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I'll write $\mathbf{Z}^n$ for the integral quadratic form $x_1^2 + \cdots + x_n^2$. For which values of $n$ is $\mathbf{Z}^n$ unique in its genus, i.e. isolated in Kneser's graph? In particular can someone verify or shoot down the following guesses:

  1. For $n \leq 8$, any lattice in the same genus as $\mathbf{Z}^n$ is isomorphic to $\mathbf{Z}^n$.

  2. Any lattice in the same genus as $\mathbf{Z}^9$ is isomorphic to either $\mathbf{Z}^9$ or to $\mathbf{Z} \times \mathrm{E}_8$.

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    $\begingroup$ Both of these two guesses are true, and easily confirmed by Magma. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 18:11
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    $\begingroup$ Thanks Jeremy. How does magma do it? And is it the kind of thing that was known, or could have been, to Zolotareff? $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 18:24
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    $\begingroup$ Magma apparently uses the explicit enumeration of $p$-neighbors to determine both the size of the genus, and representatives. This method apparently originates from Kneser, and so was not something known to Zolotareff. However, these results can be obtained using the mass formula, and H.J.S. Smith, who was a contemporary of Zolotareff, was the first to write it down in high dimensions. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 18:55

2 Answers 2

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[edited mostly to add information about $n > 9$]

David Treumann's guess is correct: ${\bf Z}^n$ is unique in its genus iff $n \leq 8$, and for $n = 9$ the genus consists of only ${\bf Z}^9$ and ${\bf Z} \oplus E_8$.

The comments indicate two ways to prove this, using $p$-neighbors (as implemented in MAGMA) or the mass formula. Alternatively, one can use the fact that the theta function $\theta_L$ of any lattice $L$ in the genus of ${\bf Z}^n$ is a modular form of weight $n/2$ for an index-3 subgroup $\Gamma$ of the full modular group ${\rm PSL}_2({\bf Z})$.

For $n < 8$, there is only one choice of $\theta_L$ that has $q^0$ coefficient $1$, and we find that $L$ must have $2n$ vectors of norm $1$, and is thus isomorphic with ${\bf Z}^n$.

For $n=8$, either there are $16$ vectors of norm $1$ or there is a characteristic vector of norm zero. But in the latter case $L$ is an even lattice, and thus not in the genus of ${\bf Z}^8$. So we're back to having enough unit vectors to identify $L$ with ${\bf Z}^8$.

The case of $n=9$ requires a bit more work. We can always write $L = {\bf Z}^m \oplus L_0$ where $L_0$ is a unimodular lattice of rank $n-m$ with no vectors of norm $1$. Using $\theta_{L_0}$ we soon find that $L_0$ is either $E_8$ or the trivial lattice of rank zero. Hence $L$ is either ${\bf Z} \oplus E_8$ or ${\bf Z}^9$.

For the details, see for example my papers

A characterization of the ${\bf Z}^n$ lattice, Math. Research Letters 2 (1995), 321-326 (arXiv: math.NT/9906019).
Lattices and codes with long shadows, Math. Research Letters 2 (1995), 643-651 (arXiv: math.NT/9906086).

Of course for every $n \geq 10$ the genus still contains at least the two lattices ${\bf Z}^n$ and ${\bf Z}^{n-8} \oplus E_8$, so $n=8$ is the last case where ${\bf Z}^n$ is unique in its genus.

Added later: The genus of ${\bf Z}^n$ is known at least for $n \leq 25$. According to Table 2.2 on page 49 of SPLAG =

John Conway and Neil Sloane: Sphere Packings, Lattices and Groups, 3rd ed. New York: Springer 1999.

the size of this genus for $9 \leq n \leq 25$ is as follows: $$ \begin{array}{c|cccccccccccccc} n & 9,10,11 & 12,13 & 14 & 15 & 16 & 17 & 18 & 19 & 20 & 21 & 22 & 23 & 24 & 25 \cr\hline \# & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 & 9 & 13 & 16 & 28 & 40 & 68 & 117 & 273 & 665 \end{array} $$ Look up "Lattice, unimodular" in the index (page 694) for pointers in the book for further information.

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  • $\begingroup$ You're welcome. I added some information from SPLAG for larger $n$ (through 25). $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 7, 2016 at 2:42
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    $\begingroup$ I think I didn't put it together until now, that odd unimodular lattices make a genus, and that's the genus containing $\mathbf{Z}^n$. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 9, 2016 at 15:38
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Both statements are well-known in the arithmetic theory of quadratic forms (aka integral lattices).

The first statement for $n \leq 5$ is a consequence of Hermite's bound on the nonzero minimum of an integral lattice: the minimum of a unimodular lattice of rank $\leq 5$ is 1.

Both statements are consequences of Kneser's theory of neighbors. You can find it in the last theorem in O'Meara's book. It also mentioned that Kneser completed the analysis of the genus of $I_n$ for $n \leq 13$.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for the O'Meara reference. The last footnote on the last page, referring to that Kneser work, is: "See M. Kneser (1957). For an example of the classical approach using 'reduction theory' we refer to BW Jones (1950)." I'd be interested to find out what O'M means, but I didn't find the Jones book yet. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 4, 2016 at 15:01
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    $\begingroup$ That Kneser's paper is ``Klassenzahlen definiter quadratischen Formen", Arch. Math. (1957), 241-250. Kneser did more than sums of squares in that paper. As for Jones, I believe what he did is using Hermite's bound (and a sharper inequality) to deduce that $I_n$ is alone in its genus for $n \leq 7$. $\endgroup$
    – WKC
    Commented Feb 4, 2016 at 15:50

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