Publisher's Synopsis
These tables of positive quadratic forms in four variables (quaternary forms) through discriminant 1732 have been compiled with the use of a fast, modern computer. They have been condensed onto a single 3.5 inch disk and are ready for uploading onto researchers' own computers. This accessibility has been designed to enable mathematicians to investigate and answer questions about quaternary forms by means of exhaustive computer searches, an increasingly important technique not only in setting conjectures, but also in formulating new ones. The forms in the tables are separated into classes and genera. Included are the number of automorphs for each class and the mass of each genus as well as much other complex and computer-intensive information. The book begins with an introductory section containing historical background, explanations of the techniques used to generate the tables and many examples. This is followed by a printed version for small discriminants and for several discriminants of special interest, included to enable the reader to peruse the tables directly without having to upload them into a computer.
