Two-dimensional lattices with few distances

MaRDI QIDQ874766zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Pieter Moree, Robert Osburn

Publication date 10 April 2007

Published in L'Enseignement Mathématique. 2e Série (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0604163

zbMATH Keywords

distanceErdös numberhexagonal latticeTwo-dimensional lattice

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Lattices and convex bodies (number-theoretic aspects) (11H06) Lattices and convex bodies in (n) dimensions (aspects of discrete geometry) (52C07)

Abstract: We prove that of all two-dimensional lattices of covolume 1 the hexagonal lattice has asymptotically the fewest distances. An analogous result for dimensions 3 to 8 was proved in 1991 by Conway and Sloane. Moreover, we give a survey of some related literature, in particular progress on a conjecture from 1995 due to Schmutz Schaller.

Review text

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.

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