Set-theoretical solutions of the pentagon equation on groups

Abstract

Let $M$ be a set. A set-theoretical solution of the pentagon equation on $M$ is a map $s:M\times M\longrightarrow M\times M$ such that \begin{equation*} s_{23}\, s_{13}\, s_{12}=s_{12}\, s_{23}, \end{equation*} where $s_{12}=s\times id_M$, $s_{23}=id_M \times s$ and $s_{13}=(id_M \times \tau) s_{12}(id_M \times \tau)$, and $\tau$ is the flip map, i.e., the permutation on $M\times M$ given by $\tau(x,y)=(y,x)$, for all $x,y\in M$. In this paper we give a complete description of the set-theoretical solutions of the form $s(x,y)=(x\cdot y , x\ast y)$ when either $(M,\cdot)$ or $(M,\ast)$ is a group; moreover, we raise some questions.