On the Yang-Baxter equation and left nilpotent left braces

Abstract: We study non-degenerate involutive set-theoretic solutions (X,r) of the Yang-Baxter equation, we call them simply solutions. We show that the structure group G(X,r) of a finite non-trivial solution (X,r) cannot be an Engel group. It is known that the structure group G(X,r) of a finite multipermutation solution (X,r) is a poly-Z group, thus our result gives a rich source of examples of braided groups and left braces G(X,r) which are poly-Z groups but not Engel groups. We also show that a finite solution of the Yang-Baxter equation can be embedded in a convenient way into a finite brace and into a finite braided group. For a left brace A, we explore the close relation between the multipermutation level of the solution associated with it and the radical chain $A^{(n+1)}=A^{(n)}* A$ introduced by Rump.