Parity patterns associated with lifts of Hecke groups

TL;DR

This paper investigates the parity behavior of subgroup numbers in specific Hecke groups and their lifts, providing new insights into their algebraic structure and subgroup enumeration.

Contribution

It determines the parity of subgroup numbers in certain Hecke groups, solving two key counting problems related to subgroup isomorphism types.

Findings

Parity of subgroup numbers in Hecke groups determined

Solutions to counting problems for specific subgroup types

Enhanced understanding of subgroup structures in Hecke groups

Abstract

Let $q$ be an odd prime, $m$ a positive integer, and let $\Ga_m(q)$ be the group generated by two elements $x$ and $y$ subject to the relations $x^{2m}=y^{qm}=1$ and $x^2=y^q$; that is, $\Ga_m(q)$ is the free product of two cyclic groups of orders $2m$ respectively $qm$, amalgamated along their subgroups of order $m$. Our main result determines the parity behaviour of the generalized subgroup numbers of $\Ga_m(q)$ which were defined in [T. W. M\"uller, Adv. in Math. 153 (2000), 118-154], and which count all the homomorphisms of index $n$ subgroups of $\Ga_m(q)$ into a given finite group $H$, in the case when $\gcd(m,| H|)=1$. This computation depends upon the solution of three counting problems in the Hecke group $\mathfrak H(q)=C_2*C_q$: (i) determination of the parity of the subgroup numbers of $\mathfrak H(q)$; (ii) determination of the parity of the number of index $n$ subgroups of $\mathfrak H(q)$ which are isomorphic to a free product of copies of $C_2$ and of $C_\infty$; (iii) determination of the parity of the number of index $n$ subgroups in $\mathfrak H(q)$ which are isomorphic to a free product of copies of $C_q$. The first problem has already been solved in [T. W. M\"uller, in: {\it Groups: Topological, Combinatorial and Arithmetic Aspects}, (T. W. M\"uller ed.), LMS Lecture Notes Series 311, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004, pp. 327-374]. The bulk of our paper deals with the solution of Problems (ii) and (iii).