The lower central and derived series of the braid groups of the projective plane.

DOI10.1016/J.JALGEBRA.2010.12.007MaRDI QIDQ716450zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Daciberg Lima Gonçalves, John Guaschi

Publication date 22 September 2011

Published in Journal of Algebra (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1005.3906

zbMATH Keywords

configuration spacesderived seriesexact sequenceslower central seriespresentationsprojective plane braid groupssurface braid groups

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Residual properties and generalizations; residually finite groups (20E26) Generators, relations, and presentations of groups (20F05) Derived series, central series, and generalizations for groups (20F14) Braid groups; Artin groups (20F36) Discriminantal varieties and configuration spaces in algebraic topology (55R80)

Abstract: We determine the lower central and derived series of the n-string braid groups B_n(RP^2) of the real projective plane. We are motivated in part by the study of Fadell-Neuwirth short exact sequences, but the problem is interesting in its own right. For n=1,2, B_n(RP^2) is finite and its lower central and derived series are known. If n>2 (resp. n>4), we show that the lower central (resp. derived) series of B_n(RP^2) is constant from the commutator subgroup onwards, and we exhibit a presentation of the commutator subgroup. In the exceptional cases n=3,4, we determine explicitly the complete derived series of B_3(RP^2), we calculate the derived series of B_4(RP^2) up to and including its fifth term, and we obtain many of the derived series quotients in these two cases.

Review text

A natural generalization of the Artin braid groups \(B_n\) of the plane \(\mathbb E^2\) on arbitrary topological space was made by \textit{R. Fox} and \textit{L. Neuwirth} [Math. Scand. 10, 119-126 (1962; Zbl 0117.41101)]. The braid groups of compact, connected surfaces have been widely studied and finite presentations were obtained. In this paper the authors study the lower central and derived series of the braid groups \(B_n(\mathbb RP^2)\) of the real projective plane \(\mathbb RP^2\). These groups have non-trivial center and torsion elements for all \(n\geq 1\). If \(n=1\) then \(B_1(\mathbb RP^2)\simeq\mathbb Z_2\). If \(n=2\) then \(B_2(\mathbb RP^2)\simeq\mathcal Q_{16}\), the generalized quaternion group of order 16 [\textit{J. van Buskirk}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 122, 81-97 (1966; Zbl 0138.19103)]. Therefore the lower central and derived series in these cases are known. For \(n\geq 3\) it is proved here that all the terms of the lower central series of \(B_n(\mathbb RP^2)\) coincide (\(\gamma_m(B_n(\mathbb RP^2))=\gamma_2(B_n(\mathbb RP^2))\) for \(m\geq 2\)). Moreover, a presentation of \(\gamma_2(B_n(\mathbb RP^2))\) is given for all \(n\geq 3\). In the case where \(n=3\) it is proved that \(\gamma_2(B_3(\mathbb RP^2))\) is isomorphic to the semidirect product \((\mathbb F_3\rtimes\mathcal Q_8)\rtimes\mathbb Z\), where \(\mathbb F_k\) is the free group of rank \(k\) and \(\mathcal Q_8\) is the quaternion group of order 8. As for the derived series of \(B_n(\mathbb RP^2)\), it is proved that: {\parindent=6mm\begin{itemize}\item[---] For \(n\geq 5\) all the terms coincide (\((B_n(\mathbb RP^2))^{(m)}=(B_n(\mathbb RP^2))^{(1)}=\gamma_2(B_n(\mathbb RP^2))\) for \(m\geq 2\)).\item[---] For \(n=3\) the subgroups \((B_3(\mathbb RP^2))^{(m)}\) are completely determined for \(m=1\), \(2\), \(3\) and it is proved that \((B_3(\mathbb RP^2))^{(m)}\simeq(\mathbb F_9)^{m-3}\) for \(m\geq 4\).\item[---] For \(n=4\) the derived series of \(B_4(\mathbb RP^2)\) and its quotients up to \((B_4(\mathbb RP^2))^{(4)}\) are analyzed.\item[---] For \(m\geq 4\) it is proved that \((B_4(\mathbb RP^2))^{(m)}\simeq(\mathbb F_{129}\rtimes\mathbb F_{17})^{m-4}\). \end{itemize}} From the result above it is derived that \(B_n(\mathbb RP^2)\) is residually nilpotent if and only if \(n<3\) and residually soluble if \(n<4\), but the case \(n=4\) is still open. The proofs are extensive and complicated and in some points it is difficult to ``keep the thread. This paper is embodied in a long list of articles of the authors devoted to the study of braid groups \(B_n(\mathbb M)\) of some compact, connected surfaces \(\mathbb M\).

Recommendations

• THE LOWER CENTRAL AND DERIVED SERIES OF THE BRAID GROUPS OF THE FINITELY-PUNCTURED SPHERE
• Lower central and derived series of semi-direct products, and applications to surface braid groups
• The lower central and derived series of the braid groups of the sphere
• The braid group \(B_{n, m}(\mathbb{R} P^2)\) and the splitting problem of the generalised Fadell-Neuwirth short exact sequence
• The braid groups of the projective plane and the Fadell-Neuwirth short exact sequence.

Cites work

• ALGEBRAIC EQUATIONS WITH CONTINUOUS COEFFICIENTS AND SOME PROBLEMS OF THE ALGEBRAIC THEORY OF BRAIDS
• Braid Groups of Compact 2-Manifolds with Elements of Finite Order
• Braid groups of non-orientable surfaces and the Fadell-Neuwirth short exact sequence
• Braids and permutations
• Classification of the virtually cyclic subgroups of the pure braid groups of the projective plane.
• Configuration Spaces.
• Geometric subgroups of surface braid groups
• Homology and central series of groups
• Homotopy groups of configuration spaces and the string problem of Dirac
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3137403 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4026339 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4084577 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4095762 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 44304 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3563392 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3572386 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1544063 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3323771 (Why is no real title available?)
• Knots.
• Lower central series of Artin-Tits and surface braid groups.
• New developments in the theory of Artin's braid groups
• On braid groups
• On loop spaces of configuration spaces
• On the structure of surface pure braid groups.
• Seifert Fibre Spaces and Braid Groups
• Stable classical groups and strongly torsion generated groups.
• Série de Poincaré-Koszul associée aux groupes de tresses pures
• The braid groups of \(E^ 2\) and \(S^ 2\)
• The braid groups of the projective plane and the Fadell-Neuwirth short exact sequence.
• The braid groups of the projective plane.
• The Braid Groups.
• THE LOWER CENTRAL AND DERIVED SERIES OF THE BRAID GROUPS OF THE FINITELY-PUNCTURED SPHERE
• The lower central and derived series of the braid groups of the sphere
• The lower central series of a fiber-type arrangement
• The roots of the full twist for surface braid groups
• Theory of braids
• Vassiliev invariants for braids on surfaces

Cited in

(8)

• Lower central and derived series of semi-direct products, and applications to surface braid groups
• The braid groups of the projective plane and the Fadell-Neuwirth short exact sequence.
• Lower central series of Artin-Tits and surface braid groups.
• The lower central and derived series of the braid groups of the sphere
• Lower central series, surface braid groups, surjections and permutations
• THE LOWER CENTRAL AND DERIVED SERIES OF THE BRAID GROUPS OF THE FINITELY-PUNCTURED SPHERE
• When the lower central series stops: a comprehensive study for braid groups and their relatives
• The BNS invariants of the braid groups and pure braid groups of some surfaces

This page was built for publication: The lower central and derived series of the braid groups of the projective plane.

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q716450)