Theorem. The discriminant character of an integer [fdip-00A5]

The quadratic center character attaches to a square class its primitive Dirichlet character. A partition function produces Legendre symbols of one integer. This note identifies the two on odd primes.

Let \(d\) be a nonzero integer. If \(d\) is a square, the center note uses the trivial character of conductor one. If \(d\) is not a square, let \(d_0\) be its squarefree integer representative, with the sign of \(d\), and set \(D=d_0\) when \(d_0\equiv 1\pmod 4\) and \(D=4d_0\) otherwise. Write \(\chi _D\) for the primitive character of that discriminant in the center note. For an odd prime \(p\) that does not divide \(d\), \(\bigl (\frac {d}{p}\bigr )=\chi _D(p)\).

The center note records that \(\chi _D\) is primitive of conductor \(|D|\). This section uses that conductor and does not re-prove it. The identification is the equality of symbols on odd primes. It is not the law that exchanges the two arguments of a Legendre symbol.