Octonions and the Leech lattice (Q734770)

The author presents a new construction of the \(24\)-dimensional Leech lattice using the real octonion algebra \(\mathbb{O}\). He first considers a certain sublattice \(L\) with an \(E_8\)-type root system of \(240\) octonions of norm \(2\) so that \(L\) is also a scaled copy of the Coxeter-Dickson integral octonions. He then defines the octonionic Leech lattice \(\Lambda\) as those triples \((x,y,z)\) is \(L^3\) that satisfy \(x+y,\;x+z,\;y+z\in L\overline{s}\) and \(x+y+z\in sL\), where \(2s = -1+\sum_{k=0}^6 i_k\) with \(\{ 1, i_0 \ldots , i_6\}\) being the usual standard basis of \(\mathbb{O}\). The norm on \(\Lambda\) is given by \(N(x,y,z)=\frac{1}{2}(x\overline{x}+ y\overline{y}+z\overline{z})\). He then determines the \(196560\) minimal vectors of norm \(4\) in this lattice and gives an explicit identification with the standard Leech lattice. >From his particular construction of the Leech lattice, the author also derives an intrinsic explanation of the numerological fact that \(196560= 3\times 240\times (1+16+16\times 16)\).