Classification of the T-avoiding elements in Coxeter groups of type F

Coxeter groups can be thought of as generalized reflections groups. In particular, a Coxeter group is generated by a set of elements of order two. Every element of a Coxeter group can be written as an expression in the generators, and if the number of generators in an expression is minimal, we say that the expression is reduced. We say that an element w of a Coxeter group is T- avoiding if w does not have a reduced expression beginning or ending with a pair of non-commuting generators. In this talk, we will classify the T-avoiding elements of type F_5. We conjecture that our classification holds more generally for F_n with n ≥ 5.

This poster was presented by my undergraduate research students Ryan Cross, Katie Hills-Kimball, and Christie Quaranta (Plymouth State University) on April 27, 2012 at the 2012 PSU Research Symposium at Plymouth State University.

Transcript

1. 1 3 5 2 4 3 2 4 1 3 5 Classification of the T-avoiding elements in Coxeter groups of type F R. Cross, K. Hills-Kimball, C. Quaranta, Plymouth State University 1 3 5 2 4 3 2 4 1 3 5 2 4 3 2 4 1 3 5 · · · 1 3 5 2 4 3 2 4 1 3 5 Abstract In mathematics, one uses groups to study symmetry. In particular, a reflection group is used to study the reflection and rotational symmetry of an object. A Coxeter group can be thought of as a generalized reflection group, where the group is generated by a set of elements of order two (i.e., reflections) and there are rules for how the generators interact with each other. Every element of a Coxeter group can be written as an expression in the generators, and if the number of generators in an expression is minimal, we say that the expression is reduced. An element w of a Coxeter group is called T-avoiding if w does not have a reduced expression beginning or ending with a pair of non-commuting generators. We will present a classification of the T-avoiding elements in the infinite Coxeter group of type F5 , as well as the finite Coxeter group of type F4 . We conjecture that our classification holds more generally for arbitrary Fn . Definition A Coxeter system consists of a group W (called a Coxeter group) generated by a set S of elements of order 2 with presentation W = S : s2 = 1, (st)m(s,t) = 1 , where m(s, t) ≥ 2 for s = t. Since s and t are their own inverses, the relation (st)m(s,t) = 1 can be rewritten as m(s, t) = 2 =⇒ st = ts short braid relations m(s, t) = 3 =⇒ sts = tst m(s, t) = 4 =⇒ stst = tsts . . .        long braid relations Definition We can encode (W , S) with a unique Coxeter graph X having: 1. vertex set S; 2. edges {s, t} labeled m(s, t) whenever m(s, t) ≥ 3. (Typically labels of m(s, t) = 3 are omitted.) Note that edges correspond to non-commuting pairs of generators. Also, given X, we can uniquely reconstruct the corresponding (W , S). Coxeter groups of type A The Coxeter group of type An is defined by the graph below. s1 s2 s3 · · · sn−1 sn Then An is subject to: 1. s2 i = 1 for all i, 2. si sj si = sj si sj whenever |i − j| = 1, 3. Generators corresponding to non-connected nodes commute. It turns out that An is isomorphic to the symmetric group Symn+1 , where each si corresponds to the adjacent transposition (i i + 1). Coxeter groups of type B The Coxeter group of type Bn is defined by the graph below. s1 s2 s3 4 · · · sn−1 sn Then Bn is subject to: 1. s2 i = 1 for all i, 2. s1 s2 s1 s2 = s2 s1 s2 s1 , 3. si sj si = sj si sj whenever |i − j| = 1 and {i, j} = {1, 2}, 4. Generators corresponding to non-connected nodes commute. In this case, Bn is isomorphic to the group that rearranges and flips n − 1 coins. Coxeter groups of type F The Coxeter group of type Fn (n ≥ 4) is defined by the graph below. s1 s2 s3 s4 4 · · · sn−1 sn Then Fn is subject to: 1. s2 i = 1 for all i, 2. s2 s3 s2 s3 = s3 s2 s3 s2 , 3. si sj si = sj si sj whenever |i − j| = 1 and {i, j} = {2, 3}, 4. Generators corresponding to non-connected nodes commute. It turns out that F4 is a finite group while Fn for n ≥ 5 is an infinite group. Definition A word sx1 sx2 · · · sxm ∈ S∗ is called an expression for w ∈ W if it is equal to w when considered as a group element. If m is minimal, it is a reduced expression. Example Consider the expression s1 s3 s2 s1 s2 for an element w ∈ W (A3 ). Note that s1 s3 s2 s1 s2 = s1 s3 s1 s2 s1 = s3 s1 s1 s2 s1 = s3 s2 s1. Therefore, s1 s3 s2 s1 s2 is not reduced. However, the expression on the right is reduced. Theorem (Matsumoto/Tits) Any two reduced expressions for w ∈ W differ by a sequence of braid relations. Heaps One way of representing reduced expressions is via heaps. Fix a reduced expression sx1 sx2 · · · sxm for w. For any straight line Coxeter graph, the heap for this expression is a set of lattice points, one for each sxi , embedded in N × N such that: 1. The node corresponding to sxi has vertical component equal to n + 1 − xi (i.e., smaller numbers at the top), 2. If i < j and sxi does not commute with sxj , then sxi occurs to the left of sxj . Example Consider s1 s2 s3 s2 , s1 s3 s2 s3 , and s3 s1 s2 s3 , which are all reduced expressions of the same element in A3 . It turns out, there are two distinct heaps: 1 2 3 2 and 1 3 2 3 Definition We say that w ∈ W has Property T iff some reduced expression begins or ends with a product of non-commuting generators. That is, w = s t (other generators) or w = (other generators) t s Definition We say that w is T-avoiding iff w does not have Property T. Proposition Products of commuting generators are T-avoiding. Question Are there other T-avoiding elements besides products of commuting generators? Definition An element is bad iff it is T-avoiding, but not a product of commuting generators. Theorem (Cormier, Ernst, Goldenberg, Kelly, Malbon) In types A and B, there are no bad elements. That is, in types A and B, w is T-avoiding iff w is a product of commuting generators. Comment The answer is not so simple in other Coxeter groups. In particular, there are bad elements in types C (Ernst) and D (Tyson Gern). Proposition (Cross, Ernst, Hills-Kimball, Quaranta) The following reduced expressions are bad in F5 : Bowtie M Seagull 1 3 5 2 4 3 2 4 1 3 5 1 3 5 2 3 4 3 2 1 3 5 1 3 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 3 We can convert Bowties ↔ M’s ↔ Seagulls via braid relations. Thus, these ex- pressions represent the same group element and we can restrict our attention to the bowties. By stacking bowties we can create infinitely many bad elements in F5 . 1 3 5 2 4 3 2 4 1 3 5 2 4 3 2 4 1 3 5 · · · 1 3 5 2 4 3 2 4 1 3 5 Theorem (Cross, Ernst, Hills-Kimball, Quaranta) An element is T-avoiding in F5 iff it is a product of commuting generators or a stack of bowties. Moreover, there are no bad elements in F4 . That is, the only T-avoiding elements in F4 are products of commuting generators. Conjecture An element is T-avoiding in Fn for n ≥ 5 iff it is a product of commuting generators or a stack of bowties times a product of commuting generators. Joint work with R. Cross, K. Hills-Kimball, and C. Quaranta. Research conducted under the guidance of D.C. Ernst, Plymouth State University Typeset using L ATEX, TikZ, and beamerposter