Math 113 Homework 4 Solutions

due July 11, 2011

1. Show that if G is a group of odd order, then no x G other than the identity is conjugate to x1 . Solution: Firstly, no element of G is of order 2, since else the cyclic subgroup it generated would be a subgroup of order 2, which cannot exist by Lagranges theorem. Thus no nonidentity element g of G satises g = g 1 . Now suppose x is a nonidentity element such that x1 = gxg 1 . Then if y = hxh1 , we have y 1 = h1 x1 h = (h1 g)x(h1 g)1 so any conjugate of x is also conjugate to its own inverse. Thus the inverse of each of the elements of the conjugacy class of x is a dierent element of the same conjugacy class, so the conjugacy class is partitioned into twoelement sets of the form {x, x1 } and is hence of even order. But this would not divide the order of G, so our assumption must be false, and there is no such x. 2. Let N be a normal subgroup of a group G. Suppose that |N | = 5 and that |G| is odd. Prove that N is contained in the center of G. Solution: N is by denition a disjoint union of conjugacy classes of G; these all must have odd order as |G| is odd, and one of them is {1}. Therefore the other 4 elements of N must be partitioned either into 4 conjugacy classes of size 1, or one of size 1 and one of size 3. In particular, at least one nonidentity element x N is the only element in its conjugacy class, i.e. x Z(G). However, since |N | = 5, N is cyclic generated by any nonidentity element, so N = x . But since Z(G) is a subgroup containing x, we must have N Z(G) as desired. 3. Let H K G be groups. Prove that H is normal in K if and only if K N (H). Solution: By denition of normality H is normal in K i for every k K we have kHk 1 = H. But this is exactly the criterion for an element k to lie in N (H), so H is normal in K i K N (H). 4. How many elements of order 5 are contained in a group of order 20?

Solution: Let G be a group with |G| = 20. By the Sylow theorems, the number of 5-Sylow subgroups divides 4 and is congruent to 1 modulo 5, and thus is equal to 1. Thus there is a unique subgroup of order 5, generated by each of its 4 nonidentity elements. Conversely, any element of order 5 would generate a subgroup of order 5 and hence is one of these 4 elements. 5. Prove that no group of order pq, where p and q are prime, is simple. Solution: Let G be a group of order pq, with p > q primes, and let N G be a Sylow p-subgroup. Let Hp be the number of Sylow p-subgroups of G. Hp divides q, hence is equal to 1 or q, and is congruent to 1 modulo p. Since p > q, this entails that Hp = 1, i.e. there is a unique Sylow p-subgroup. This subgroup is a nontrivial normal subgroup, showing that G is not simple. 6. Prove that no group of order p2 q, where p and q are prime, is simple. Solution: If p > q, the same analysis as in the last problem shows that there is a unique Sylow p-subgroup. On the other hand, if q > p, let Hq be the number of Sylow q-subgroups. Hq divides p2 , hence is equal to 1, p, or p2 , and is congruent to 1 modulo q. Since q > p, the case Hq = p is not possible. If Hq = 1 then the Sylow q-subgroup is normal, so we must rule out the case Hq = p2 . In this case, p2 is congruent to 1 modulo q, so p is congruent to 1 modulo q. Since q > p we must have q = p + 1, i.e. p = 2 and q = 3. Then G = 12 and there are 4 Sylow 3-subgroups. No nonidentity element is in two of these (since it will generate the 3-subgroup containing it), accounting for 2 4 = 8 of the elements of G. As there is at least one subgroup of order 4 (a Sylow 2-subgroup), the remaining 4 elements must constitute such a subgroup, which is then the unique subgroup of order 4 = 22 , and therefore normal.