The discriminant Pfister form of an algebra with involution of capacity four

Abstract

To an orthogonal or unitary involution on a central simple algebra of degree 4, or to a symplectic involution on a central simple algebra of degree 8, we associate a Pfister form that characterises the decomposability of the algebra with involution. In this way we obtain a unified approach to known decomposability criteria for several cases, and a new result for symplectic involutions on degree-8 algebras in characteristic 2.