Universality of monomial square forms

A monomial square form is a polynomial $F=\sum_{i=1}^k M_i^2$, where $M_1,\ldots,M_k$ are pairwise distinct squarefree monomials $\ne1$. We consider the problem of which of these forms are universal, i.e.\ represent every positive integer. We consider three classes of such forms:\\ (1) Forms $M_1^2+M_2^2+M_3^2+M_4^2$ ($k=4$),\\ (2) Forms $M_1^2+\ldots +M_5^2$ ($k=5$) in at most 5 variables,\\ (3) Forms where the monomials are products of consecutive variables of a fixed length:\\ $P_{m,d}(x)=\sum_{i=1}^{d}(x_ix_{i+1}\cdots x_{i+m-1})^2,$ and its circular version\\ $C_{m,d}(x)=\sum_{i=1}^{n}(x_ix_{i+1}\cdots x_{i+m-1})^2\quad(n=m+d-1,\ x_{i+n}=x_i).$ We classify which of these are universal, possibly universal, or conditionally universal on a conjecture on the form $x^2+4y^2+5z^2$. This ternary form appears repeatedly and seems to play a central role. For forms (1), we also show that a form is universal if and only if it represents 14, 15, 29 and 9591 (partially conditional on $x^2+4y^2+5z^2$).

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
arXiv (Cornell University)
Published
2026-11-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2611.03057
Primary Topic
Analytic Number Theory Research
Type
preprint
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
preprint

Universality of monomial square forms

Stefan Maubach
arXiv (Cornell University)
Analytic Number Theory Research
preprint

Universality of monomial square forms

Stefan Maubach
preprint en

Abstract

A monomial square form is a polynomial $F=\sum_{i=1}^k M_i^2$, where $M_1,\ldots,M_k$ are pairwise distinct squarefree monomials $\ne1$. We consider the problem of which of these forms are universal, i.e.\ represent every positive integer. We consider three classes of such forms:\\ (1) Forms $M_1^2+M_2^2+M_3^2+M_4^2$ ($k=4$),\\ (2) Forms $M_1^2+\ldots +M_5^2$ ($k=5$) in at most 5 variables,\\ (3) Forms where the monomials are products of consecutive variables of a fixed length:\\ $P_{m,d}(x)=\sum_{i=1}^{d}(x_ix_{i+1}\cdots x_{i+m-1})^2,$ and its circular version\\ $C_{m,d}(x)=\sum_{i=1}^{n}(x_ix_{i+1}\cdots x_{i+m-1})^2\quad(n=m+d-1,\ x_{i+n}=x_i).$ We classify which of these are universal, possibly universal, or conditionally universal on a conjecture on the form $x^2+4y^2+5z^2$. This ternary form appears repeatedly and seems to play a central role. For forms (1), we also show that a form is universal if and only if it represents 14, 15, 29 and 9591 (partially conditional on $x^2+4y^2+5z^2$).

arXiv (Cornell University)
Analytic Number Theory Research
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Laika access coming soon