Optimal and typical $L^2$ discrepancy of 2-dimensional lattices

Abstract

We undertake a detailed study of the $L^2$ discrepancy of rational and irrational 2-dimensional lattices either with or without symmetrization. We give a full characterization of lattices with optimal $L^2$ discrepancy in terms of the continued fraction partial quotients, and compute the precise asymptotics whenever the continued fraction expansion is explicitly known, such as for quadratic irrationals or Euler's number $e$. In the metric theory, we find the asymptotics of the $L^2$ discrepancy for almost every irrational, and the limit distribution for randomly chosen rational and irrational lattices.