Algorithmic recognition of quasipositive braids of algebraic length two

We give an algorithm to decide if a given braid is a product of two factors which are conjugates of given powers of standard generators of the braid group. The same problem is solved in a certain class of Garside groups including Artin-Tits groups of spherical type. The solution is based on the Garside theory and, especially, on the theory of cyclic sliding developed by Gebhardt and González-Meneses. We show that if a braid is of the required form, then any cycling orbit in its sliding circuit set in the dual Garside structure contains an element for which this fact is immediately seen from the left normal form.