Classification of \(\mathrm{Sol}\) lattices (Q691094)

Solvegeometry denotes a geometry modelled on the \(3\)-dimensional Lie group \(\mathrm{Sol}\) which is diffeomorphic to \(\mathbb{R}^3\) with group product \[ (x,y,z)\cdot(x',y',z')=(x'+x\mathrm{e}^{-z'},y'+y\mathrm{e}^{z'},z+z'). \] The actions by right-multiplication of the group \(\mathrm{Sol}\) on the space \(\mathrm{Sol}\) are called the \textit{translations} of \(\mathrm{Sol}\) by the authors. A \(\mathrm{Sol}\)-lattice is a discrete subgroup \(\Gamma\) of \(\mathrm{Sol}\) acting cocompactly on \(\mathrm{Sol}\) and generated by three translations \(\tau_1,\tau_2,\tau_3\). The authors give a classification of the \(\mathrm{Sol}\)-lattices analogous to the Bravais classification of lattices in Euclidean space. This classification is based on four step decision procedure; first, the lattices are seperated into two main types I and II, depending on whether the translation \(\tau_3\) has a component acting on the \(xy\)-plane (II) or not (I), where \(\tau_1\) and \(\tau_2\) are assumed to act in the \(xy\)-plane. In the next step, the lattices are further distinguished by their point groups, those isometrie of \(\mathrm{Sol}\) fixing the origin and mapping \(\Gamma\) to itself. The third and fourth step apply to main type II only and concern the relations between the \(x\)- and \(y\)-component of \(\tau_3\) to its \(z\)-component. As a side note let it be said that the journal's editors did not do a good job; the paper contains quite a few typos and the authors' language is somewhat confusing in many places. The editors should have taken care to remedy that.