A new number field construction of the lattice \(E_8\) (Q375919): Difference between revisions

In the present paper an \(n\)-dimensional lattice \(\Lambda\) is a discrete subgroup of \(\mathbb R^n\) of rank \(n\). Lattices can be constructed from a number field \(F\) by considering geometric representations of integral ideals in \(\mathfrak O_F\) , the ring of integers of \(F\), see for instance [\textit{J. H. Conway} and \textit{N. J. A. Sloane}, Sphere packings, lattices and groups. With additional contributions by E. Bannai, R. E. Borcherds, J. Leech, S. P. Norton, A. M. Odlyzko, R. A. Parker, L. Queen and B. B. Venkov. Grundlehren der Mathematischen Wissenschaften 290. New York, NY: Springer. (1999; Zbl 0915.52003)]. If \(\Lambda\) is a lattice obtained from a number field \(F\), we say that \(\Lambda\) can be realized as an \(\mathfrak O_F\)-lattice. \textit{M. Craig} [Mathematika 25, 44--56 (1978; Zbl 0395.10038)] showed that the \textit{\(E_8\) lattice} can be obtained from properly chosen integral ideals in rings of cyclotomic integers. \textit{E. Bayer-Fluckiger} [in: Algebraic geometry: Hirzebruch 70. Proceedings of the algebraic geometry conference in honor of F. Hirzebruch's 70th birthday. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society. Contemp. Math. 241, 69--84 (1999; Zbl 0951.11016)] showed that \(E_8\) can be realized as an \(\mathfrak O_F\) lattice for \(F=\mathbb Q(\zeta_{15}), \mathbb Q(\zeta_{20})\) and \(\mathbb Q(\zeta_{24})\). An important open problem stated in [Zbl 0951.11016] is: Given a lattice \(\Lambda\), is there a number field \(K\) such that \(\Lambda\) is an \(\mathfrak O\)-lattice? In this paper the authors prove that \(E_8\) can be realized as an \(\mathfrak O_F\)-lattice where \(F\) is a subfield of the cyclotomic field \(\mathbb Q(\zeta_{pq} )\) for infinitely many properly chosen pairs \((p, q)\) of odd primes. More precisely, they prove: There are infinitely many pairs \((p, q)\) of primes such that the lattice \(E_8\) can be realized as an \(\mathfrak O_M\)-lattice where \(M = K_1K_2\) is a subfield of \(\mathbb Q(\zeta_{pq} )\) with \(K_1\subset \mathbb Q(\zeta_p), K_2 \subset Q(\zeta_q ), [K_1 : \mathbb Q] = 4\), and \([K_2 : \mathbb Q] = 2\). For this, it suffices that \(p\) and \(q\) satisfy the conditions \(\mathrm{ord}_p q \equiv \mathrm{ord}_q p \equiv 1 \mod 2\) and be of the form \(4h_ p + 1\) and \(2h_q + 1\), respectively, where \(h_p\) and \(h_q\) are odd integers.