General tame SLkSL_k-frieze pattern counting conjecture

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Let K=FqK=\mathbb{F}_q be a finite field, let k≥5k\geq 5 and w≥1w\geq 1, and set n=w+k+1n=w+k+1. A tame SL⁡k\operatorname{SL}_k-frieze pattern of width ww over KK is a frieze pattern satisfying the tameness condition considered in the paper.

General counting conjecture. If gcd⁡(k,w+k+1)=1\gcd(k,w+k+1)=1, then the number of tame SL⁡k\operatorname{SL}_k-frieze patterns of width ww over KK is

(qn−q)(qn−q2)…(qn−qk−1)∣PGL⁡(k,K)∣.\frac{(q^n-q)(q^n-q^2)\dots(q^n-q^{k-1})}{\lvert \operatorname{PGL}(k,K)\rvert}.

This formula extends the corresponding results for k=2,3,4k=2,3,4 and suggests a uniform count in the coprime case, but it remains conjectural for k≥5k\geq 5.

References

Primary source

Lucas Surmann, “Counting tame SL_3- and SL_4- frieze patterns over finite fields”, arXiv:2505.04563 (2026).

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