Related papers: On the Burau Representation of $B_4$ modulo $p$
This work discusses the open problem of the faithfulness of the reduced Burau representation for $n=4$. Birman showed that in order to prove this representation is faithful, it is sufficient to find two matrices $A$ and $B$ that generate a…
The Burau representation is a natural action of the braid group B_n on the free Z[t,t^{-1}]-module of rank n-1. It is a longstanding open problem to determine for which values of n this representation is faithful. It is known to be faithful…
We present an algorithm that, given a prime $p$ as input, determines whether or not the Burau representation of the 3-strand braid group modulo $p$ is faithful. We also prove that the representation is indeed faithful when $p\le 13$.…
We study two classical representations of Artin's braid group and their modulo $p$ reductions. We use topological methods to show that the Gassner representation $\tau_n: B_n\to\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z}[t_1^{\pm 1}, \ldots, t_n^{\pm 1}])$ is…
It is known that the Burau representation of the 4-strand braid group is faithful if and only if certain matrices f and k generate a (non-abelian) free group. Regarding f and k as isometries of a euclidean building we show that f^3 and k^3…
\begin{abstract} The reduced Burau representation is a natural action of the braid group $B_n$ on the first homology group $H_1({\tilde{D}}_n;\mathbb{Z})$ of a suitable infinite cyclic covering space ${\tilde{D}}_n$ of the $n$--punctured…
We establish strong constraints on the kernel of the (reduced) Burau representation $\beta_4:B_4\to \text{GL}_3\left(\mathbb{Z}\left[q^{\pm 1}\right]\right)$ of the braid group $B_4$. We develop a theory to explicitly determine the entries…
We give a simple topological construction of the Burau representations of the loop braid groups. There are four versions: defined either on the non-extended or extended loop braid groups, and in each case there is an unreduced and a reduced…
While much is known about the faithfulness of the Burau representation, the problem remains open for the Gassner representation for every $B_n$ with $n\geq 4$. We first find the definition of the Colored-Burau representation of Ainshel,…
In 1974, Birman posed the problem of identifying the conditions under which a matrix with Laurent polynomial entries lies in the image of the Burau representation. Building on this, Salter, in 2021, refined the inquiry to ask whether the…
The Burau representation enables to define many other representations of the braid group $B_n$ by the topological operation of ``cabling braids''. We show here that these representations split into copies of the Burau representation itself…
We give a method to produce faithful representations of the groups $G(n,m)=\langle X, Y \ \vert \ X^m = Y^n \rangle$ in $\mathrm{GL}_2(\mathbb{C}[t^{\pm 1}, q^{\pm 1}])$. These groups are Garside groups and the Garside normal forms of…
We consider representations of the free group $F_2$ on two generators such that the norm of the sum of the generators and their inverses is bounded by $\mu\in[0,4]$. These $\mu$-constrained representations determine a C*-algebra $A_{\mu}$…
We establish a link between the new theory of $q$-deformed rational numbers and the classical Burau representation of the braid group $\mathrm{B}_3$. We apply this link to the open problem of classification of faithful complex…
We construct a linear representation of the group IA(F_n) of IA-automorphisms of a free group F_n, an extension of the Gassner representation of the pure braid group P_n. Although the problem of faithfulness of the Gassner representation is…
Consider the kernel Mag_g of the Magnus representation of the Torelli group and the kernel Bur_n of the Burau representation of the braid group. We prove that for g >= 2 and for n >= 6 the groups Mag_g and Bur_n have infinite rank first…
We study the freeness problem for subgroups of $\operatorname{SL}_2(\mathbb{C})$ generated by two parabolic matrices. For $q = r/p \in \mathbb{Q} \cap (0,4)$, where $p$ is prime and $\gcd(r,p)=1$, we initiate the study of the algebraic…
A long-standing open problem is to determine for which values of n the Burau representation Psi_n of the braid group B_n is faithful. Following work of Moody, Long-Paton, and Bigelow, the remaining open case is n = 4. One criterion states…
Given an isolated, quasi-homogeneous singularity $X$ we prove that there is a group isomorphism between the group of rank one reflexive sheaves on $X$ and the free abelian group generated by $\mathbb{C}^*$-divisors, modulo linear…
We discuss the extension of the faithfulness question for the Burau representation of braid groups to the case of Artin--Tits groups. We prove that the Burau representation is not faithful in affine type $\tilde{A_3}$, and not faithful over…