A simple solution to the word problem for virtual braid groups (Q2629757)

In this paper, the authors provide a solution to the word problem for virtual braid groups \(\text{VB}_n\), which is simpler than the one provided in [\textit{E. Godelle} and \textit{L. Paris}, Math. Z. 272, No. 3--4, 1339--1364 (2012; Zbl 1300.20045)]. This solution involves the following four steps: {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[1.] A subgroup \(\text{KB}_n\) of \(\text{VB}_n\) is defined as the kernel of the epimorphism \(\theta\) from \(\text{VB}_n\) to the group of permutations of \((1, 2, \ldots, n)\), \(\mathcal{G}_n\), that sends the classical braiding generators \(\sigma_i\) to \(1\) and the virtual braiding generators \(\tau_i\) to \((i, i+1)\), for all \(1\leq i \leq n-1\). Then, a generating set \(S\) for \(\text{KB}_n\) is presented together with an algorithm that determines whether an element \(b\) in \(\text{VB}_n\) belongs to \(\text{KB}_n\) or not. Moreover, this algorithm determines a word over \(S^{\pm 1}\) that represents \(b\). Then, the authors introduce the subgroups of \(\text{KB}_n\), \(\text{KB}_n(\mathcal{X})\), generated by \(\mathcal{X}\subseteq S\). \item[2.] In the second step of the solution to the word problem for \(\text{VB}_n\), the authors provide an algorithm that solves the word problem for \(\text{KB}_n(\mathcal{X})\), when \(\mathcal{X}\) is a full subset of \(S\), i.e. any two distinct elements \(s, t\) in \(\mathcal{X}\) are connected by an edge on \(\text{V}\Gamma_n\), the Coxeter diagram. \item[3.] In the third step, the authors define the solution to the \textit{membership problem} for a subgroup \(H\) of \(G\), as an algorithm by which one can determine whether an element of \(G\) belongs to \(H\) or not. Then, the authors provide a solution to the membership problem for \(\text{KB}_n(\mathcal{Y})\) in \(\text{KB}_n(\mathcal{X})\) for a given subset \(\mathcal{Y}\) of \(\mathcal{X}\) by assuming a solution to the word problem for \(\text{KB}_n(\mathcal{X})\). \item[4.] Finally, the authors provide an algorithm that solves the word problem for \(\text{KB}_n(\mathcal{X})\), when \(\mathcal{X}\) is not a full subset of \(S\) and by assuming that \(\text{KB}_n(\mathcal{Y})\) has a solvable word problem for any proper subset \(\mathcal{Y}\) of \(\mathcal{X}\). \end{itemize}}