A complete characterization of reversibility in \(PL (S)\) (Q6115680)

An element of a group \(G\) is reversible if it is conjugate to its inverse. It is strongly reversible if the conjugacy is given by an involution. Hence, strongly reversible elements can be written as the product of two involutions. See the monograph [\textit{A. G. O'Farrell} and \textit{I. Short}, Reversibility in dynamics and group theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2015; Zbl 1331.37003)] for a complete introduction to this property. Here the author characterizes reversibility in the group \(PL(S)\) of piecewise-linear homeomorphisms of the circle. The principle is that for reversible elements, conjugacy-invariant properties must coincide with those of their inverse, and the goal is to find a finite list of conjugacy-invariant properties that are enough to detect reversibility. More precisely, the author considers the following very natural invariants. \begin{itemize} \item[1.] The rotation number \(\rho(f)\) of an orientation-preserving homeomorphism \(f\in PL^+(S)\). \item[2.] When \(f\in PL^+(S)\) has a periodic orbit of order \(n\), the power \(f^n\) has fixed points, therefore one can consider the minimal decomposition of the circle into finitely many intervals such that the sign of \(f(x)-x\) is constant on any such interval. \item[3.] The collection of derivatives at fixed points. \item[4.] The so-called Mather invariant (see [\textit{F. Matucci}, in: Combinatorial and geometric group theory. Dortmund and Ottawa-Montreal conferences. Selected papers of the conferences on ``Combinatorial and geometric group theory with applications'' (GAGTA), Dortmund, Germany, August 27--31, 2007, ``Fields workshop in asymptotic group theory and cryptography'', Ottawa, Canada, December 14--16, 2007, and the workshop on ``Action on trees, non-Archimedian words, and asymptotic cones'', Montreal, Canada, December 17--21, 2007. Basel: Birkhäuser. 251--260 (2010; Zbl 1200.37037)]) on any such interval where the sign is not zero. \end{itemize} The author denotes by \(\Sigma(f^n)\) the collection of the last three invariants, and defines it in such a way that it makes sense to say that the \(\Sigma\)-invariant of one element is the opposite of another. After [\textit{M. G. Brin} and \textit{C. C. Squier}, Commun. Algebra 29, No. 10, 4557--4596 (2001; Zbl 0986.57025)], these four invariants characterize conjugacy classes in \(PL^+(S)\). The first main result (Theorem 1.1) characterizes reversibility in \(PL^+(S)\). Note that in this situation (orientation-preserving homeomorphisms), a reversible element necessarily satisfies that its rotation number is either 0 or 1/2. When \(\rho(f)=0\), the element \(f\) is reversible in \(PL^+(S)\) if and only if there exists an element \(h\in PL^+(S)\) such that \(\Sigma(f)\) and \(\Sigma(hfh^{-1})\) are opposite. Moreover, \(f\) is strongly reversible if and only if there exits an element \(h\in PL^+(S)\) with \(\rho(h)=1/2\) and such that \(\Sigma(f)\) and \(\Sigma(hfh^{-1})\) are opposite. When \(\rho(f)=1/2\), the same conditions must be satisfied for \(f^2\), respectively. As a corollary (Theorem 1.3), the author can give an example of an element which is reversible in \(PL^+(S)\) but not strongly reversible. The second main result (Theorem 1.4) characterizes reversibility in \(PL(S)\) of elements of \(PL^+(S)\). When the rotation number is rational, the author gets a characterization similar to the one in Theorem 1.1. For irrational rotation number, reversibility is characterized by \((D)\) -- the property, which means that the product of jumps of derivatives at points in a single orbit must be 1, and this for any orbit, and the fact that a slightly different product of jumps is also 1. Finally, Theorem 1.5 says that any element in \(PL(S)\) can be written as the product of involutions in \(PL^-(S)\).