Total positivity for loop groups. II: Chevalley generators (Q1949292)

This is the second paper of a series developing the theory of total positivity for the formal loop group \(\operatorname{GL}_n(\mathbb R((t)))\) and the polynomial loop group \(\operatorname{GL}_n(\mathbb R[t,t^{-1}])\). For Part I, see [Adv. Math. 230, No. 3, 1222--1271 (2012; Zbl 1245.22013)]. This paper studies infinite products of Chevalley generators and develops the formalism of infinite sequences of braid moves. It turns out that the limit semigroup generated by Chevalley generators has a transfinite structure. The authors establish some form of unique factorization for elements of this semigroup and relate it to infinite Coxeter elements. Of independent interest is one technical tool used by the authors, which they call the ``exchange lemma''. It asserts that the exchange lemma in the context of Coxeter groups is compatible with total positivity in the form of certain inequalities. The last section of the paper contains a long list of open problems and conjectures.