Normal Subgroups

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Subgroups and cosets

\(G\): a group.

\(H \leq G\): a subgroup of \(G\).

\(gH = \{gh \mid h \in H \}\): left coset of \(H\) with respect to \(g \in G\).

\(Hg = \{hg \mid h \in H \}\): right coset of \(H\) with respect to \(g \in G\).

\(L = \{gH \mid g \in G \}\): set of all left cosets of \(H\).

\(R = \{Hg \mid g \in G \}\): set of all right cosets of \(H\).

Normal subgroup

\(N\): a subgroup of \(G\).

\(gN = Ng \quad \forall \, g \in G\): \(N\) is a normal subgroup of \(G\).

\(N \trianglelefteq G\): notation for normality.

\(G \trianglelefteq G\): normal subgroup of itself.

\(\{ 1 \} \trianglelefteq G\): trivial subgroup is normal.

e.g. Not normal

\(S_3 = \{ (), (1 \ 2), (1 \ 3), (2 \ 3), (1 \ 2 \ 3), (1 \ 3 \ 2) \}\): symmetric group.

\(S_2 = \{ (), (1 \ 2) \}\): symmetric group.

\(S_2 \leq S_3\): subgroup.

\((2 \ 3 ) S_2 = \{ (2 \ 3), (1 \ 2 \ 3) \}\): left coset.

\(S_2 (2 \ 3 ) = \{ (2 \ 3), (1 \ 3 \ 2) \}\): right coset.

\(S_2\) is not normal in \(S_3\).

e.g. Normal

\(S_3 = \{ (), (1 \ 2), (1 \ 3), (2 \ 3), (1 \ 2 \ 3), (1 \ 3 \ 2) \}\): symmetric group.

\(A_3 = \{ (), (1 \ 2 \ 3), (1 \ 3 \ 2) \}\): alternating group.

\(A_3 \leq S_3\): subgroup.

\((2 \ 3 ) A_3 = \{ (2 \ 3), (1 \ 2), (1 \ 3) \}\): left coset.

\(A_3 (2 \ 3 ) = \{ (2 \ 3), (1 \ 3), (1 \ 2) \}\): right coset.

\(A_3\) is normal in \(S_3\) but must check the others.