Regular embeddings of \(K_{n,n}\) where \(n\) is an odd prime power (Q2372446)

A 2-cell imbedding of a graph \(G\) in a closed orientable 2-manifold is regular if the automorphism group of the map \(M= M(G)\) acts regularly on the arcs of \(G\) (so \(|\Aut M|= 2|E(G)|\)). \textit{S. F. Du}, \textit{G. Jones}, \textit{J. H. Kwak}, \textit{R. Nedela} and \textit{M. Škoviera} [Eur. J. Comb. 28, No. 6, 1595--1609 (2007; Zbl 1123.05029)] showed that if \(n= 2^e\), where \(e\geq 3\), then the regular complete bipartite graph \(K_{n,n}\) has exactly \(2^{e-2}+ 4\) regular orientable imbeddings. The present authors show that if \(n= p^e\), where \(p\) is an odd prime and \(e\geq 1\), then \(K_{n,n}\) has exactly \(p^{e-1}\) regular orientable imbeddings. These are Cayley maps for cyclic and dihedral groups, having type \(\{2n,n\}\) and genus \((n-1)(n-2)/2\); one is reflexible, the others are chiral. The method, as with the paper for \(p= 2\), involves groups which factor as a product of two cyclic groups of order \(n\), with an automorphism transposing the two factors. The present paper also shows that if \(n\) is odd, then \(K_{n,n}\) has at least \(n/\Pi_{p|n}p\) regular orientable imbeddings, with equality if and only if no two primes \(p\) and \(q\) dividing \(n\) satisfy \(p\equiv 1\pmod q\).