Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2013 / iii / Paper 16 / 2 / Solution

Construct the Euclidean lattices in an orthogonal coordinate system whose squared axis lengths areThus an integer coordinate vector $z$ has squared norm ${\sum }_i{a}_i{z}_i^2$. These four numbers are linearly independent over $\mathbb{Q}$: the four sign changes of $\sqrt{2},\sqrt{3}$ in their field extension isolate the four coefficients of a rational relation. The independence will distinguish the two flat tori; equality of their length spectra will hold for every positive choice of axis weights.

LetHere and below these integer coordinates are interpreted in the weighted orthogonal axes. Direct multiplication gives $S^T=-S$, $S^2=-3I$, andIn particular both $L_{\pm }$ are full-rank Euclidean lattices. Denote their four generator columns by $v_i^{\pm }$. Modulo $3$ the two matrices have the same columns, and the nonzero words of the given ternary tetracode $T$ are exactlyThese are the reductions of $\pm v_i^{\pm }$, respectively. The first and fourth displayed words are the specified generators, and the middle two arise from their sum and difference, up to sign. Thus reduction modulo $3$ maps either Euclidean lattice onto precisely $T$.

To construct a length-preserving correspondence, find the kernels $M_{\pm }=L_{\pm }\cap 3{\mathbb{Z}}^4$ of this reduction. The inverse matrix is $A_{\pm }^{-1}=A_{\pm }^T/12$. Hence $3w\in L_{\pm }$ exactly when $A_{\pm }^{T}w\equiv 0(\mathrm{mod}4)$. These congruences are equivalent toFor clarity, the first $+$ congruence is $-(w_1+w_2+w_3+w_4)=0(\mathrm{mod}4)$; subtracting the others gives evenness of each required pair sum. For the $-$ matrix the first congruence is $2w_1-(w_1+w_2+w_3+w_4)=0(\mathrm{mod}4)$; the remaining congruences again give equality of the four parities. Substitution proves the converse in each case.

Let $R_i$ be the orthogonal reflection changing only coordinate $i$. If the coordinates of $w$ are even, this changes their sum by a multiple of $4$; if all are odd, it changes the sum by $2$ modulo $4$. ThereforeEach Euclidean lattice is the disjoint union of its kernel and the eight cosets $\pm v_i^{\pm }+M_{\pm }$, since $T$ has nine words. Define a map $\Phi :L_{+}\to L_{-}$ by using $R_1$ on $M_{+}$ and $R_i$ on each of $v_i^{+}+M_{+}$ and $-v_i^{+}+M_{+}$. Each piece maps bijectively onto the corresponding $-$ coset. Thus $\Phi$ is a bijection satisfyingIt also commutes with $z\mapsto -z$. The closed geodesics of a flat torus have lengths $\Vert z\Vert$ for nonzero translation vectors $z$ in its Euclidean lattice. Consequently the two length spectra agree, including the multiplicities of translation classes and with either consistent orientation convention. If only primitive closed geodesics are counted, the same conclusion follows by removing iterates in increasing order of length: the total multiplicity at $\ell$ is the sum of primitive multiplicities at $\ell /k$, and there are only finitely many such contributions below any fixed length. The correspondence need not itself preserve primitiveness to give this conclusion.

It remains to prove the two flat tori are not isometric. An isometry of flat tori lifts to an affine Euclidean isometry; its linear part of an affine map must carry $L_{+}$ onto $L_{-}$. In integer coordinates write this part as $B$. For every $z\in L_{+}$, both $z$ and $Bz$ have integer coordinates and have equal squared norms. Rational independence of the $a_i$ impliesApply this to $z=A_{+}n$ for all $n\in {\mathbb{Z}}^4$. Two squared linear forms agreeing on all integer points agree as polynomials; their difference factors, so one form is the other or its negative. Since $A_{+}$ is invertible, $B$ is consequently a diagonal sign change $D=\mathrm{diag}({\epsilon }_1,\dots ,{\epsilon }_4)$.

Modulo $3$, such a $D$ must preserve $T$. Each nonzero word of $T$ has exactly three nonzero coordinates, and for each choice of zero coordinate there are just two such words, differing by an overall sign. Preserving these words forces the three signs on each support to agree. The four overlapping supports then force ${\epsilon }_1={\epsilon }_2={\epsilon }_3={\epsilon }_4$. Thus only $D=I$ and $D=-I$ are possible. Neither changes $L_{+}$.

Finally $v_1^{+}\notin L_{-}$: it has the same ternary word as $v_1^{-}$, but their difference is $6e_1=3(2,0,0,0)$, which fails the congruence defining $M_{-}$. Hence $L_{+}\ne L_{-}$ and no such linear isometry exists. This completes the tetracode length-isospectral lattice construction.