Assignment II

ALGEBRA I
April 26, 2016

Group Members
Name
Sig
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

ID No,
Abener Tewodros
Hana Endiris . .
Miliyon Tilahun .
Sisai Bekele . . .
Shimekit Legese .

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

GSR/1417/08
GSR/1419/08
GSR/1401/08
GSR/1426/08
GSR/1425/08

Show all the necessary steps

1. Let , Sn . If is even(odd), then so is 1 .
Solution.
2. Show that N = {(1), (12)(34), (13)(24), (14)(23)} is a normal subgroup of S4 contained in A4 such that
S4 /N
= S3 and A4 /N
= Z3 .
Solution. (i) Since S4 has only 3 distinct products of disjoint 2-cycles, namely, (12)(34), (13)(24), (14)(23),
to see that N C S4 , it suffices to show that Sn , if = (i1 i2 )(i3 i4 ) is a product of disjoint 2-cycles,
then 1 is also a product of disjoint 2-cycles. By the definition of composition of permutations,
(i1 i2 ik ) 1 = ((i1 )(i2 ) (ik ).
Thus by the fact that is a bijection, 1 is also a product of disjoint 2-cycles. This proves that
S4 , N 1 = N . Hence N C S4 . By the same argument, A4 , N 1 = N , and so N C A4 .
(ii) Let S3 = {a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 , a6 }. We shall prove each of the following claims.
(a) ai , aj S3 , if ai 6= aj , then a1i aj
/ N.
Note that no permutation in S3 can move 4, and that every non identity element in N moves 4.
1
1
Therefore, as a1
i aj S3 , that ai aj N only if ai aj = (1), contrary to the assumption ai 6= aj .
Hence (a) follows.
(b) Since |S4 /N | = 24/4 = 6 and since, by (a), ai N s are six distinct left cosets of N in S4 , we have
by counting that S4 /N = {a1 N, a2 N, , a6 N }.
(c) Define a map f : S4 /N S3 by f (ai N ) = ai . Since ai is the only permutation in ai N S3 , there
is no need to verify that this map is well defined. Then since S3 = {a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 , a6 }, this map is
onto. Since N C S4 , we have (ai N )(aj N ) = (ai aj )N , and so f ((ai N )(aj N )) = f ((ai aj )N ) = ai aj =
f (ai N )f (aj N ), and so f is an epimorphism.
(d) By the definition of f , f (ai N ) = ai = (1) S3 only if a1 = (1) S4 , and so f is 1 1. This shows
that f is an isomorphism between S4 /N and S3 . To see A4 /N
= Z3 , we can apply Lagrange theorem
to count that |A4 /N | = 12/4 = 3, and so A3 /N is a group of order 3. Pick aN A4 /N {N }. Then
by Lagrange, and since 3 is a prime, |haN i| = |aN | = 3, and so A4 /N = haN i
= Z3 .
3. If a group G is the (internal) direct product of its subgroups H, K, then show that H
= G/K and
G/H
= K.
Solution.
4. If H, K are subgroups of G such that H C K, then show that K NG (H).
Solution. Note that NG (H) = {g G : gH = Hg}. Since H C K, k K, kH = Hk, and so
k NG (H).
5. Let G be a group acting on a set S containing at least two elements. Assume G is transitive; that is,
given any x, y S, there exists g G such that (g, x) = y.
Prove
(a) for x S, the orbit x
of x is S;
(b) all the stabilizers Gx (for x S) are conjugate;
(c) for x S, |S| = [G : Gx ]; hence |S| divides |G|.
Proof.
6. If |G| = pn with p > n, p prime and H is a subgroup of order p, then prove that H is normal in G.

Proof. Let S be the set of all subgroups of G of order p; S := {K G : |K| = p}. Then H has a
conjugate action on S : h(K) := hKh1 for h H and K S. The number of elements in the H-orbit
of K S is [H : HK ], a factor of |H| = p, where HK is the isotropy group of K. So [H : HK ] = 1 or p. If
K S \ {H} is fixed by the H-action, i.e. HK = H, then K C hH, Ki = HK and |hH, Ki/K| = p. This
implies that |hH, Ki| = p2 , a contradiction
to |G| = np. Therefore, the H-orbit of every K S \ {K}
P
has p elements. Notice that |S| = K [H : HK ] where K is selected from each H-orbit in S. We have
|S| = l + 1 for some l N. Every K S has p 1 elements of order p. So G contains(pl + 1)(p 1)
elements of order p. This forces l = 0 since |G| = pn p(p 1). Then |S| = 1 and H is the only
subgroup of order p in G. Hence xHx1 = H for any x G. Therefore H C G.