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show/hide this revision's text 2 Fix the math to look like the duplicate. As the OP intended it.

If $(\begin{matrix} ( A & B | C & D)\end{matrix}$ D)$ is a symplectic matrix with entries in the finite field with two elements, is it necessarily the case that $\sum_{i,j,k} a_{ij}b_{ij}c_{ik}d_{ik} = 0$?

This arose in connection with some calculations involving theta functions. There seems to be some indication that it might be true, and I could not come up with a counterexample; but experts in the area may well know the answer right off.

Thanks for any help.

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symplectic matrices

If $(\begin{matrix} A & B | C & D)\end{matrix}$ is a symplectic matrix with entries in the finite field with two elements, is it necessarily the case that $\sum_{i,j,k} a_{ij}b_{ij}c_{ik}d_{ik} = 0$?

This arose in connection with some calculations involving theta functions. There seems to be some indication that it might be true, and I could not come up with a counterexample; but experts in the area may well know the answer right off.

Thanks for any help.