Let ℕ denote the set of positive integers and ℤ the set of all integers. Let ℕ0 = ℕ ∪{0}. Let a1x2 + b1xy + c1y2 and a2z2 + b2zt + c2t2 be two positive-definite, integral, binary quadratic forms. The number of representations of n ∈ ℕ0 as a sum of these two binary quadratic forms is [Formula: see text] When (b1, b2) ≠ (0, 0) we prove under certain conditions on a1, b1, c1, a2, b2 and c2 that N(a1, b1, c1, a2, b2, c2; n) can be expressed as a finite linear combination of quantities of the type N(a, 0, b, c, 0, d; n) with a, b, c and d positive integers. Thus, when the quantities N(a, 0, b, c, 0, d; n) are known, we can determine N(a1, b1, c1, a2, b2, c2; n). This determination is carried out explicitly for a number of quaternary quadratic forms a1x2 + b1xy + c1y2 + a2z2 + b2zt + c2t2. For example, in Theorem 1.2 we show for n ∈ ℕ that [Formula: see text] where N is the largest odd integer dividing n and [Formula: see text]
The representation of a pair of integers by a pair of positive-definite binary quadratic forms
