Lattice points inside rational simplices and the Casson invariant of Brieskorn spheres (Q5956143): Difference between revisions

From constructions on a homology 3-sphere, the author leads to a formula for the Casson invariant \(C_{a_1\ldots a_n}\), which here is the number of lattice points in the simplex \[ \left\{(x_1,\ldots,x_n)\;\text{in }\mathbb{R}^n:x_i\geq 0,\;\sum_{i=1}^n{x_i\over a_i}<{1\over 2}\left(n-2-\sum_{i=1}^n{1\over a_i}\right)\right\} \] with \(n=3\) or 4. He sets out to give an elementary derivation in terms of the Dedekind sums \[ sS(h,k;x,y)=\sum_{\mu=0}^{k-1}\left(\left({\mu+y\over k}\right)\right) \left(\left({h(\mu+y)\over k}+x\right)\right) \] where \(((r))= 0\) if \(r\) is in \(\mathbb{Z}\) and \(\{r\}-{1\over 2}\) otherwise. The calculations are based on an idea used by \textit{L. J. Mordell} to solve similar problems [J. Indian Math. Soc., New Ser. 15, 41-46 (1951; Zbl 0043.05101)]. The result is \[ -16C_{a_1\dots a_n}=-{(n-2)A\over 3}+{\varepsilon\over 3A} +{1\over 3}\sum_i{b_i\over a_i} +8\sum_i s\left(b_i,a_i;{1\over 2},{1\over 2}\right) \] where \(a_1,\ldots, a_n\) are coprime positive integers, \(A=a_1\ldots a_n, b_i=A/a_i\) and \(\varepsilon=1\) if \(A\) is even and \(-2\) if \(A\) is odd. The approach also gives elementary proofs of some associated homological formulae.