$, so the two Tate groups have equal order. This proves the Herbrand quotient of a finite module is one. It follows that replacing a module by a finite-index submodule does not change its quotient, whenever the cohomology groups are finite.

Two basic calculations drive the norm computation. For the trivial module $\mathbb{Z}$, $D=0$ and $N$ is multiplication by $n$, so $h_G(\mathbb{Z})=n$. For a regular lattice $R[G]$, with $R={\mathbb{Z}}_p$, invariants are constant coefficient vectors and every such vector is a norm: put its constant coefficient in just one coordinate before applying $N$. The group kernel of $N$ consists of the coefficient vectors of sum zero. Successively taking partial sums solves the cyclic difference equation $Dx=y$ for every such vector $y$. Thus both Tate groups vanish and $h_G(R[G])=1$. This is cyclic cohomology of a regular lattice.

Let $U_L={\mathcal{O}}_L^{\times }$ and $U_L^r=1+{\mathfrak{P}}_L^r$. For sufficiently large $r$, the p-adic logarithm and p-adic exponential are inverse $G$-equivariant isomorphismsTo make the range explicit, $r>v_L(p)/(p-1)$ suffices: the higher terms in the logarithm and exponential have greater valuation than their leading terms, their series converge there, and the identities $\log (\exp x)=x$ and $\exp (\log (1+x))=1+x$ remain valid. Thus a deep multiplicative unit group becomes an additive ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$-lattice in $L$.

By the normal basis theorem, $L\cong K[G]$ as a $K[G]$-module. As a ${\mathbb{Q}}_p[G]$-module it is therefore ${\mathbb{Q}}_p[G{]}^{[K:{\mathbb{Q}}_p]}$. Transport the regular lattice $M_0={\mathbb{Z}}_p[G{]}^{[K:{\mathbb{Q}}_p]}$ into $L$. Both $M_0$ and ${\mathfrak{P}}_L^r$ are full $G$-stable ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$-lattices, so their intersection has finite index in each. The exact sequences with finite quotients show that the Tate groups of ${\mathfrak{P}}_L^r$ are finite and thatSince $U_L/U_L^r$ is finite, the exact-sequence formula for the Herbrand quotient gives $h_G(U_L)=1$. Finally, the valuation sequencehas trivial $G$-action on $\mathbb{Z}$. Hence the Herbrand quotient of the local multiplicative group is

For completeness, the denominator vanishes by Hilbert theorem 90. If $N_{L/K}a=1$, put $c_0=1$ and $c_j=a\sigma (a)\cdots {\sigma }^{j-1}(a)$. Independence of distinct field automorphisms lets us choose $t\in L$ with $b={\sum }_{j=0}^{n-1}{c}_j{\sigma }^j(t)\ne 0$. Since $c_n=1$, shifting the sum gives $\sigma (b)=b/a$. Thus $a=b/\sigma (b)$, a multiplicative coboundary. Therefore ${\hat{H}}^{-1}(G,L^{\times })=1$. The invariant subgroup of $L^{\times }$ is $K^{\times }$, soThis proves the cyclic local norm index without assuming local reciprocity. If the extension has ramification index $e$ and residue degree $f$, the valuation formula $v_K(Nz)=f{v}_L(z)$ shows that the valuation contribution to the index is $f$. A norm is a unit only when $z$ is a unit, so the remaining contribution isIn particular, unit norms are surjective in an unramified cyclic extension. The norm subgroup is open: on deep units its logarithm is ${\mathrm{Tr}}_{L/K}({\mathfrak{P}}_L^r)$, a nonzero full lattice in $K$, and therefore contains a sufficiently deep principal-unit group. This connects the index calculation to the open finite-index norm subgroups classified by local class field theory.

To finish, the Hasse norm theorem for a cyclic extension of number fields states that a nonzero element is a global norm if and only if it is a norm at every finite and infinite completion. Here is its Brauer-theoretic proof outline. Associate to $a\in K^{\times }$ the cyclic algebra $A=(L/K,\sigma ,a)$, with relations $z\ell =\sigma (\ell )z$ and $z^n=a$. The splitting criterion for a cyclic algebra says that it splits exactly when $a=Nc$: if $a=Nc$, multiplication by $L$ and the operator $c\sigma$ realize it as ${\mathrm{End}}_K(L)$; conversely, in a split matrix representation, the underlying $n$-dimensional space is one-dimensional over $L$, so $z$ must act as $c\sigma$ and $z^n=Nc$.

Apply this criterion at every completion, using the restricted cyclic character and any one completion of $L$ above that place. If $a$ is a local norm everywhere, every localized Brauer class is zero. Injectivity in the Albert-Brauer-Hasse-Noether theorem forces $[A]=0$ in $\mathrm{Br}(K)$; the global splitting criterion gives $a=Nc$. Conversely, a global norm is a local norm after completion, since the norm on $L{\otimes }_K{K}_v$ is the product of the component norms, whose images coincide in the Galois case. The cyclic hypothesis is essential; the stated local-global principle does not hold for arbitrary extensions.

The compactness and completeness proved above apply again. The finite ring $\mathcal{O}/t\mathcal{O}$ has a positive integer characteristic $m$, so $m\in t\mathcal{O}$ and $|m|<1$. Prime factorization supplies a prime $p$ with $|p|<1$. In characteristic zero the restriction to $\mathbb{Q}$ is therefore a positive power of the p-adic absolute value, by the preceding classification. Completing $\mathbb{Q}$ embeds the P-adic number field ${\mathbb{Q}}_p$ into the complete field $K$.

Now $p\mathcal{O}$ is open, so $\mathcal{O}/p\mathcal{O}$ is finite. It is an ${\mathbb{F}}_p$-vector space; choose lifts $e_1,\dots ,e_d\in \mathcal{O}$ of a basis. Successively reducing modulo $p\mathcal{O}$ gives, for every $x\in \mathcal{O}$,Convergence in $K$ follows from $|p|<1$. Every element of $K$ becomes integral after multiplication by a power of $p$, so $K={\sum }_j{\mathbb{Q}}_p{e}_j$. Consequently $\boxed{[K:{\mathbb{Q}}_p]<\infty }$: $K$ is a p-adic field. This finite-module proof does not assume discreteness of the original value group in advance.

Herbrand quotient and local norm indices. Let $G=⟨\sigma ⟩$ have order $n$. For an additive $G$-module $M$, put $D=\sigma -1$ and $N=1+\sigma +\cdots +{\sigma }^{n-1}$. The relevant Tate cohomology of a cyclic group groups areIf both groups are finite, their size ratio is the Herbrand quotientMultiplicative modules use products for $N$ and $D(m)=\sigma (m)/m$. A finite module has quotient one: $\#\ker N=\#M/\#NM$, while $\#DM=\#M/\#M^G$, and the two cohomology orders are equal. The six-term periodic cohomology sequence shows $h(B)=h(A)h(C)$ for a short exact sequence $0\to A\to B\to C\to 0$ when these groups are finite. Thus the quotient is unchanged by finite-index changes of lattices. For the trivial $G$-module $\mathbb{Z}$, the zeroth group is $\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}$ and the negative first group is zero, so $h_G(\mathbb{Z})=n$.

Now let $L/K$ be a cyclic extension of p-adic fields of degree $n$. For a sufficiently deep principal unit subgroup $U_L^r=1+{\mathfrak{m}}_L^r$, the p-adic logarithm is a $G$-equivariant isomorphism with the additive p-adic lattice ${\mathfrak{m}}_L^r$; it suffices to take $r>v_L(p)/(p-1)$. The normal basis theorem makes $L$ a regular $K[G]$-module. Consequently ${\mathfrak{m}}_L^r$, as a ${\mathbb{Z}}_p[G]$-lattice, is commensurable with a direct sum of $[K:{\mathbb{Q}}_p]$ copies of ${\mathbb{Z}}_p[G]$. These regular lattices have zero Tate groups: its invariants are the multiples of the sum of the basis elements, every such element is a norm, and vectors with coefficient sum zero are images of $D$. Commensurability and the finite-module calculation give $h_G(U_L^r)=1$. Since $U_L/U_L^r$ is finite, $h_G(U_L)=1$. These comparisons also establish finiteness of the Tate groups concerned.

The valuation exact sequence $1\to U_L\to L^{\times }\to \mathbb{Z}\to 0$ now gives $h_G(L^{\times })=n$. Hilbert theorem 90 makes ${\hat{H}}^{-1}(G,L^{\times })$ trivial. One can prove the cyclic statement directly: for $a$ of norm one set $A_0=1$, $A_i=a\sigma (a)\cdots {\sigma }^{i-1}(a)$ and choose $c$ for which $b={\sum }_i{A}_i{\sigma }^i(c)\ne 0$. Such a $c$ exists by linear independence of distinct field automorphisms. Then $\sigma (b)=b/a$, so $a=b/\sigma (b)$ is a coboundary. Therefore the local cyclic norm index isThis is the central use of the Herbrand quotient: it calculates a norm index without first constructing the local reciprocity map.

Let $e,f$ be the ramification index and residue degree. With normalized integer valuations, $v_K(Nx)=f{v}_L(x)$. A norm is a unit exactly when its preimage is a unit, and the norm valuations fill $f\mathbb{Z}$. Hence there is an exact sequenceThe unit norm index is $\boxed{[{\mathcal{O}}_K^{\times }:N{\mathcal{O}}_L^{\times }]=e}$. In an unramified extension all units are norms and the obstruction is the valuation modulo $n$; in a totally ramified cyclic extension the entire index comes from units. The norm subgroup is open: on deep principal units, logarithm carries the norm to the field trace, and the trace of a full p-adic lattice contains a sufficiently deep p-adic lattice in $K$.

Hilbert norm residue symbol and the local-to-global principle. More generally, for a local field $F$ containing ${\mu }_m$, fix the local reciprocity map ${\mathrm{rec}}_F$ with uniformizers acting as arithmetic Frobenius on unramified extensions. The Hilbert norm residue symbol isThis is independent of the chosen root, is bilinear, and has value one exactly when $b$ is a norm from $F(a^{1/m})$. These are standard consequences of Local Artin reciprocity. The case $m=2$, for which the values are signs, is the one directly governing quadratic forms. The quadratic Hilbert symbol at a place $v$ is defined for $a,b\in K_v^{\times }$ bywith value one for all $b$ when $a$ is a square. Equivalently it is one precisely when $z^2=a{x}^2+b{y}^2$ has a nonzero solution over $K_v$. For nonsquare $a$, a solution has $y\ne 0$ and gives $b=(z/y{)}^2-a(x/y{)}^2$; the converse follows from the same norm identity. When $a$ is square the conic is already isotropic. Symmetry follows from this conic criterion. The local cyclic norm index gives a norm subgroup of index two; its sign character is multiplicative in $b$, and symmetry gives multiplicativity in $a$. Thus the symbol is a nondegenerate bilinear pairing on the square-class group of a field, since every nonsquare $a$ gives a nontrivial norm character. Also $(a,-a{)}_v=1$, because $N(\sqrt{a})=-a$, and $(a,a{)}_v=(a,-1{)}_v$.

For an odd-residue-characteristic p-adic field with residue size $q$, write $a={\pi }^{r}u$, $b={\pi }^{s}w$, and let $\chi$ be the quadratic character of the residue units. ThenThe unramified quadratic extension has every unit as a norm and only even norm valuations; in a ramified quadratic extension the norm of a unit has square residue. The preceding unit norm index is two, so the square-residue condition in the ramified case is also sufficient. These facts, together with $N(\sqrt{\pi })=-\pi$, determine the formula on the generators $u,\pi$ of the square-class group. At a real place the symbol is negative exactly when both arguments are negative, and at a complex place it is always one. For ${\mathbb{Q}}_2$, with $u,w$ odd units, the dyadic formula isOnly residue classes modulo eight and the parities of $r,s$ enter; other dyadic fields retain the norm definition.

The Hilbert reciprocity law states ${\prod }_v(a,b{)}_v=1$ for $a,b\in K^{\times }$. Only finitely many factors can be nontrivial: outside the places above two, the Archimedean places, and the finite places where $a$ or $b$ is not a unit, the odd-residue formula gives one. For $K=\mathbb{Q}$ this product formula is a formulation of quadratic reciprocity, including its supplementary laws. It forces local norm obstructions to occur with compatible parity. It is a necessary compatibility law, not by itself a substitute for the following local-to-global theorem.

The Hasse-Minkowski theorem states that a nondegenerate quadratic form over a number field has a nonzero isotropic vector if and only if it does over every completion. Equivalently, two nondegenerate quadratic forms are isometric globally if and only if they are isometric at every place. The forward directions are immediate; the reverse directions are the substantive global theorem. Over non-Archimedean completions, local isometry classes are determined by dimension, determinant square class and the Hasse invariant of a quadratic formAt real places one uses signature, and at complex places dimension suffices. Reciprocity gives ${\prod }_v{ϵ}_v(q)=1$ for a globally diagonalized form. These invariants make the theorem practically usable: local square classes and norm characters replace an unrestricted search for rational solutions. In particular every quadratic form of dimension at least five over a p-adic field is isotropic; for such a form over a number field the only isotropy obstructions are definite signatures at real places.

As a concrete application, take nonsquare $a\in K^{\times }$. Then $b$ is a global norm from $K(\sqrt{a})$ if and only if $(a,b{)}_v=1$ at every place. The local conditions make the ternary form $⟨1,-a,-b⟩$ isotropic everywhere. Hasse-Minkowski theorem gives a global solution of $z^2-a{x}^2=b{y}^2$; since $a$ is nonsquare, $y$ cannot be zero, and division by $y$ gives the global norm. For example $-1$ fails to be a norm from $\mathbb{Q}(i)$ already at the real place. Thus the quadratic Hilbert symbol detects local norm solvability, while the Hasse-Minkowski theorem turns solvability at all places into a global quadratic solution. The reciprocity and local-to-global theorems in this essay are stated as standard results; the norm interpretation, bilinearity and application are derived above.

For a p-adic field with odd residue characteristic, the square map is an isomorphism on $1+{\mathfrak{m}}_K$ by Hensel lemma. The parity of the valuation and the square class of the residue unit therefore determine the square-class group of a field. Its three nontrivial classes give the three quadratic extensions: one unramified extension and two totally ramified extensions.