Symmetries and reversing symmetries of trace maps

Abstract

A (discrete) dynamical system may have various symmetries and reversing symmetries, which together form its so-called reversing symmetry group. We study the set of 3D trace maps (obtained from two-letter substitution rules) which preserve the Fricke-Vogt invariant I(x,y,z). This set of dynamical systems forms a group G isomorphic with the projective linear (or modular) group PGL(2,Z). For such trace maps, we give a complete characterization of the reversing symmetry group as a subgroup of the group A of all polynomial mappings that preserve I(x,y,z).