Biembeddings of cycle systems using integer Heffter arrays

Abstract

In this paper we will show the existence of a face $2$-colourable biembedding of the complete graph onto an orientable surface where each face is a cycle of a fixed length $k$, for infinitely many values of $k$. In particular, under certain conditions, we show that there exists at least $(n-2)[(p-2)!]^2/(e^2 kn)$ non-isomorphic face $2$-colourable biembeddings of $K_{2nk+1}$ in which all faces are cycles of length $k=4p+3$. These conditions are: $n\equiv 1\mod 4$, $k\equiv 3\mod 4$ and either $n$ is prime or $n\gg k$ and $n\equiv 0\mod 3$ implies $p\equiv 1\mod 3$. To achieve this result we begin by verifying the existence of $(n-2)[(p-2)!/e]^2$ non-equivalent Heffter arrays, $H(n;k)$, which satisfy the conditions: (1) for each row and each column the sequential partial sums determined by the natural ordering must be distinct modulo $2nk+1$; (2) the composition of the natural orderings of the rows and columns is equivalent to a single cycle permutation on the entries in the array. The existence of Heffter arrays $H(n;k)$ that satisfy condition (1) was established earlier in \cite{BCDY} and in this current paper we vary this construction and show that there are at least $(n-2)[(p-2)!/e]^2$ such non-equivalent $H(n;k)$ that satisfy condition (1) and then show that each of these Heffter arrays also satisfy condition (2) under certain conditions.