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Group Actions Notes

The document defines group actions and summarizes key theorems about group actions. A group action is a function from the direct product of a group G and a set S to S that satisfies certain properties. The orbit of an element is the set of elements obtained by applying group elements. The stabilizer of an element is the subgroup fixing that element. The orbit-stabilizer theorem states that the number of left cosets of the stabilizer is equal to the size of the orbit. Burnside's lemma relates the number of orbits to the sizes of fixed sets of group elements. Cauchy's theorem states that if the order of a finite group is divisible by a prime p, then the group contains an element of order p.

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359 views2 pages

Group Actions Notes

The document defines group actions and summarizes key theorems about group actions. A group action is a function from the direct product of a group G and a set S to S that satisfies certain properties. The orbit of an element is the set of elements obtained by applying group elements. The stabilizer of an element is the subgroup fixing that element. The orbit-stabilizer theorem states that the number of left cosets of the stabilizer is equal to the size of the orbit. Burnside's lemma relates the number of orbits to the sizes of fixed sets of group elements. Cauchy's theorem states that if the order of a finite group is divisible by a prime p, then the group contains an element of order p.

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DEFINITIONS AND THEOREMS ON GROUP ACTIONS

MATH 100A

Remark 1. The following are the definitions given in class about group actions, as well as
the statements of the theorems we have proved in class.
Definition 2. Let G be a group and S a set. A group action of G on S is a function:
G × S→S
(g, s) 7→ g · s
satisfying the following properties:

(1) e · s = s for all s ∈ S, and


(2) g · (h · s) = (g ∗ h) · s.
Remark 3. Throughout these notes G will denote a group, and S will denote a set with an
action of G on S.
Proposition 4. A group action of G on S is equivalent to a homomorphism:
φ : G→A(S).
Definition 5. Let x ∈ S. The orbit of x is the subset:
Orb(x) = {g · x|g ∈ G} ⊂ S.
Definition 6. The stabilizer of x is the subset:
Stab(x) = {g ∈ G|g · x = x} ⊂ G.
Definition 7. The action of G on S is called transitive if there exists x ∈ S such that
Orb(x) = S.
Example 8 (Coset Action). Let H ≤ G be a subgroup. Let
S = {aH|a ∈ G}
be the set of left cosets of H in G. There is an action:
G × S→S
(g, (aH)) 7→ g · (aH) := (g ∗ a)H.
Example 9 (The Conjugation Action). Let G be a group and let S = G. There is an action
G × S→S
(g, x) 7→ g · x := g ∗ x ∗ g −1 .
If x ∈ S, then Stab(x) = C(x) = {g ∈ G|gx = xg}.
Proposition 10. The relation on S
x ∼ y ⇐⇒ x = g · y
is an equivalence relation. The equivalence classes are the orbits.
2 DEFINITIONS AND THEOREMS ON GROUP ACTIONS MATH 100A

Proposition 11. Let x ∈ S. The stabilizer of x, is a subgroup of G:


Stab(x) ≤ G.
Theorem 12 (Orbit-Stabilizer Theorem). Let G act on S. Let x ∈ S. There is a bijection:
{Left cosets of Stab(x)} ↔ Orb(x).
In particular, |Orb(x)| = [G : Stab(x)] and if G is finite then |Orb(x)| = |G|/|Stab(x)|.
Corollary 13. The set S is a disjoint union of its orbits, and if S and G are finite then:
X X |G|
|S| = |Orb(x)| = .
|Stab(x)|
 distinct orbits   distinct orbits 
choosing one x choosing one x
in each orbit in each orbit
Corollary 14 (The Class Equation). Let G be a finite group, then:
X X |G|
|G| = |cl(x)| = .
|C(x)|
 conjugacy classes   conjugacy classes 
choosing one x choosing one x
in each conjugacy class in each conjugacy class
Corollary 15. Let G be a group with |G| = pk (where p is a prime and k ≥ 1). Then |Z(G)| ≥ p.
Definition 16. A group G is simple if there are no nontrivial normal subgroups in G.
Theorem 17. A5 is a simple group.
Definition 18. Let g ∈ G. The fixed set of g is the subset
S g := {x ∈ S|g · x = x} ⊂ S.
Definition 19. The set of orbits of the action of G on S is denoted (G\S).
Theorem 20 (Burnside’s Lemma). Let G be a finite group, and S a finite set. The number of
orbits is equal to the average size of the fixed sets, i.e.
1 X g
|(G\S)| = |S |.
|G| g∈G

Theorem 21 (Cauchy’s Theorem). Let G be a finite group of order n. If p is a prime number such
that p|n, then there exists x ∈ G with |x| = p.

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