On centralizers of parabolic subgroups in Coxeter groups

Abstract

Let $W$ be an arbitrary Coxeter group, possibly of infinite rank. We describe a decomposition of the centralizer $Z_W(W_I)$ of an arbitrary parabolic subgroup $W_I$ into the center of $W_I$, a Coxeter group and a subgroup defined by a 2-cell complex. Only information about finite parabolic subgroups is required in an explicit computation. Moreover, by using our description of $Z_W(W_I)$, we reveal a further strong property of the action of the third factor on the second factor, in particular on the finite irreducible components of the second factor.