The fanning method for constructing even unimodular lattices. I. (Q1419573)

The author is interested in constructing certain even unimodular lattices. Let \(\Lambda\) be an even Euclidean lattice such that its root system \(\mathcal R\), the set of elements of norm 2, generates a sublattice \(R\) of finite index. Let \(R^\#\) be the dual of \(R\). If \(R=R^\#,\) then \(\Lambda = \Lambda^\#\) also and \(\Lambda\) is unimodular. It therefore seems useful to look at the group \(R^\#/ R =\colon G({\mathcal R}),\) which carries a natural nondegenerate bilinear form with values in \(\mathbb Q/\mathbb Z.\) Maximally isotropic subspaces are related to unimodular lattices. If \(\mathcal R\) and \({\mathcal R}'\) are two root systems, one looks at isomorphisms \(\varphi\) between the bilinear modules \(G({\mathcal R}')\) and \(G({\mathcal R})\) such that for each class \(g'\in G({\mathcal R}')\) the shortest norms \(n'\) in \(g'\) and \(n\) in \(\varphi(g')\) satisfy \(n'\leq n \equiv n' \pmod 2\). Such maps \(\varphi\) are called isofans, their inverses isofolds. It seems that the idea of using isofans goes back to \textit{B. B. Venkov} [Zap. Nauchn. Semin. Leningr. Otd. Mat. Inst. Steklova 134, 34--58 (1984; Zbl 0532.10013)]. The author uses isofans in order to construct even unimodular lattices in dimension 32 with given root system. Some known lattices are thereby constructed in a more conceptual manner than previously. Finally, isofans are classified.