Root lattices in number fields

Abstract

We explore whether a root lattice may be similar to the lattice $\mathscr O$ of integers of a number field $K$ endowed with the inner product $(x, y):={\rm Trace}_{K/\mathbb Q}(x\cdot\theta(y))$, where $\theta$ is an involution of $K$. We classify all pairs $K$, $\theta$ such that $\mathscr O$ is similar to either an even root lattice or the root lattice $\mathbb Z^{[K:\mathbb Q]}$. We also classify all pairs $K$, $\theta$ such that $\mathscr O$ is a root lattice. In addition to this, we show that $\mathscr O$ is never similar to a positive-definite even unimodular lattice of rank $\leqslant 48$, in particular, $\mathscr O$ is not similar to the Leech lattice. In appendix, we give a general cyclicity criterion for the primary components of the discriminant group of $\mathscr O$.