Diagonal changes for surfaces in hyperelliptic components (Q2349867)

The standard continued fraction algorithm generates all rational best approximations to any given irrational number. Classically, this algorithm is stated in arithmetic terms. However, there is also a geometric version in terms of changes of bases for lattices in \(\mathbb{C}\), in other words, in terms of \(2\)-dimensional tori or translation surfaces of genus \(1\). In this setting, the continued fraction algorithm generates all saddle connections which are geometric best approximations. In this article, the authors present generalizations to translation surfaces of higher genera and their linear flows. By generalizing the geometric version of the standard continued fraction algorithm, they construct so-called diagonal changes algorithms which enjoy the following essential properties: 1. they generate all geometric best approximations, 2. they allow to construct all bispecial words in the symbolic dynamics, and 3. they find all systoles along any Teichmüller geodesic. Moreover, the elementary moves of these algorithms provide a geometric invertible extension of the Ferenczi-Zamboni renormalization moves for interval exchange transformations. In addition, the authors provide a comparison with other algorithms in the literature.