The 24 symmetry pairings of self-dual maps on the sphere (Q1893173)

Given \(G\), a self-dual planar map, let \(G_2\) be the map defined by the superposition of \(G\) and \(G^*\), with the vertex set \(V \cup F^* \cup (E \cap E^*)\). Color the half edges in \(G_2\) originating from \(G\) and \(G^*\) with two different colors. The group of all color preserving and color reversing map automorphisms of \(G_2\) is denoted by \(\text{Dual}(G)\). \(\text{Aut} (G)\) is then a subgroup of index 2 of \(\text{Dual} (G)\), the inclusion \(\text{Aut} (G) < \text{Dual} (G)\) being called the self-dual pairing of \(G\). The main result states that every self-dual pairing either belongs to one of five families of pairings or is one in a list of nineteen pairings.