Conformally Symmetric Triangular Lattices and Discrete ν-Conformal Maps

Two immersed triangulations in the plane with the same combinatorics are considered as preimage and image of a discrete immersion F. We compare the cross-ratios Q and q of corresponding pairs of adjacent triangles in the two triangulations. If for every pair the arguments of these cross-ratios (i.e., intersection angles of circumcircles) agree, F is a discrete conformal map based on circle patterns. Similarly, if for every pair the absolute values of the corresponding cross-ratios Q and q (i.e., length cross-ratios) agree, the two triangulations are discretely conformally equivalent. We introduce a new notion, discrete nu-conformal maps, which interpolates between these two known notions of discrete conformality for planar triangulations. We prove that there exists an associated variational principle. In particular, discrete nu-conformal maps are unique maximizers of a locally defined concave functional F-nu in suitable variables. Furthermore, we study conformally symmetric triangular lattices that contain examples of discrete nu-conformal maps.