Conjugacy classes of reflections of maps (Q1687946)

The author investigates vertex-transitive and edge-transitive maps. A map \(\mathcal{M}\) is called vertex-, edge-, or face-transitive if \(\Aut \mathcal{M}\) acts transitively on its vertices, edges, or faces, respectively. Theorem. Let \(G\) be a finite group with a subgroup \(G^+\) of index 2, and let \(K_1, \ldots, K_k\) be distinct conjugacy classes of involutions in \(G \backslash G^+\) for some \(k \geqslant 1\). Then there is a vertex-transitive map \(\mathcal{M}\), on a compact orientable surface without boundary, such that \(\Aut \mathcal{M}\cong G\) and the reflections of \(\mathcal{M}\) correspond to the elements of the conjugacy classes \(K_i\). Corollary. If \(c_1, \dots , c_k\) are positive integers for some \(k \geqslant 1\), then there is a vertex-transitive map \(\mathcal{M}\), on a compact orientable surface without boundary, such that the reflections of \(\mathcal{M}\) form \(k\) conjugacy classes of sizes \(c_1, \ldots, c_k\). Theorem. If \(\mathcal{M}\) is an edge-transitive map, then \( \Aut \mathcal{M}\) contains at most four conjugacy classes of reflections; if it has four, then \(\mathcal{M}\) is just-edge-transitive. The author presents generalizations of these results using an approach to maps based on group theory. He outlines the algebraic theory of maps. If \(H\) is a group of automorphisms of a map \(\mathcal{M}\), the number of conjugacy classes of reflections of \(\mathcal{M}\) in \(H\) will be denoted by \(\operatorname{cr}(H)\). The author proves the following two theorems. Theorem. Given any integers \(c_0, c_1, c_2 \geqslant 0\), with \(c_0, c_2 \geqslant 1\) if \(c_1\) is odd, there is a subgroup \(N\) of finite index in \(\Gamma\), with \(\operatorname{cr}_i(N) = c_i\) for \(i = 0,1,2\). Theorem. For each \(k = 1,2,3\), or \(4\) there exist infinitely many compact just-edge-transitive maps \(\mathcal{M}_k\) without boundary, such that \(\Aut \mathcal{M}_k\) contains exactly \(k\) conjugacy classes of reflections. These maps can be chosen to be orientable or non-orientable. The author's investigations include reflections of hypermaps and also Riemann surfaces and algebraic curves.