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Gruber P. Convex and Discrete Geometry

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L(P) = #(P ∩ Z d )<br />

L o (P) = (−1) d−dim P #(relint P ∩ Z d )<br />

L b (P) = L(P) − L o (P) for P ∈ P Z d<br />

19 Lattice Polytopes 311<br />

relint P is the interior of P relative to the affine hull aff P. Some authors use slightly<br />

different definitions.<br />

The systematic study of lattice point enumerators started with the work of Reeve<br />

[825,826], Macdonald [675] <strong>and</strong> the polynomiality results of Ehrhart [292–294] <strong>and</strong><br />

is now part of the theory of valuations on P Z d . The results of Ehrhart are related to the<br />

Riemann–Roch theorem, see Brion [169]. Ehrhart polynomials <strong>and</strong> their coefficients<br />

play an essential role in combinatorics <strong>and</strong> the geometry of numbers. For references<br />

see the book of Stanley [952], the article of Henk, Schürmann <strong>and</strong> Wills [492] <strong>and</strong><br />

the survey of Henk <strong>and</strong> Wills [493]. A relation between the roots of Ehrhart polynomials<br />

<strong>and</strong> successive minima due to Henk, Schürmann <strong>and</strong> Wills will be stated in<br />

Sect. 23.1.<br />

This section contains the proofs of two results of Ehrhart, following in part the<br />

line of Macdonald [675]. Different proofs will be given in Sect. 19.4, using the theorem<br />

of Betke <strong>and</strong> Kneser.<br />

For more information the reader is referred to Ehrhart’s monograph [294], to<br />

the books cited in the introduction of Sect. 19 <strong>and</strong> to the surveys of McMullen <strong>and</strong><br />

Schneider [716], Gritzmann <strong>and</strong> Wills [397], Brion [170] <strong>and</strong> Simion [940]. Beck,<br />

De Loera, Develin, Pfeifle <strong>and</strong> Stanley [85] investigated the coefficients <strong>and</strong> roots of<br />

the Ehrhart polynomials.<br />

Ehrhart’s Polynomiality <strong>and</strong> Reciprocity Results for L <strong>and</strong> L o<br />

The following results are due to Ehrhart [292–294]. The first result is called Ehrhart’s<br />

polynomiality theorem, the second Ehrhart’s reciprocity theorem.<br />

Theorem 19.1. Let P be a proper convex lattice polytope in E d . Then the following<br />

claims hold:<br />

(i) L(nP) = pP(n) for n ∈ N, where pP is a polynomial of degree d, with leading<br />

coefficient V (P) <strong>and</strong> constant term 1.<br />

(ii) L o (nP) = (−1) d pP(−n) for n ∈ N.<br />

These results yield the Reeve–Macdonald formulae for the volume of lattice polytopes,<br />

see Sect. 19.2. In our proof of the theorem, the notion of lattice <strong>and</strong> simple<br />

related concepts are used, for which the reader may wish to consult Sect. 21.<br />

Proof. (i) First, the following will be shown.<br />

(1) Let S ∈ PZd p be a simplex. Then<br />

∞�<br />

L(nS)t n � �<br />

d + 1<br />

� �<br />

d + 2<br />

�<br />

= q(t) 1 + t + t<br />

1 2<br />

2 �<br />

+··· for |t| < 1,<br />

n=0<br />

where q is a polynomial of degree at most d with integer coefficients.

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