Automorphisms of modular lattices (Q1996079)

A full-rank lattice \(L\) in an \(n\)-dimensional positive definite rational quadratic space \((V,Q)\) is called even if \(Q(x) \in 2\mathbb Z\) for all \(x \in L\), and it is called unimodular if it has determinant~\(1\). Even unimodular lattices can only exist in dimensions \(n = 8k\) for a positive integer \(k\). These lattices are quite important in the study of dense packings, in particular the two known optimal sphere packing results in dimensions \(> 3\) are given by two even unimodular lattices: \(E_8\) and the Leech lattice \(\Lambda_{24}\). The even unimodular lattices have been completely classified in dimensions 8, 16 and 24, and there are also known constructions in dimensions 48, 72. Additionally, there are some known lower bounds on the number of such lattices in a wider range of dimensions, including bounds on the number of extremal even unimodular lattices, i.e. those that are local maxima points of the packing density function on the space of lattices. The paper under review continues with the author's program of classifying the extremal even unimodular lattices by looking at the properties of automorphisms of the more general class of modular lattices. The author pays special attention to the notions of type and det-type of an automorphism of a lattice. A variety of technical properties of automorphisms are obtained and classification results on extremal modular lattices in several dimensions are derived. The paper also includes an overview of the current state-of-the-art on classification of extremal even modular lattices.