Extremal Polygons with Minimal Perimeter

Abstract

In this paper we will investigate an isoperimetric type problem in lattices. If K is a bounded O-symmetric (centrally symmetric with respect to the origin) convex body in En of volume v(K) = 2n det L which does not contain non-zero lattice points in its interior, we say that K is extremal with respect to the given lattice L. There are two variations of the isoperimetric problem for this class of polyhedra. The first one is: Which bodies have minimal surface area in the class of extremal bodies for a fixed n-dimensional lattice? And the second one is: Which bodies have minimal surface area in the class of extremal bodies with volume 1 of dimension n? We characterize the solutions of these two problems in the plane. There is a consequence of these results, the solutions of the above problems in the plane give the solution of the lattice-like covering problem: Determine those centrally symmetric convex bodies whose translated copies (with respect to a fixed lattice L) cover the space and have minimal surface area.