On the Global Optimality of Fibonacci Lattices in the Torus

Abstract

We use linear programming bounds to analyze point sets in the torus with respect to their optimality for problems in discrepancy theory and quasi-Monte Carlo methods. These concepts will be unified by introducing tensor product energies. We show that the canonical $3$-point lattice in any dimension is globally optimal among all $3$-point sets in the torus with respect to a large class of such energies. This is a new instance of universal optimality, a special phenomenon that is only known for a small class of highly structured point sets. In the case of $d=2$ dimensions it is conjectured that so-called Fibonacci lattices should also be optimal with respect to a large class of potentials. To this end we show that the $5$-point Fibonacci lattice is globally optimal for a continuously parametrized class of potentials relevant to the analysis fo the quasi-Monte Carlo method.

Major revision for version 2