Continued fraction representations of units associated with certain Hecke groups (Q5955993)

The Hecke triangle group of index \(q\), \(G_q\), is generated by \(z\mapsto -1/z\) and \(z \mapsto z+\lambda\), where \(\lambda = \lambda_q := 2 \cos \pi/q\) and \(q \in \{3,4, \dots\}\). \textit{D. Rosen} [Duke Math. J. 21, 549-563 (1954; Zbl 0056.30703)] introduced a continued fraction algorithm to assist in the study of these groups. In particular, for a fixed index \(q\) a real number \(x\) has finite expansion with respect to Rosen's algorithm if and only if \(x\) is a cusp of the group. \textit{A. Leutbecher} [Abh. Math. Semin. Univ. Hamb. 31, 199-205 (1967; Zbl 0161.27601)] showed that \(G_q\) is an arithmetic group exactly for the values of \(q\in\{3,4,6\}\). The characterization of the cusp values in these cases is particularly straightforward. Leutbecher showed that every element of \({\mathbb Q}(\lambda_5)\) is a cusp of \(G_5\). An arithmetic characterization of the cusp values in the general case remains unfound. The authors here study the Rosen expansions of the units in the ring \({\mathbb Z}(\lambda_q)\) of algebraic integers of \({\mathbb Q}(\lambda_q)\). In the cases of \(q=4\) and \(q=6\) they show that the units are of purely periodic expansion. In the case of \(q=7\), they give explicit examples showing units of finite expansion as well as units of periodic expansion. They conjecture that there are exactly two orbits under the Hecke group of index 7 of the units in \({\mathbb Z}(\lambda_7)\). PARI code for the computations of the paper is provided in an appendix.