The number (up to isomorphism) of positive-definite, even, unimodular lattices of rank 8r grows rapidly with r. However, Bannai [1] has shown that, when counted according to weight, those with non-trivial automorphisms make up a fraction of the whole, which goes rapidly to zero as r→∞. Therefore it is of some interest to produce families of positive-definite, even, unimodular lattices with large automorphism groups and unbounded ranks.

Suppose that G is a finite group and V is an irreducible ℚ[G]-module such that V[otimes ]ℝ is still irreducible. Then, as observed by Gross [8], the space of G-invariant symmetric bilinear forms on V is one-dimensional and is necessarily generated by a positive-definite form, unique up to scaling by non-zero positive rationals. Thompson [23] showed that, if V is also irreducible modp for all primes p, then it contains an invariant lattice (unique up to scaling) which is even and unimodular with appropriate scaling of the quadratic form. Examples arising in this manner are the E8-lattice of rank 8, the Leech lattice of rank 24 and the Thompson–Smith lattice of rank 248. Gow [6] has also constructed some examples associated with the basic spin representations of 2An and 2Sn.