The geometry of conjugation in affine Coxeter groups (Q6987053)

This paper provides a detailed geometric and algebraic description of conjugacy classes and co-conjugation sets in affine Coxeter groups. The authors build on a previous work to analyze the structure of the mod-set \(\mathrm{Mod}_W(w) = (w - I)R^\vee\) for \(w\) in a finite Weyl group \(W\), where \(R^\vee\) denotes the coroot lattice. They prove that the rank of \(\mathrm{Mod}_W(w)\) equals the dimension of the classical move-set \(\mathrm{Mov}(w) = \mathrm{Im}(w - I)\) and use this to describe conjugacy classes as unions of translates by elements of \(\mathrm{Mod}_W(w)\).\N\NThe approach refines and extends earlier work by \textit{M. Geck} and \textit{G. Pfeiffer} [Characters of finite Coxeter groups and Iwahori-Hecke algebras. Oxford: Clarendon Press (2000; Zbl 0996.20004)] and \textit{X. He} and \textit{S. Nie} [Compos. Math. 150, No. 11, 1903-1927 (2014; Zbl 1335.20036)], who studied minimal length elements in finite and affine Coxeter groups. The authors provide explicit \(\mathbb{Z}\)-module descriptions of \(\mathrm{Mod}_W(w)\) in all classical types \((\mathbf{A}, \mathbf{B}, \mathbf{C}, \mathbf{D})\), determine when these modules coincide with the intersections \(\mathrm{Mov}(w) \cap R^\vee\) and compute their Smith normal forms to describe the quotient \(R^\vee/\mathrm{Mod}_W(w)\). Concrete examples in low rank (notably types \(\widetilde{\mathbf{A}}_2\) and \(\widetilde{\mathbf{C}}_2\)) illustrate the geometric structure of conjugacy classes and coconjugation sets. In the final part, analogous data is computed for all exceptional types using \textsf{Sage}.\N\NThese results offer a uniform and geometric perspective on conjugacy in affine reflection groups, with implications for the structure of Euclidean isometry subgroups and lattice symmetry.