The K(\pi, 1) problem for the affine Artin group of type \widetilde{B}_n and its cohomology

Abstract

In this paper we prove that the complement to the affine complex arrangement of type \widetilde{B}_n is a K(\pi, 1) space. We also compute the cohomology of the affine Artin group G of type \widetilde{B}_n with coefficients over several interesting local systems. In particular, we consider the module Q[q^{\pm 1}, t^{\pm 1}], where the first n-standard generators of G act by (-q)-multiplication while the last generator acts by (-t)-multiplication. Such representation generalizes the analog 1-parameter representation related to the bundle structure over the complement to the discriminant hypersurface, endowed with the monodromy action of the associated Milnor fibre. The cohomology of G with trivial coefficients is derived from the previous one.