On the paucity of lattice triangles

Abstract

A rational triangle $T$ (one whose angles are rational multiples of $\pi$) unfolds to a translation surface $(X_T,\omega_T)$. The lattice triangle problem asks to classify those $T$ for which $(X_T,\omega_T)$ is a Veech (lattice) surface, which means that the $\operatorname{SL}_2(\mathbb R)$-orbit of $(X_T,\omega_T)$ is closed in its stratum (so its projection to moduli space is a Teichm\"uller curve). The most mysterious regime is the "hard obtuse window" (largest angle in $(\pi/2,2\pi/3]$), where it is conjectured that no lattice triangles exist. Using an arithmetic reformulation of the Mirzakhani-Wright rank obstruction, we prove a quantitative theorem that rules out all but a density 0 subset of the triangles in this window. The main engine in this paper was autoformalized by AxiomProver in Lean (using mathlib).