Pacemaker and Farey series (Q1182535)

Let \(L\) be a lattice in the (real affine) plane and let \(L\) be ordered lexicographically. For a bounded interval \(I\) of real numbers, denote by \(L(I)\) the set of points \(M = (x,y)\) in \(L\) such that \(x\in I\). Define the function \(S : L(I) \to L(I)\), where \(S(M)\) denotes the smallest element \(N\neq M\) of \(L(I)\) larger than \(M\). The author proves the following result. If there are three non-aligned points of \(L\) with their abscissae in a translate of \(I\), then there exists a base \((V,W)\) of \(L\) such that, for every point \(M\) of \(L(I)\) one has (i) \(S(M)-M = V\) or \(W\) or \(V+W\) and (ii) case a) if \(M+V \in L(I)\) then \(S(M) = M+V\), case b) if \(M+W \in L(I)\) then \(S(M) = M+W\), and case c) is neither \(M+V\) nor \(M+W\) belong to \(L(I)\), then \(S(M) = M+ V + W\). It is shown that the well-known results on gaps and steps for the sequence \((n\alpha\bmod 1)_{n\geq 0}\) [\textit{N. B. Slater}, Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 63, 1115--1123 (1967; Zbl 0178.04703)] follow as corollaries.