Involution Products in Coxeter Groups

Abstract

For $W$ a Coxeter group, let $\mathcal{W} = \{ w \in W \;| \; w = xy \; \mbox{where} \; x, y \in W \; \mbox{and} \; x^2 = 1 = y^2 \}$. If $W$ is finite, then it is well known that $W = \mathcal{W}$. Suppose that $w \in \mathcal{W}$. Then the minimum value of $\ell(x) + \ell(y) - \ell(w)$, where $x, y \in W$ with $w = xy$ and $x^2 = 1 = y^2$, is called the \textit{excess} of $w$ ($\ell$ is the length function of $W$). The main result established here is that $w$ is always $W$-conjugate to an element with excess equal to zero.