The Whitehead group and the lower algebraic \(K\)-theory of braid groups on \(\mathbb S^{2}\) and \(\mathbb R P^{2}\) (Q600802)

The authors compute the lower algebraic \(K\)-theory groups \(K_i(\mathbb Z \,\Gamma)\), \(i<0\), the reduced Grothen\-dieck groups \(\widetilde{K}_0(\mathbb Z \, \Gamma)\) and the Whitehead groups \(\text{Wh}(\Gamma)\), where \(\Gamma\) is a pure braid group \(PB_n(M)\), for \(M= \mathbb S ^2\) or \(\mathbb R P^2\). Indeed, they show that all these groups vanish except for \(\widetilde{K}_0 (\mathbb Z\, \Gamma)\), \(\Gamma =PB_n(\mathbb R P^2)\) and \(n=2,3\). In these special cases, they prove that \(\widetilde{K}_0 (\mathbb Z\, \Gamma)=\mathbb Z_2\). The main tool to prove these results is the fact that the fibered isomorphism conjecture of Farrell and Jones holds for the groups \(\Gamma\) under consideration, which was proved by the same authors [``Invariants associated to the pure braid group of the sphere'', Bol. Soc. Mat. Mex., III. Ser. 12, No.~1, 27--32 (2006; Zbl 1129.19002) and ``The braid groups of \(\mathbb R P^2\) satisfy the fibered isomorphism conjecture'', Advanced Lectures in Mathematics (ALM) 12, 187--195 (2010; Zbl 1219.19003)].