Braid subgroup normalisers, commensurators and induced representations (Q1385173)

Let \(H\) be a group, and let \(G_1\) and \(G_2\) be two subgroups of \(H\). We say that \(G_1\) and \(G_2\) are commensurable if \(G_1\cap G_2\) has finite index in both \(G_1\) and \(G_2\). The commensurator of a subgroup \(H\) in \(G\) is the subgroup of \(h\) in \(H\) such that \(G\) and \(hGh^{-1}\) are commensurable. In this paper, the author considers the natural embedding of the Artin braid group \(B_n\) on \(n\) strings in the Artin braid group \(B_m\) on \(m\) strings for \(1\leq n\leq m\). He first shows that the commensurator \(C_n\) of \(B_n\) in \(B_m\) is equal to the normalizer of \(B_n\) in \(B_m\), and this subgroup is generated by \(B_n\) and the centralizer of \(B_n\) in \(B_m\). Afterwards, he gives several characterizations of \(C_n\). More precisely, he proves that \(C_n\) is isomorphic to the product of \(B_n\) by some subgroup \(B^1_k\) of \(B_k\) (\(k=m-n+1\)), finds a presentation of \(C_n\), and, viewing \(B_m\) as a punctured mapping class group of the disk, shows that \(C_n\) is the subgroup of elements of \(B_m\) that fix some closed simple curve of the disk. From this last result, the author proves that \(C_n\) is self-commensurating (i.e., it is equal to its commensurator), and constructs irreducible unitary representations of \(B_m\).