Braid group representations from twisted tensor products of algebras (Q827060)

The authors outline an approach to finding families of braid group representations from twisted tensor products of algebras and propose to study the following problem: Find and classify braid group representations inside twisted tensor products of (group) algebras. This approach is motivated by the following two examples: 1) Set \(q = e^{2 \pi i/m}\) for \(m\) odd and let \(A_n(\mathbb{Z}_m)\) be the \(\mathbb{C}\)-algebra generated by \(u_i\), for \(1 \leq i \leq n - 1\) satisfying: \begin{itemize} \item[1.] \(u^m_i = 1\) for all \(i\), \item[2.] \(u_i u_{i+1} = q^2 u_{i+1} u_{i}\), \item[3.] \(u_i u_{j} = u_{j} u_{i}\) for \(|i - j| \not= 1\). \end{itemize} The algebra \(A_n(\mathbb{Z}_m)\) as an iterated twisted tensor product of the group algebra \(\mathbb{C}[\mathbb{Z}_m]\): \[ A_n(\mathbb{Z}_m) = \mathbb{C}[\mathbb{Z}_m] \otimes_{\vartheta} \mathbb{C}[\mathbb{Z}_m] \otimes_{\vartheta} \dots \otimes_{\vartheta} \mathbb{C}[\mathbb{Z}_m], \] where \(\vartheta\) is the twisting map corresponding to the second relation above. The map \[ \rho_n(\sigma_i) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{m}} \sum_{j=0}^m q^{j^2} u_i^j \] defines a representation \(B_n \to A_n(\mathbb{Z}_m)\). This representation is known to have finite image. 2) Another example of braid group representations related to twisted tensor products of algebras where the quaternion group \(Q_8\) appears. For \(1 \leq i \leq n - 1\) let \(A_n(Q_8)\) be the algebra generated by \(u_i\), \(v_i\) satisfying: \begin{itemize} \item[1.] \(u_i^2 = v_i^2= -1\) for all \(i\), \item[2.] \([u_i , v_j] = -1\) if \(|i - j| < 2\), \item[3.] \([u_i, u_j] = [v_i, v_j] = 1\), \item[4.] \([u_i, v_j] = 1\) if \(|i - j| \geq 2\). \end{itemize} There exists braid group representations via \(\sigma_i \mapsto (1 + u_i + v_i + u_i v_i)\).