48 dimensional even unimodular nearly extremal lattices. (Q2179259)

The main result of the paper is that an even unimodular lattice of dimension 48 and minimum 4 is generated by its vectors of norm 4 and 6. The proof involves explicit computations with theta series with harmonic coefficients. Some examples of such lattices are given. The paper contains lots of computations with degree 2 Siegel modular forms showing that the degree 2 Siegel theta series of an even unimodular lattice of dimension 48 is uniquely determined by the number of vectors of norm 4 and the representation number of the rescaled \(A_2\)-lattice (with minimum 4).