Line-bundle-valued ternary quadratic forms over schemes

We study degenerations of rank 3 quadratic forms and of rank 4 Azumaya algebras, and extend what is known for good forms and Azumaya algebras. By considering line-bundle-valued forms, we extend the theorem of Max-Albert Knus that the Witt-invariant—the even Clifford algebra of a form—suffices for classification. An algebra Zariski-locally the even Clifford algebra of a ternary form is so globally up to twisting by square roots of line bundles. The general, usual and special orthogonal groups of a form are determined in terms of automorphism groups of its Witt-invariant. Martin Kneser’s characteristic-free notion of semiregular form is used.