Two-dimensional lattices with few distances (Q874766)

Let \(\Sigma = {1 \over { \sqrt 3 }} A_2\) denote the hexagonal lattice of covolume 1. The authors prove that of all the two-dimensional lattices of covolume 1, \(\Sigma\) has asymptotically the fewest distances. To make this notion precise, one defines the Erdős number \(E_L\) of an \(n\)-dimensional lattice \(L\) through \(E_L := F_L d^{ 1/n }\), where \(d\) is the determinant of \(L\) and \(F_L\) is its population fraction given by \[ F_L := \lim_{ x \to \infty } {{ N_L(x) \sqrt{ \log x } } \over x} \quad \text{if } n = 2 , \qquad \qquad F_L := \lim_{ x \to \infty } {{ N_L(x) } \over x} \quad \text{if } n \geq 3 . \] Here \(N_L(x)\) is the population function associated to the corresponding quadratic form, i.e., the number of values not exceeding \(x\) taken by the form. The main theorem of the paper states that \(\Sigma\) has the smallest Erdős number among all two-dimensional lattices. Conway and Sloane proved previously that for \(n \geq 3\) the lattices with minimal Erdős number are the even lattices of minimal determinant. The paper under review also gives a survey on some related literature, in particular progress on a conjecture of Schmutz Schaller.