Palindromic primitives and palindromic bases in the free group of rank two. (Q853926)

Let \(F_n=\langle x_1,x_2,\dots,x_n\rangle\) be the free group of rank \(n\) and \(\Psi\colon F_n\to F_n\) be the map which reverses each word in \(F_n\). A reduced element \(w\in F\) is a `palindrome' if \(\Psi(w)=w\) (namely ``\(w\) reads the same forwards and backwards''). Equivalently \(w\) is a palindrome if \(w\varphi(w)=1\), where \(\varphi\) is the automorphism of \(F\) which sends the \(x_i\) to their inverses, \(1\leq i \leq n\). \textit{V. Bardakov, V. Shpilrain}, and \textit{V. Tolstykh}, [J. Algebra 285, No. 2, 574-585 (2005; Zbl 1085.20011)], and \textit{H. Helling}, [J. Algebra 223, No. 2, 610-614 (2000; Zbl 0951.20025) and ibid. 297, No. 1, 125-138 (2006; Zbl 1098.20021)], studied the relationship between primitive elements and palindromes especially in the case of a free group of rank 2. In the present paper the author invokes Osborne-Zieschang's construction of primitive elements in \(F_2\) with a given relatively prime pair of integers [\textit{R. P. Osborne} and \textit{H. Zieschang}, Invent. Math. 63, 17-24 (1981; Zbl 0438.20017)] and obtains more details of the relationship between primitive elements and palindromes. More precisely: Let \(F_2=\langle x,y\rangle\) be the free group of rank 2 and \(p\) be a primitive element in \(F_2\). If \(X\) is the exponent sum of \(x\) in \(p\) and \(Y\) is the exponent sum of \(y\) in \(p\), then \(X+Y\) is odd if and only if the conjugacy class of \(p\) contains exactly one palindrome. This enables him to obtain bases of \(F_2\) with palindromic elements. Theorem (Theorem 2 in the paper): Let \(A,B,X\) and \(Y\) be integers such that \(AY-BX\in\{\pm 1\}\), \(A+B,X+Y\) be odd. The unique palindromic primitive \(p\) with exponent sum pair \((A,B)\) and the unique palindromic primitive \(q\) with exponent sum pair \((X,Y)\) (with respect to the basis \(\{x,y\}\)) form a basis \(\{p,q\}\) of \(F_2\). -- A description of primitive elements in \(F_2\) is also given (Theorem 4).