Counting the number of quasiplatonic topological actions of the cyclic group on surfaces (Q2204742)

Based on formulas of [\textit{R. Benim} and \textit{A. Wootton}, Rocky Mt. J. Math. 43, No. 5, 1459--1480 (2013; Zbl 1297.57043)], the author derives closed formulas for the number \(QC(n)\) of quasiplatonic actions, up to topological equivalence, of a cyclic group \(C_n\) of order \(n\) on closed orientable surfaces of genus at least two (distinguishing between the cases \(n\) even and \(n\) odd). In principle, the author considers topological actions; however, it is a classical result in topology that each topological action of a finite group on a surface is equivalent to a smooth action, and then also to an isometric action, for some hyperbolic structure on the surface (by just choosing and lifting a hyperbolic structure on the quotient-orbifold of the action; the much more recent and involved solution of the Nielsen realization problem (which realizes finite groups of \textit{mapping classes} by diffeomorphisms), invoked by the author, is not needed here). Lifting the finite group-action to the hyperbolic plane, one obtains a Fuchsian group which uniformizes the given group-action, and the action is called \textit{quasiplatonic} if the Fuchsian group has signature \((0; n_1, n_2, n_3)\), i.e. the quotient orbifold is the sphere with exactly three branch points. In particular, the formulas of the present paper imply that the number \(QC(n)\) of cyclic quasiplatonic actions is roughly one-sixth of the number \(r(C_n)\) of regular dessins d'enfants with a cyclic group of automorphisms, using a formula for \(r(C_n)\) of [\textit{G. A. Jones}, Contemp. Math. 629, 245--260 (2015; Zbl 1346.14091)].