A Simple Way of Proving the Jordan-Hölder-Schreier Theorem

Author(s): Benjamin Baumslag

Source: The American Mathematical Monthly , Dec., 2006, Vol. 113, No. 10 (Dec., 2006),
pp. 933-935
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of the Mathematical Association of
America

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/27642092

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6. -, Dynamical systems method (DSM) and nonlinear problems, in Spectral Theory and Nonlinear
Analysis, J. Lopez-Gomez, ed., World Scientific, Singapore, 2005, pp. 1-29.
7. -, Dynamical systems method for nonlinear equations in Banach spaces, Communie. Nonlinear Sei.
and Numer. Simulation 10 (2005) 7-12.
8. -, Dynamical Systems Method for Solving Operator Equations, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2006.

Mathematics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-2602, USA

ramm @ math. ksu. edu

A Simple Way of Proving the

Jordan-H?lder-Schreier Theorem
Benjamin Baumslag

There is an important structure theorem in group theory that is an analogue and even a
generalisation of the fundamental theorem of arithmetic: every integer different from
1 or ?1 decomposes into a product of primes. A group is decomposed into a so-called
composition series (the precise formulation of this concept to follow). This structure
theorem is a consequence of the Jordan-H?lder-Schreier theorem. The purpose of this
note is to simplify the standard proof of the latter result, which can be found, for
instance, in [1]. By replacing the key lemma in the standard proof with Lemma 1 in
the present paper, we obtain a simpler, more natural proof.
We begin by reminding the reader of some standard definitions (see [1] for details).
A series

G-Go^G! 2G22-2Gffl = (l) (1)

of subgroups of a group G each of which is a normal subgroup of the
group is called a subnormal series for G. Any subnormal series that cont
inal series, and perhaps other subgroups, is called a refinement of th
each subgroup is a proper subgroup of its predecessor and the only p
refinements are those where some subgroups are repeated, then we call t
series a composition series for the group G. In this case each group Gi+\
normal subgroup of G?, and the factor groups G?/Gi+\ are simple group
nontrivial normal subgroups). All finite groups have composition series,
the case for all infinite groups. If a group has a compositon series, there
such. The Jordan-H?lder-Schreier theorem has the consequence that the
groups G//G/+1 that arise in all these different composition series a
occur with the same multiplicity. This is the important structure theore
the first paragraph of this note.
Now suppose that

G = G0^G] 2G22-2Gm = (l} (2)

and
G = Ho 2 Hi 2 #2 2 2 H* = {1} (3)
are two subnormal series for the group G. The Jordan-H?lder-Schreier theorem asser
that we can refine each of these subnormal series to a subnormal series such that the

December 2006] NOTES 933

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factor groups in the two resulting subnormal series can be paired so that corresponding
factors are isomorphic.
For the proof we begin in the same way as [1]. Note that for each /

G? = G? H H0 2 Gi: n Hx D G-, C\ H2 2 2 Gz- n Hn = {1}

is a descending sequence. If we multiply each term with G,-+i we get a subnormal

series lying between G, and Gi+X, namely,

Gi = (G; H //0)G/+1 2 (Gi H Hx)Gl+x 2 (G, H #2)G/+I d

2(G/n//?)Gl+1=G/+1.

If we carry out this procedure for / = 0, 1, ... , m, we arrive at a refinement (2*) of (2)
with mn terms. This is a subnormal series (i.e., each term is normal in its predecessor),
but in order to avoid getting bogged down in details, we leave the proof of this fact as
a useful exercise for the reader.
In a similar fashion we obtain a refinement (3*) of (3) with nm terms. In this case
we insert the groups

Hj = (Hj H G0)Hj+{ 2 (Hj H Gx)Hj+x 2 (Hj H G2)Gi+x 2

2 (Hj H Gm)Hj+x = Hj+i

between Hj and Hj+X.

We now compare the factor group

(GinHJ)Gi+x/(GinHJ+x)Gi+x (4)

from (2*) with one that appears in (3*),

(Hj H Gi)Hj+]/(Hj H Gi+^Hj+u (5)

using the following lemma:

Lemma 1. Inside a given group G let Q, N, and L be subgroups such that L is a nor
mal subgroup ofQ andqN ? Nq holds for every q in Q. Then QN/LN is isomorphic
toQ/L(QDN).

Proof. First we note that QN is a subgroup of G since QN ? NQ, which follows

from the hypothesis that qN = Nq for each q in Q. Similarly, LN is a subgroup.
Since L is normal in g, it follows that LN is normal in QN.
Next, we observe that the map Q ?> QN/LN for which q h-> qLN is a surjective
homomorphism. Its kernel K is L(Q O N)\ this can be proved as follows. If x is an
element of Ky then x belongs to Q and LN, so x = In, where i belongs to L and n to
N. Since i also belongs to Q, n is a member of g, hence of Q n Af. Accordingly, x is
in L(<2 H iV). Conversely, if x belongs to L(Q C\ N), we write x ? ic with ? in L and
c in g H N. Then x is in g and jcLTV = ?cL7V = ILcN = LN, which places x in ?\
An appeal to the first isomorphism theorem completes the proof.

(Note: In the special case where L is the identity subgroup, Lemma 1 reduces to the
second isomorphism theorem.)

934 ? THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA [Monthly 113

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 We now apply the lemma to the factor group in (4) with

Q^GiDHj, N = Gi+l, L = GiCiHj+{.

Since Q D N = Gi+\ O Hj, the factor group is isomorphic to

(Gi n Hj)/(Gi n Hj+MGi+tn Hj).

When we apply the same lemma to the factor group (5), interchanging the roles of the
Gk and H?, we get exactly the same group. Thus the Jordan-H?lder-Schreier theorem
follows.
We refer the reader to [1] for the application of the Jordan-H?lder-Schreier theorem
to composition series.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT. I thank Dr. Frank Levin and Dr. Anatoliy Malyarenko for help in preparing this
note.

REFERENCES

1. J. J. Rotman, An Introduction to the Theory of Groups, 4th ed., Springer-Verlag, New York, 1995.

Polstj?rnagatan 51 SE-72460 V?steras, Sweden

Complex Numbers and the

Ham Sandwich Theorem
Andrew Browder

1. INTRODUCTION. The "Ham Sandwich Theorem," derived from the Borsuk

Ulam theorem, was discussed recently in this MONTHLY [1]. It is the purpose of this
note to give a proof of the Borsuk-Ulam theorem (in dimension 2) using only the basic
facts about the exponential function on the complex number field C. This article can
be considered an adddition to my previous MONTHLY article [2].
Throughout this note, we will use the following notation and terminology: R de
notes the real numbers, and C the complex plane; C* signifies the punctured plane
C\{0}, D = [z : \z\ < 1} the closed unit disk, and T = [z : \z\ = 1} the boundary of
D. We take the two-sphere S2 to be {(x, y, z) e R3 : x2 + y2 + z2 = 1}, and for P
on S2, we denote by P' the point antipodal to P. Thus (x, y, z)' = (?x, ?y, ?z). If
X is any topological space, we let C(X) be the set of all continuous / : X -> C and
C*(X) = {f e C(X) : f(X) c C*}, the set of all continuous complex-valued func
tions on X that never vanish.
If a e C*, there exists b in C such that eb ? a\ then ec ? a if and only if c =
b + 2niti for some integer n.lf f e C*(X), there need not exist h in C(X) such that
eh = f (for example, if X = T and / is the identity function z). However, we do have
the following result:

Proposition 1. Iff belongs to C*(D), there exists h in C(D) such that eh ? f.

December 2006] NOTES 935

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