arXiv subjects

Achill Schuermann

Publications and source records attributed to Achill Schuermann.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2013

On the cohomology of linear groups over imaginary quadratic fields

Let Gamma be the group GL_N (OO_D), where OO_D is the ring of integers in the imaginary quadratic field with discriminant D<0. In this paper we investigate the cohomology of Gamma for N=3,4 and for a selection of discriminants: D >= -24 when N=3, and D=-3,-4 when N=4. In particular we compute the integral cohomology of Gamma up to p-power torsion for small primes p. Our main tool is the polyhedral reduction theory for Gamma developed by Ash and Koecher. Our results extend work of Staffeldt, who treated the case n=3, D=-4. In a sequel to this paper, we will apply some of these results to the computations with the K-groups K_4 (OO_{D}), when D=-3,-4.

math.NT↗

arXiv2012

Point configurations that are asymmetric yet balanced

A configuration of particles confined to a sphere is balanced if it is in equilibrium under all force laws (that act between pairs of points with strength given by a fixed function of distance). It is straightforward to show that every sufficiently symmetrical configuration is balanced, but the converse is far from obvious. In 1957 Leech completely classified the balanced configurations in R^3, and his classification is equivalent to the converse for R^3. In this paper we disprove the converse in high dimensions. We construct several counterexamples, including one with trivial symmetry group.

math.MG↗

arXiv2011

Inhomogeneous extreme forms

G.F. Voronoi (1868-1908) wrote two memoirs in which he describes two reduction theories for lattices, well-suited for sphere packing and covering problems. In his first memoir a characterization of locally most economic packings is given, but a corresponding result for coverings has been missing. In this paper we bridge the two classical memoirs. By looking at the covering problem from a different perspective, we discover the missing analogue. Instead of trying to find lattices giving economical coverings we consider lattices giving, at least locally, very uneconomical ones. We classify local covering maxima up to dimension 6 and prove their existence in all dimensions beyond. New phenomena arise: Many highly symmetric lattices turn out to give uneconomical coverings; the covering density function is not a topological Morse function. Both phenomena are in sharp contrast to the packing problem.

math.NT↗

arXiv2011

On the integral homology of PSL4(Z) and other arithmetic groups

We determine the integral homology of PSL4(Z) in degrees at most 5 and determine its p-part in higher degrees for the primes p>=5. Our method applies to other arithmetic groups; as illustrations we include descriptions of the integral homology of PGL3(Z[i]) and PGL3(Z[\exp(2π{i}/3)]) in degrees at most 5.

math.KT↗

arXiv2010

Ground states and formal duality relations in the Gaussian core model

We study dimensional trends in ground states for soft-matter systems. Specifically, using a high-dimensional version of Parrinello-Rahman dynamics, we investigate the behavior of the Gaussian core model in up to eight dimensions. The results include unexpected geometric structures, with surprising anisotropy as well as formal duality relations. These duality relations suggest that the Gaussian core model possesses unexplored symmetries, and they have implications for a broad range of soft-core potentials.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2010

The contact polytope of the Leech lattice (complete version)

The contact polytope of a lattice is the convex hull of its shortest vectors. In this paper we classify the facets of the contact polytope of the Leech lattice up to symmetry. There are 1,197,362,269,604,214,277,200 many facets in 232 orbits.

math.MG↗

arXiv2009

Classification of eight dimensional perfect forms

In this paper, we classify the perfect lattices in dimension 8. There are 10916 of them. Our classification heavily relies on exploiting symmetry in polyhedral computations. Here we describe algorithms making the classification possible.

math.NT↗

arXiv2009

Enumerating perfect forms

A positive definite quadratic form is called perfect, if it is uniquely determined by its arithmetical minimum and the integral vectors attaining it. In this self-contained survey we explain how to enumerate perfect forms in $d$ variables up to arithmetical equivalence and scaling. We put an emphasis on practical issues concerning computer assisted enumerations. For the necessary theory of Voronoi we provide complete proofs based on Ryshkov polyhedra. This allows a very natural generalization to $T$-perfect forms, which are perfect with respect to a linear subspace $T$ in the space of quadratic forms. Important examples include Gaussian, Eisenstein and Hurwitz quaternionic perfect forms, for which we present new classification results in dimensions $8,10$ and 12.

math.NT↗

arXiv2008

Experimental study of energy-minimizing point configurations on spheres

In this paper we report on massive computer experiments aimed at finding spherical point configurations that minimize potential energy. We present experimental evidence for two new universal optima (consisting of 40 points in 10 dimensions and 64 points in 14 dimensions), as well as evidence that there are no others with at most 64 points. We also describe several other new polytopes, and we present new geometrical descriptions of some of the known universal optima.

math.MG↗

arXiv2008

Methods in the Local Theory of Packing and Covering Lattices

In this paper we are concerned with three lattice problems: the lattice packing problem, the lattice covering problem and the lattice packing-covering problem. One way to find optimal lattices for these problems is to enumerate all finitely many, locally optimal lattices. For the lattice packing problem there are two classical algorithms going back to Minkowski and Voronoi. For the covering and for the packing-covering problem we propose new algorithms. Here we give a brief survey about these approaches. We report on some recent computer based computations where we were able to reproduce and partially extend the known classification of locally optimal lattices. Furthermore we found new record breaking covering and packing-covering lattices. We describe several methods with examples to show that a lattice is a locally optimal solution to one of the three problems.

math.MG↗

arXiv2008

Complexity and algorithms for computing Voronoi cells of lattices

In this paper we are concerned with finding the vertices of the Voronoi cell of a Euclidean lattice. Given a basis of a lattice, we prove that computing the number of vertices is a #P-hard problem. On the other hand we describe an algorithm for this problem which is especially suited for low dimensional (say dimensions at most 12) and for highly-symmetric lattices. We use our implementation, which drastically outperforms those of current computer algebra systems, to find the vertices of Voronoi cells and quantizer constants of some prominent lattices.

math.MG↗

arXiv2007

Polyhedral representation conversion up to symmetries

We give a short survey on computational techniques which can be used to solve the representation conversion problem for polyhedra up to symmetries. We in particular discuss decomposition methods, which reduce the problem to a number of lower dimensional subproblems. These methods have been successfully used by different authors in special contexts. Moreover, we sketch an incremental method, which is a generalization of Fourier-Motzkin elimination, and we give some ideas how symmetry can be exploited using pivots.

math.MG↗

arXiv2007

A generalization of Voronoi's reduction theory and its application

We consider Voronoi's reduction theory of positive definite quadratic forms which is based on Delone subdivision. We extend it to forms and Delone subdivisions having a prescribed symmetry group. Even more general, the theory is developed for forms which are restricted to a linear subspace in the space of quadratic forms. We apply the new theory to complete the classification of totally real thin algebraic number fields which was recently initiated by Bayer-Fluckiger and Nebe. Moreover, we apply it to construct new best known sphere coverings in dimensions 9,..., 15.

math.MG↗

arXiv2006

On packing spheres into containers (about Kepler's finite sphere packing problem)

In an Euclidean $d$-space, the container problem asks to pack $n$ equally sized spheres into a minimal dilate of a fixed container. If the container is a smooth convex body and $d\geq 2$ we show that solutions to the container problem can not have a ``simple structure'' for large $n$. By this we in particular find that there exist arbitrary small $r>0$, such that packings in a smooth, 3-dimensional convex body, with a maximum number of spheres of radius $r$, are necessarily not hexagonal close packings. This contradicts Kepler's famous statement that the cubic or hexagonal close packing ``will be the tightest possible, so that in no other arrangement more spheres could be packed into the same container''.

math.MG↗

arXiv2005

Computational Approaches to Lattice Packing and Covering Problems

We describe algorithms which address two classical problems in lattice geometry: the lattice covering and the simultaneous lattice packing-covering problem. Theoretically our algorithms solve the two problems in any fixed dimension d in the sense that they approximate optimal covering lattices and optimal packing-covering lattices within any desired accuracy. Both algorithms involve semidefinite programming and are based on Voronoi's reduction theory for positive definite quadratic forms, which describes all possible Delone triangulations of Z^d. In practice, our implementations reproduce known results in dimensions d <= 5 and in particular solve the two problems in these dimensions. For d = 6 our computations produce new best known covering as well as packing-covering lattices, which are closely related to the lattice (E6)*. For d = 7, 8 our approach leads to new best known covering lattices. Although we use numerical methods, we made some effort to transform numerical evidences into rigorous proofs. We provide rigorous error bounds and prove that some of the new lattices are locally optimal.

math.MG↗

arXiv2005

Ehrhart polynomial and Successive Minima

We investigate the Ehrhart polynomial for the class of 0-symmetric convex lattice polytopes in Euclidean $n$-space $\mathbb{R}^n$. It turns out that the roots of the Ehrhart polynomial and Minkowski's successive minima are closely related by their geometric and arithmetic mean. We also show that the roots of lattice $n$-polytopes with or without interior lattice points differ essentially. Furthermore, we study the structure of the roots in the planar case. Here it turns out that their distribution reflects basic properties of lattice polygons.

math.MG↗

arXiv2005

Three-dimensional antipodal and norm-equilateral sets

We characterize the three-dimensional spaces admitting at least six or at least seven equidistant points. In particular, we show the existence of $C^\infty$ norms on $\R^3$ admitting six equidistant points, which refutes a conjecture of Lawlor and Morgan (1994, Pacific J. Math \textbf{166}, 55--83), and gives the existence of energy-minimizing cones with six regions for certain uniformly convex norms on $\R^3$. On the other hand, no differentiable norm on $\R^3$ admits seven equidistant points. A crucial ingredient in the proof is a classification of all three-dimensional antipodal sets. We also apply the results to the touching numbers of several three-dimensional convex bodies.

math.MG↗

arXiv2004

Local Covering Optimality of Lattices: Leech Lattice versus Root Lattice E8

We show that the Leech lattice gives a sphere covering which is locally least dense among lattice coverings. We show that a similar result is false for the root lattice E8. For this we construct a less dense covering lattice whose Delone subdivision has a common refinement with the Delone subdivision of E8. The new lattice yields a sphere covering which is more than 12% less dense than the formerly best known given by the lattice A8*. Currently, the Leech lattice is the first and only known example of a locally optimal lattice covering having a non-simplicial Delone subdivision. We hereby in particular answer a question of Dickson posed in 1968. By showing that the Leech lattice is rigid our answer is even strongest possible in a sense.

math.MG↗