Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
4647433 Discrete Mathematics 2014 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

Liouville gave formulas for the number of representations of a positive integer by the quaternary quadratic forms x2+y2+2z2+2t2x2+y2+2z2+2t2, x2+y2+z2+4t2x2+y2+z2+4t2, x2+y2+4z2+4t2x2+y2+4z2+4t2, x2+4y2+4z2+4t2x2+4y2+4z2+4t2 and x2+2y2+2z2+4t2x2+2y2+2z2+4t2. These formulas have been proved by a number of authors by a variety of non-elementary methods. We give combinatorial proofs of these formulas by deducing them from Jacobi’s four squares theorem and Legendre’s four triangular numbers theorem. Since these latter two theorems have both been proved in an elementary arithmetic way, the five formulas of Liouville are therefore proved in a completely elementary way.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Mathematics Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics
Authors
, ,