Lie-point symmetries of the discrete Liouville equation

The Liouville equation is well known to be linearizable by a point transformation. It has an infinite dimensional Lie point symmetry algebra isomorphic to a direct sum of two Virasoro algebras. We show that it is not possible to discretize the equation keeping the entire symmetry algebra as point symmetries. We do however construct a difference system approximating the Liouville equation that is invariant under the maximal finite subgroup SLx(2, double-struck R) ⊗ SLy(2, double-struck R). The invariant scheme is an explicit one and provides a much better approximation of exact solutions than a comparable standard (noninvariant) scheme and also than a scheme invariant under an infinite dimensional group of generalized symmetries.