Y-frieze patterns

Abstract

Motivated by cluster ensembles, we introduce a new variant of frieze patterns associated to acyclic cluster algebras, which we call ${\bf Y}\textit{-frieze patterns}$. Using the mutation rules for ${\bf Y}$-variables, we define a large class of ${\bf Y}$-frieze patterns called $\textit{unitary }{\bf Y}\textit{-frieze patterns}$, and show that the ensemble map induces a map from (unitary) frieze patterns to (unitary) ${\bf Y}$-frieze patterns. In rank 2, we show that ${\bf Y}$-frieze patterns are (associated to) friezes of generalised cluster algebras. In finite type (not necessarily rank 2), we show that ${\bf Y}$-frieze patterns share the same symmetries as frieze patterns, and prove that their number is finite.