SOLUTION TO PROBLEM 4 OF PROBLEMS SET 3

4.– Let G be a simple group of order 60. The aim of the exercise is to prove
that G is isomorphic to A5 .

a.– Show that the number n2 of 2-Sylow subgroups is either 5 or 15.

Solution: The number n2 is odd and divides 60 (by Sylow III), hence it
divdes 15. It is thus 1, 3, 5 or 15. The case n2 = 1 is excluded because
then the unqiue 2-Sylow will be normal in G (by Sylow II), contradicting the
assumption that G is simple. It is not possible that n2 = 3 either, otherwise
the action of G by conjugation on the set of the 3-2 Sylow will define a
morphism f from G to S3 , non-trivial since G acts transitively on that set
(Sylow II) and also non-injective since |G| = 60 > |S3 | = 6; hence the kernel
of f would be a normal subgroup of G, proper and non-trivial, contadicting
the simplicity of G. The only reminding possibilities are n2 = 5 or 15.

b.– If n2 = 5, and P is a 2-Sylow subgroup, show that its normalizer NG (P )

has index 5 in G.

Solution: Let {P1 = P, P2 , P3 , P4 , P5 } the set of the 5 2-Sylow of G. The

group G acts by conjugation on this set, hence one gets a homomorphism
f : G → S5 . This homorphism is non-trivial since the action by conjugation
is transitive, hence it is injective since G is simple. Hence |f (G)| = |G| = 60
and f (G) has index 2 in S5 . (Here as far as only our final goal of proving that
G ' A5 is concernec, we could jump directly to question e and conclude that
f is an isomorphism of G onto A5 .)
Let H ⊂ S5 be the subgroup of permutations that fixes 1. Note that H
is isomorphic to S4 , so |H| = 24, and H is of index 5 in G. Then NG (P ) =
f −1 (H) since saying g ∈ NG (P ) means that gP g −1 = P , that is that the
action of g by conjugation on the set {P1 = P, P2 , P3 , P4 , P5 } fixes the first
element. One thus has f (NG (P )) = f (G) ∩ H, and f (G) ∩ H has index 1 or 2
in H, since f (G) has index 2 in G, so f (G) ∩ H has order 12 or 6. Since f is
injective, this is also the order of NG (P ). Since NG (P ) contains the 2-Sylow
P of order 4, its order cannot be six, so it is 12; in other words the index of
NG (P ) in G is 5.
1
2 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM 4 OF PROBLEMS SET 3

c.– If n2 = 15, show that the intersection of any two 2-Sylow is non-trivial.
(Hint: assume the contrary; show that there are 45 non-trivial elements that
belong to a 2-Sylow; show that the number of 3-Sylow subgroups n3 is 4 or 10,
but deduce a contradiction if n3 = 10 by observing that a non-trivial element
in a 3-Sylow cannot be in a 2-Sylow).

Solution: Assume by contradiction that the intersection of any two 2-

Sylow is trivial. The 2-Sylows have order 4, so they have 3 non-trivial elements
each, which by assumption are not the same in any two 2-Sylow, hence a total
of 3 × 15 = 45 elements of G which are in a two-Sylow and not e (hence of
order 2 or 4).
Then consider the 3-Sylows:, which have order 3 hence are cyclic, so that
the intersection of any two of them is trivial. One has n3 divides 20 and
n3 ≡ 1 (mod 3), so n3 = 4 or n3 = 10 (the case n3 = 1 is excluded because
G is simple). If there were n3 = 10 3-Sylows, that would make a total of
2 ∗ 10 = 20 elements of order 3 in G, but 45 + 20 = 65 > 60, a contradicion.
If there were n3 = 4, the action of G by conjugation on 3-Sylow would define
an injective map f : G → S4 , a contradiction since |G| = 60 > |S4 | = 24.

d.– Assume n2 = 15 and let P and Q be two (distinct) 2-sylow. Let

R = P ∩ Q. Show that R has order 2. Let NG (R) be the normalizer of R in
G. Show that NG (R) 6= G, and that P and Q are subgroups of NG (R). Let S
be the subgroup of G generated by P and Q. Show that it has index 5 in G.

Solution: By the preceding question, R is non-trivial. As |R|||P | = 4,

then |R| = 2 or 4. But if |R| = 4, then R = P = Q, which is absurd. So
|R| = 2.
One has NG (R) 6= G, otherwise R would be normal, contradicting the
assumption that G is simple. Since P is abelian (like any group of order 4),
and R ⊂ P , conjugation by any element of P fixes R, so P ⊂ NG (R), and the
same arguments show that Q ⊂ NG (R).
Let S be the subgroup generated by P and Q. By what we have seen,
S ⊂ NG (R), hence S 6= G. Also 4||S|, and |S| > 4 since if |S| = 4, S = P = Q
a contradiction. So |S| = 4 ∗ 3 = 12 or |S| = 4 ∗ 5 = 20. In the second case,
S has index 3, hence the action by translation of G on G/S defines a map
f : G → S3 , again injective because G is simple (see question f. below), which
is a contradiction because |G| > |S3 |. Hence S has index 5.
 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM 4 OF PROBLEMS SET 3 3

e.– Show that A5 is the only subgroup of index 2 of S5 . (Hint: let H be

a subgroup of index 2 of S5 , hence normal. Show that H contains either all
transpositions or no transposition at all. In the first case, get a contradiction.
In the second case, show H = A5 ).
Solution: Note that in S5 , any two transpositions are conjuagate. Hence
if H contains a transposition, it would contain all of them since it is normal,
hence H = S5 since S5 is generated by transpositions, a contradiction. So H
contains no transposition at all. Now consider the natural morphism f : S5 →
S5 /H with kernel H. Since G/H has order 2, we identify it with the group
{−1, +1}, and we see that f of a tramsposition is −1 since a transposition
is not in H. That is, f and the sign morphism agree on transposition, hence
they agree everywhere since transpositions generates S5 , hence their kernels
must agree, that is H = A5 .
f.– By a., b. and d., we know that G has, in any case, a subgroup H
of index 5. By considering the action of G on G/H, define a morphism
f : G → S5 . Show that f is injective, and that f (G) is a subgroup of order 2
of S5 . Conclude.
Solution: G acts by translation of G/H a set with 5 elements, and the
action is non-trivial since for example an element not in H does not fix the
coset H on G/H. Hence a non-trivial homomrphim f : G → S5 , whose kernel
has to be trivial since G is simple. Then f (G) is isomorphic to G and is a
subgroup of index 2 of S5 , so it is A5 by the preceding section.

Complements: So we have proved that every simple group of order 60

is isomorphic to A5 . To get a complete picture, it remains to prove that A5
is indeed a simple group (of order 60 of course). Here are some indications if
you want to do it for yourself.
(a) Show that in A5 consist of e, 20 3-cycles, 24 5-cycles, or 15 products of
2 disjoint transpositions.
(b) Show that any two 3-cycles in A5 are conjugate in A5 , and the same is
true for any two products of 2 disjoint transpositions
(c) Show however, that there are two conjugacy classes of 5-cycles, each of
size 12.
(d) Let H be a normal subgroup of A5 . Since |H| divides 60, and H is a
union of conjugacy classes, show by elementary arithmetic that |H| = 1 or
|H| = 60.