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    Euler Four-square Identity

    Definition

    The amazing polynomial identity (a_1^2 + a_2^2 + a_3^2 + a_4^2)(b_1^2 + b_2^2 + b_3^2 + b_4^2) = (a_1 b_1 - a_2 b_2 - a_3 b_3 - a_4 b_4)^2 + (a_1 b_2 + a_2 b_1 + a_3 b_4 - a_4 b_3)^2 + (a_1 b_3 - a_2 b_4 + a_3 b_1 + a_4 b_2)^2 + (a_1 b_4 + a_2 b_3 - a_3 b_2 + a_4 b_1)^2, communicated by Euler in a letter to Goldbach on April 12, 1749 (incorrectly given as April 15, 1705--before Euler was born--in Conway and Guy 1996, p. 232). The identity also follows from the fact that the norm of the product of two quaternions is the product of the norms.

    Associated person

    Leonhard Euler

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