We face the problem of characterizing the periodic cases in parametric
families of (real or complex) rational diffeomorphisms having a fixed point.
Our approach relies on the Normal Form Theory, to obtain necessary conditions
for the existence of a formal linearization of the map, and on the introduction
of a suitable rational parametrization of the parameters of the family. Using
these tools we can find a finite set of values p for which the map can be
p-periodic, reducing the problem of finding the parameters for which the
periodic cases appear to simple computations. We apply our results to several
two and three dimensional classes of polynomial or rational maps. In particular
we find the global periodic cases for several Lyness type recurrences.Comment: 25 page