Forbidden relations in universal virtual braid groups

Abstract: We study natural automorphisms of the universal virtual braid group $UV_n(k)$. These automorphisms induce commuting involutions in the outer automorphism group and generate a subgroup isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z}_2^k\times\mathbb{Z}_2$. We then show that the two one-forbidden quotients of $UV_n(k)$ are isomorphic. Furthermore, we introduce the universal unrestricted virtual braid group $UUV_n(k)$ obtained by imposing simultaneously the two forbidden relations, and derive several structural properties inherited from the universal setting. Since the multi-virtual braid group $M_kVB_n$ is a quotient of $UV_n(k)$, the corresponding results for $M_kVB_n$ follow as consequences. In particular, for $k=1$ we prove that the quotients of $VB_n$ by the two forbidden relations are isomorphic and obtain structural properties for the unrestricted virtual braid group.