Date: Sat, 1 Mar 1997 20:30:03 -0500
From: Marcelo Aguiar - Math TA - Chase 
Subject: braid group algebras
 
Hi,
 
Maybe somebody can help me with this question:
Is it known whether the group algebra of the braid group possesses
zero divisors?
 
Ed Formanek has shown me how to reduce this question to proving that
B(n)/g(2,P(n)) is torsion free, where B(n) is the braid group, P(n) is the
pure braid group and g(2,G) is the second term in the lower series of G.
Joan Dyer's proof that B(n) is torsion free doesn't seem to extend to this case.
 
Thanks,
 
Marcelo Aguiar
Cornell University