Set-theoretic solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation, Braces, and Symmetric groups

We involve simultaneously the theory of matched pairs of groups and the theory of braces to study set-theoretic solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation (YBE). We show the intimate relation between the notions of a symmetric group (a braided involutive group) and a left brace, and find new results on symmetric groups of finite multipermutation level and the corresponding braces. We introduce a new invariant of a symmetric group $(G,r)$, \emph{the derived chain of ideals of} $G$, which gives a precise information about the recursive process of retraction of $G$. We prove that every symmetric group $(G,r)$ of finite multipermutation level $m$ is a solvable group of solvable length at most $m$. To each set-theoretic solution $(X,r)$ of YBE we associate two invariant sequences of symmetric groups: (i) the sequence of its derived symmetric groups; (ii) the sequence of its derived permutation groups and explore these for explicit descriptions of the recursive process of retraction. We find new criteria necessary and sufficient to claim that $(X, r)$ is a multipermutation solution.Comment: 44 page

A combinatorial approach to the set-theoretic solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation

A bijective map $r: X^2 \longrightarrow X^2$, where $X = \{x_1, ..., x_n \}$ is a finite set, is called a \emph{set-theoretic solution of the Yang-Baxter equation} (YBE) if the braid relation $r_{12}r_{23}r_{12} = r_{23}r_{12}r_{23}$ holds in $X^3.$ A non-degenerate involutive solution $(X,r)$ satisfying $r(xx)=xx$, for all $x \in X$, is called \emph{square-free solution}. There exist close relations between the square-free set-theoretic solutions of YBE, the semigroups of I-type, the semigroups of skew polynomial type, and the Bieberbach groups, as it was first shown in a joint paper with Michel Van den Bergh. In this paper we continue the study of square-free solutions $(X,r)$ and the associated Yang-Baxter algebraic structures -- the semigroup $S(X,r)$, the group $G(X,r)$ and the $k$- algebra $A(k, X,r)$ over a field $k$, generated by $X$ and with quadratic defining relations naturally arising and uniquely determined by $r$. We study the properties of the associated Yang-Baxter structures and prove a conjecture of the present author that the three notions: a square-free solution of (set-theoretic) YBE, a semigroup of I type, and a semigroup of skew-polynomial type, are equivalent. This implies that the Yang-Baxter algebra $A(k, X,r)$ is Poincar\'{e}-Birkhoff-Witt type algebra, with respect to some appropriate ordering of $X$. We conjecture that every square-free solution of YBE is retractable, in the sense of Etingof-Schedler.Comment: 34 page