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General proof chapter

Projection lemma for a diagonal quadric

Every nondegenerate four-term diagonal quadric whose coefficients sum to zero is covered by four signed projection charts.

01Q(q)=k1q12+k2q22+k3q32+k4q42,i=14ki=0Q(q)=k_1q_1^2+k_2q_2^2+k_3q_3^2+k_4q_4^2,\qquad \sum_{i=1}^4k_i=0
02H=(1111111111111111),detH=16H=\begin{pmatrix}1&1&1&1\\1&1&-1&-1\\1&-1&1&-1\\1&-1&-1&1\end{pmatrix},\qquad \det H=-16
03εrows(H),D=kiui2,Lε=kiεiui,qi=Dεi2Lεui\varepsilon\in\operatorname{rows}(H),\quad D=\sum k_iu_i^2,\quad L_\varepsilon=\sum k_i\varepsilon_i u_i,\quad q_i=D\varepsilon_i-2L_\varepsilon u_i
04Q(q)=D2Q(ε)4DLε2+4Lε2D=0Q(q)=D^2Q(\varepsilon)-4DL_\varepsilon^2+4L_\varepsilon^2D=0
05Q(q)=0:H(k1q1,,k4q4)T0ε: Lε(q)0Q(q^*)=0:\quad H(k_1q_1^*,\ldots,k_4q_4^*)^T\ne0\Longrightarrow\exists\varepsilon:\ L_\varepsilon(q^*)\ne0
06u=qD=0,q=2Lε(q)qu=q^*\Longrightarrow D=0,\qquad q=-2L_\varepsilon(q^*)q^*
The four rows of H cover every nonzero rational point when kᵢ ≠ 0. A common denominator is cleared by homogeneous root scaling; a zero coefficient is handled separately as the red conic with one free root.