# zbMATH — the first resource for mathematics

On the residual nilpotence of pure Artin groups. (English) Zbl 1103.20035
The author gives a simple proof of the residual nilpotence of pure Artin groups of spherical type, based on the generalization by F. Digne [J. Algebra 268, No. 1, 39-57 (2003; Zbl 1066.20044)] of Krammer’s faithful linear representation of the braid group, to crystallographic finite-type Artin groups. Previously, the residual nilpotence was known only for types $$A$$, $$B$$, and $$D$$, by complicated arguments, and the rank-two groups.
Here is a sketch of the argument. Let $$W$$ be a finite Coxeter group, irreducible and crystallographic, $$B$$ the associated Artin group, and $$P=\ker(B\to W)$$ the pure Artin group. Digne’s representation has the form $$\varphi\colon B\to\text{GL}(V\otimes\mathbb{R}[\![h]\!])$$, where $$V$$ is the real vector space with basis the set of reflections in $$W$$. Specializing to $$h=0$$ in $$\varphi$$ results in the permutation representation of $$W=B/P$$ on $$V$$. It follows easily that, for $$x\in P$$, $$\varphi(x)-1$$ is divisible by $$h$$, and then, by induction, that $$\varphi(x)-1$$ is divisible by $$h^n$$ for $$x$$ in the $$n$$-th term of the lower central series of $$P$$. Then the intersection of the lower central series is contained in the kernel of $$\varphi$$, whence is trivial since $$\varphi$$ is faithful. For irreducible, non-crystallographic groups, the author uses the “folding maps” of J. Crisp [in Geometric group theory down under, de Gruyter, 119-137 (1999; Zbl 1001.20034)], which inject the Artin group into a crystallographic Artin group.

##### MSC:
 20F36 Braid groups; Artin groups 20F55 Reflection and Coxeter groups (group-theoretic aspects) 20E26 Residual properties and generalizations; residually finite groups
Full Text:
##### References:
 [1] DOI: 10.1007/BF02785852 · Zbl 1078.20038 [2] DOI: 10.1016/S0021-8693(03)00327-2 · Zbl 1066.20044 [3] DOI: 10.1007/BF01394780 · Zbl 0574.55010 [4] DOI: 10.1017/S000497270001995X · Zbl 0996.20023 [5] DOI: 10.1007/BF00181653 · Zbl 0794.20047
This reference list is based on information provided by the publisher or from digital mathematics libraries. Its items are heuristically matched to zbMATH identifiers and may contain data conversion errors. It attempts to reflect the references listed in the original paper as accurately as possible without claiming the completeness or perfect precision of the matching.