The pure braid groups and their relatives (Q1707332)

Let \(F_n\) be the free group on generators \(x_1, \ldots, x_n\), and \(\mathrm{Aut}(F_n)\) be its automorphism group. The map \(\mathrm{Aut}(F_n) \to\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z})\) which sends an automorphism to the induced map on the abelianization \((F_n)^{ab} = \mathbb{Z}^n\) is surjective. The kernel of this automorphism, denoted by \(IA_n\), is generated by automorphisms \(\alpha_{ij}\) and \(\alpha_{ijk}\) (\(1 \leq i \not= j \not= k \leq n\)) which send \(x_i\) to \(x_j x_i x_j^{-1}\) and \(x_i x_j x_k x_j^{-1} x_k^{-1}\), respectively, and leave invariant the remaining generators of \(F_n\). The subgroup generated by the automorphisms \(\alpha_{ij}\) and \(\alpha_{ijk}\) with \(i< j< k\) is denoted by \(IA_n^+\). An automorphism of \(F_n\) is called a ``permutation-conjugacy'' if it sends each generator \(x_i\) to a conjugate of \(x_{\tau(i)}\), for some permutation \(\tau \in S_n\). The classical Artin braid group \(B_n\) is the subgroup of \(\mathrm{Aut}(F_n)\) consisting of those permutation-conjugacy automorphisms which fix the word \(x_1 \dots x_n \in F_n\). The kernel of the canonical projection from \(B_n\) to the symmetric group \(S_n\) is the pure braid group \(P_n\) on \(n\) strings. The set of all permutation-conjugacy automorphisms of \(F_n\) forms a subgroup of \(\mathrm{Aut}(F_n)\), denoted by \(B\Sigma_n\). The subgroup \(P\Sigma_n=B\Sigma_n \cap IA_n\) is generated by the Magnus automorphisms \(\alpha_{ij}\) (\(1 \leq i \not= j \leq n\)), while the subgroup \(P\Sigma_n^+=P\Sigma_n \cap IA_n^+\) is generated by the automorphisms \(\alpha_{ij}\) with \(i< j\). \textit{J. McCool} [Can. J. Math. 38, 1525--1529 (1986; Zbl 0613.20024)] gave presentations for the groups \(P\Sigma_n\) and \(P\Sigma_n^+\). The welded braid groups were introduced by \textit{R. Fenn} et al. [Topology 36, No. 1, 123--135 (1997; Zbl 0861.57010)], who showed that the welded braid group \(wB_n\) is isomorphic to \(B\Sigma_n\), the welded pure braid groups \(wP_n\) is isomorphic \(P\Sigma_n\) and the upper welded pure braid groups \(wP_n^+\) is isomorphic \(P\Sigma_n^+\). A related class of groups are the virtual braid groups \(vB_n\), which were introduced by \textit{L. H. Kauffman} [Eur. J. Comb. 20, No. 7, 663--690 (1999; Zbl 0938.57006)] in the context of virtual knot theory. The kernel of the canonical epimorphism \(vB_n \to S_n\) is called the virtual pure braid group \(vP_n\). \textit{V. G. Bardakov} [Fundam. Math. 184, 1--18 (2004; Zbl 1078.20036)] found a concise presentation for \(vP_n\), and defined accordingly the upper virtual pure braid group \(vP_n^+\). To any finitely generated group \(G\), there corresponds a graded Lie algebra, \(\mathrm{gr}(G)\), obtained by taking the direct sum of the successive quotients of the lower central series of \(G\), and tensoring with \(\mathbb{C}\). The LCS ranks of the group \(G\) are defined as the dimensions, \(\varphi_k(G)= \dim \mathrm{gr}_k(G)\), of the graded pieces of this Lie algebra. The Chen ranks of a finitely generated group \(G\) are the dimensions, \(\theta_k(G)=\dim \mathrm{gr}_k(G/G'')\), of the graded pieces of the graded Lie algebra associated to the maximal metabelian quotient of \(G\). \textit{K.-T. Chen} [Ann. Math. (2) 54, 147--162 (1951; Zbl 0045.30102)] computed the Chen ranks of the free groups \(F_n\). In the present mostly survey paper, the authors investigate the resonance varieties, the lower central series ranks, and the Chen ranks, as well as the residual and formality properties of braid like groups: the pure braid groups \(P_n\), the welded pure braid groups \(wP_n\), the virtual pure braid groups \(vP_n\), as well as their `upper' variants, \(wP_n^+\) and \(vP_n^+\). Also they discuss several natural homomorphisms between these groups. In particular, by comparing the resonance varieties of the groups \(P_n\) and \(wP_n^+\), it can be shown that these groups are not isomorphic for \(n \geq 4\). For the entire collection see [Zbl 1387.17001].