\(L^2\)-Burau maps and \(L^2\)-Alexander torsions (Q1667194)

The classical Burau representation is a morphism from the braid group \(B_n\) to a linear group \(\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb Z[t, t^{-1}])\). It is obtained through the action of \(B_n\), viewed as the mapping class group of a \(n\)-punctured disc, on the homology of the characteristic infinite cyclic cover. The determinant of the matrix associated to a braid recovers the Alexander polynomial of the link obtained by closing the braid. The \(L^2\)-Alexander invariant is a twisted \(L^2\)-torsion associated to abelian representations of a knot, or more generally 3-manifold group and can in principle be computed by Fox Calculus in the same way as the classical Alexander polynomial. In this paper the authors apply the same process to the Burau representation (both reduced and not) to obtain a map from \(B_n\) to a space of matrices of a group von Neumann algebra. This map is not multiplicative but satisfies a chain relation, can be computed using Fox calculus, and recovers the \(L^2\)-Alexander invariant. They also observe that it distinguishes between certain braids which have the same image under the classical Burau representation.