A new sequence of minima in the geometry of numbers

Abstract

The problem of evaluating the non-homogeneous critical determinant of the plane region |y − x2| ≤ 1 is solved as a particular case of a result concerning the non-homogeneous properties of convex regions proved in the author's thesis (not yet published). The search for an alternative method of proof led to a proof of the existence of an infinite sequence of minima analogous to the Markoff chain. This is the subject of the present paper.