On the Lattice Packings and Coverings of the Plane with Convex Quadrilaterals

Abstract

It is well known that the lattice packing density and the lattice covering density of a triangle are $\frac{2}{3}$ and $\frac{3}{2}$ respectively. We also know that the lattices that attain these densities both are unique. Let $\delta_{L}(K)$ and $\vartheta_{L}(K)$ denote the lattice packing density and the lattice covering density of $K$, respectively. In this paper, I study the lattice packings and coverings for a special class of convex disks, which includes all triangles and convex quadrilaterals. In particular, I determine the densities $\delta_{L}(Q)$ and $\vartheta_{L}(Q)$, where $Q$ is an arbitrary convex quadrilateral. Furthermore, I also obtain all of lattices that attain these densities. Finally, I show that $\delta_{L}(Q)\vartheta_{L}(Q)\geq 1$ and $\frac{1}{\delta_{L}(Q)}+\frac{1}{\vartheta_{L}(Q)}\geq 2$, for each convex quadrilateral $Q$.