Lattices are discrete subgroups of maximal rank in a Euclidean space. To each such geometrical object, we can attach a canonical sphere packing which, assuming some regularity, has a density. The question of estimating the highest possible density of a sphere packing in a given dimension is a fascinating and difficult problem: the answer is known only up to dimension 3.
This book thus discusses a beautiful and central problem in mathematics, which involves geometry, number theory, coding theory and group theory, centering on the study of extreme lattices, i.e....
Lattices are discrete subgroups of maximal rank in a Euclidean space. To each such geometrical object, we can attach a canonical sphere packing whi...