\(q\)-deformations in the modular group and of the real quadratic irrational numbers (Q2048370)

It is well known that the \(q\)-deformation of a rational number is a rational function in the parameter \(q\) with integer coefficients. Let \( [n]_q=\frac{1-q^n}{1-q}=1+q+q^2+\dots+q^{n-1}, \) \( [-n]_q=\frac{1-q^{-n}}{1-q}=-q^{-1}-q^{-2}-\dots- q^{-n} \) be the classical \(q\)-deformations of integers for any \(n \in \mathbb{Z}_{>0}\). The paper proves that for all \(x \in \mathbb{R},\) the \(q\)-deformations satisfy \( [x+1]_q=q[x]_q+1,\) \( [-1/x]_q=-q^{-1}/[x]_q\). The next main result: Let \(x=\frac{r\pm \sqrt{p}}{s}\) be a quadratic irrational. Its \(q\)-deformation \([x]_q\) satisfies the following (i) \([x]_q = \frac{\mathcal{R}\pm \sqrt{\mathcal{P}}}{\mathcal{S}}\) with \(\mathcal{R,P,S} \in \mathbb{Z}[q]\), and \(\mathcal{P}\) a palindrome; (ii) \([x]_q\) is solution of an equation \(\mathcal{A}X^2+ \mathcal{B}X+\mathcal{C}=0,\) with \(\mathcal{A,B,C} \in \mathbb{Z}[q]; \) (iii) there exists a matrix \(M_q \in \mathrm{GL}(2,\mathbb{Z}[q^{\pm 1}])\) such that \(M_q \cdot [x]_q=[x]_q \); (iv) \([x]_q\) has a periodic continued fraction expansion. Also they prove that the traces of the elements in \(\mathrm{PSL}_q (2,\mathbb{Z})\) are palindromic polynomials in \(\mathbb{Z}[q]\) with positive integer coefficients, modulo a multiplicative factor \(\pm q^N\). Illustrative examples of the given results are included in the work.