A three-dimensional generalization of QRT maps (Q6057189)

The authors present an analogue of the celebrated QRT construction, see [\textit{G. R. W. Quispel} et al., Phys. Lett., A 126, No. 7, 419--421 (1988; Zbl 0679.58023)] and the monograph [\textit{J. J. Duistermaat}, Discrete integrable systems. QRT maps and elliptic surfaces. Berlin: Springer (2010; Zbl 1219.14001)], for maps in the projective three-space \(\mathbb{P}^{3}\). The starting point of their construction is the well-known fact from classical algebraic geometry that \(\mathbb{P}^{1}\times\mathbb{P}^{1}\) is a ruled surface that can be embedded in \(\mathbb{P}^{3}\) as a quadric. The authors consider two pencils of quadrics in \(\mathbb{P}^{3}\) and prove that if one of the two pencil is \textit{separable}, i.e., it contains two reducible quadrics (product of planes), it is possible to construct a pair of noncommuting involutions \(i_{1},i_{2}\colon\mathbb{P}^{3}\dashrightarrow\mathbb{P}^{3}\), defining an 3-dimensional integrable map \(\varphi=i_{1}\circ i_{2}\colon\mathbb{P}^{3}\dashrightarrow\mathbb{P}^{3}\). In general, the entries of the involutions \(i_{1}\), \(i_{2}\) are polynomials of degree 5, so in the language commonly used in the field of integrable maps they are said to be maps of degree 5, and their composition \(\varphi\) is a map of degree 25. Looking for possible applications, the authors consider some particular cases of their construction. More explicitly consider two cases where the degree of the involutions drops: (1) The case when both pencils are separable; (2) The case when the two pencils have a common quadric, i.e., they form a net, see [\textit{I. V. Dolgachev}, Classical algebraic geometry. A modern view. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2012; Zbl 1252.14001)]. In both cases the degree of the involutions drops from 5 to 3. Then the authors proceed to give some example of their construction, mostly taken from the theory of integrable discretisation of ordinary differential equations through the so-called Kahan-Hirota-Kimura (KHK) discretisation (see [\textit{W. Kahan}, Unconventional numerical methods for trajectory calculations. Unpublished lecture notes (1993); \textit{R. Hirota} and \textit{K. Kimura}, J. Phys. Soc. Japan 69, No. 3, 627--630 (2000; Zbl 1058.70504)]) and its generalisations, such as: (1) The KHK discretisation Euler top by \textit{R. Hirota} and \textit{K. Kimura} [J. Phys. Soc. Japan 69, No. 3, 627--630 (2000; Zbl 1058.70504)]; (2) The KHK discretisation of the Zhukovski-Volterra system with one non-vanishing \(\beta_{k}\) by \textit{M. Petrera} et al. [Regul. Chaotic Dyn. 16, No. 3--4, 245--289 (2011; Zbl 1258.37067)]; (3) A new example of ``repaired'' KHK discretisation of a special Zhukovski-Volterra gyrostat with two non-vanishing \(\beta_{k}\); (4) A new example of ``repaired'' KHK discretisation of the general Zhukovski-Volterra gyrostat with two non-vanishing \(\beta_{k}\). In the conclusions, the authors give some interesting comments of the possibility of extending this construction. In particular, they address the possibility of relaxing the hypotheses and extend the construction to higher dimensions, and make a few remarks on the relationship with 3-dimensional Nambu mechanics, see [\textit{Y. Nambu}, Phys. Rev. D (3) 7, 2405--2412 (1973; Zbl 1027.70503)]. The result of this paper can be compared with those by the reviewer and \textit{M. Graffeo} [Ann. Henri Poincaré 25, No. 3, 1733--1793 (2024; Zbl 07812083)], where a similar construction of families of integrable and nonintegrable maps in \(\mathbb{P}^{3}\) was made starting from a points and lines configuration associated with the standard Cremona transformation in three dimensions.