Quaternion algebra of characteristic 2?

Question

I've been reading up on quaternion algebras recently and noticed the vast majority of theorems are contingent on setting the characteristic $p \neq 2$. In particular, this is true for the central theorem that all quaternions over the reals are either isomorphic to the 2x2 real matrix algebra or form division rings.

I'm wondering why this is so: what's so special about the characteristic two that it causes quaternions to "break down" algebraically, so to speak?

Dually, are there any concrete examples that can help illustrate why characteristic two is such an anomaly in so far as quaternion algebras are concerned?

Thanks!

Answer 1

GROVE attributes these to Huppert in lecture notes 1968/69. This is on page 120. With a field $F$ of characteristic 2, choose any two elements $a,b \in F,$ create a four dimensional vector space with basis $1,i,j,k,$ and create an associative algebra with this multiplication table:

$$ \begin{array}{c|ccc|} & i & j & k \\ \hline i & a & k & aj \\ j & 1+k & b & bi + j \\ k & i + aj & bi & ab + k \\ \hline \end{array} $$

Grove has three chapters about characteristic 2; this chapter is about Clifford algebras.

Answer 2

The quaternion algebras are in the family of Weyl algebras, who, like their counterparts called Clifford algebras, are intertwined with geometry through bilinear forms.

Basically, geometry of planes for characteristic 2 fields is pathological compared to other fields. For one thing, symmetric and antisymmetric forms are the same thing over characteristic 2 fields. And the connection between bilinear forms and quadratic forms isn't as strong anymore.

So that is my case: it is related to geometry of planes, and planes over characteristic 2 fields misbehave.