Folding of set-theoretical solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation. (Q694578)

The search for set-theoretic solutions of the quantum Yang-Baxter equation was initiated by Drinfeld on the ICM 1990. Beginning with \textit{P. Etingof, T. Schedler} and \textit{A. Soloviev} [ESS, Duke Math. J. 100, No. 2, 169-209 (1999; Zbl 0969.81030)] and \textit{J.-H. Lu, M. Yan} and \textit{Y.-C. Zhu} [Duke Math. J. 104, No. 1, 1-18 (2000; Zbl 0960.16043)], many authors investigated this field which led to interesting relationships to various mathematical contexts like affine group representations, radical rings and braces, groups of I-type and Artin-Schelter regular rings, geometric crystals, quantum groups, etc. A relationship to Artin groups was stablished by the first author who proved that the structure group of a non-degenerated involutive set-theoretic solution is a Garside group. This has opened a new line of research that has yet to be exploited. In the present paper, the authors exhibit a bijection between invariant subsets of the basis set of such a solution and parabolic subgroups of the structure group. Moreover, they introduce the concept of foldable solution, inspired by the folding of a Coxeter graph, which extends the notion of decomposability. The concept of decomposable solution was introduced by ESS in connection with Gateva-Ivanova's first conjecture that every finite square-free (non-degenerated, involutive) solution is decomposable. This was confirmed in 2005 by the reviewer. A criterion for decomposability in terms of existence of a strong folding is given in the paper. It is shown that foldable solutions need not be decomposable.