Spherical 2-designs and lattices from abelian groups (Q1739201)

Given an additively written finite abelian group \(G=\{ g_1= 0 , g_2,\ldots , g_n \}\) of order \(n\), the authors study the associated \(n-1\)-dimensional relation lattice \[ L_G := \{ (x_1,\ldots , x_n) \in\mathbf{Z}^n \mid \sum _{i=1}^n x_i = 0, \sum _{j=2}^n x_j g_j = 0 \} \] The main result of the paper is that \(L_G\) is strongly eutactic if and only if either \(|G|\) is odd or \(G\) is elementary abelian. For elementary abelian \(G\) the automorphism group of \(L_G\) is absolutely irreducible, from which one obtains the strong eutaxy from a well known theorem. For odd order groups \(G\), the proof is based on combinatorics in the minimal vectors of \(L_G\). \textit{R. Bacher} [J. Théor. Nombres Bordx. 27, No. 3, 655--687 (2015; Zbl 1335.11051)] showed that all the lattices \(L_G\) are perfect if \(|G|\geq 7\). Combinining this with the result of the present paper hence yields that the lattices \(L_G\) realise a local maximum of the density function of all elementary abelian or odd order groups of order \(\geq 7\). Clearly the holomorph Hol\((G)=G : \)Aut\((G)\) is always a subgroup of the automorphism group of \(L_G\). The authors show that Aut\((L_G)=\mathrm{Hol}(G) \times \langle -1 \rangle \) if \(|G|\geq 15\). The idea here is to consider \(L_G\) as a sublattice of index \(|G|\) in the root lattice \(A_{n-1}\) and to conclude that Hol\((G) \times \langle -1 \rangle \) is the stabiliser in Aut\((A_{n-1}) (\cong \langle -1 \rangle \times S_n)\) of the sublattice \(L_G\). To see that Aut\((L_G)\) is contained in Aut\((A_{n-1})\) the authors show that the minimal vectors of the dual lattices \(L_G^{\#} \) and \(A_{n-1}^{\#} \) coincide, for \(n\geq 15\).