  In this paper we study the interplay between interference effects in quantum
dots (manifested through the appearance of Fano resonances in the conductance),
and interactions taken into account in the self-consistent Hartree-Fock
approximation. In the non-interacting case we find that interference may lead
to the observation of more than one conductance peak per dot level as a
function of an applied gate voltage. This may explain recent experimental
findings, which were thought to be caused by interaction effects. For the
interacting case we find a wide variety of different interesting phenomena.
These include both monotonous and non-monotonous filling of the dot levels as a
function of an applied gate voltage, which may occur continuously or even
discontinuously. In many cases a combination of the different effects can occur
in the same sample. The behavior of the population influences, in turn, the
conductance lineshape, causing broadening and asymmetry of narrow peaks, and
determining whether there will be a zero transmission point. We elucidate the
essential role of the interference between the dot levels in determining these
outcomes. The effects of finite temperatures on the results are also examined.
