permutation and dihedral groups - mathcourses.nfshost.com · overview starting de nitions...
TRANSCRIPT
Permutation and Dihedral Groups
Michael Freeze
MAT 541: Modern Algebra IUNC Wilmington
Fall 2013
1 / 29
Overview
Starting Definitions
Factorizations of Permutations
Cycle Structure of Permutations
Orders of Permutations
Parity of Permutations
Dihedral Groups
2 / 29
Outline
Starting Definitions
Factorizations of Permutations
Cycle Structure of Permutations
Orders of Permutations
Parity of Permutations
Dihedral Groups
3 / 29
Definition of Permutation
DefinitionA permutation of a set X is a bijection from X to itself.
4 / 29
Definition of Symmetric Group
DefinitionThe family of all the permutations of a set X , denoted by SX ,is called the symmetric group on X .
When X = {1, 2, . . . , n}, SX is usually denoted by Sn, and it iscalled the symmetric group on n letters.
5 / 29
Definition of Cycle
DefinitionLet i1, i2, . . . , ir be distinct integers in {1, 2, . . . , n}. If α ∈ Sn
fixes the other integers (if any) and if
α(i1) = i2, α(i2) = i3, . . . , α(ir−1) = ir , α(ir ) = i1,
then α is called an r -cycle. We also say that α is a cycle oflength r , and we denote it by
α = (i1 i2 . . . ir ).
6 / 29
Disjoint Permutations
DefinitionTwo permutations α, β ∈ Sn are disjoint if every i moved byone is fixed by the other: If α(i) 6= i , then β(i) = i , and ifβ(j) 6= j , then α(j) = j . A family β1, . . . , βt of permutations isdisjoint if each pair of them is disjoint.
LemmaIf β moves i , then β moves β(i).
7 / 29
Disjoint Permutations Commute
PropositionDisjoint permutations in Sn commute.
8 / 29
Outline
Starting Definitions
Factorizations of Permutations
Cycle Structure of Permutations
Orders of Permutations
Parity of Permutations
Dihedral Groups
9 / 29
Complete Factorization
PropositionEvery permutation α ∈ Sn is either a cycle or a product ofdisjoint cycles.
DefinitionA complete factorization of a permutation α is a factorizationof α into disjoint cycles that contains exactly one 1-cycle (i)for every i fixed by α.
10 / 29
Inverses of Cycles and Products
Proposition
(i) The inverse of the cycle α = (i1 i2 . . . ir ) is the cycle(ir ir−1 . . . i1) :
(i1 i2 . . . ir )−1 = (ir ir−1 . . . i1).
(ii) If γ ∈ Sn and γ = β1 · · · βk , then
γ−1 = β−1k · · · β
−11 .
11 / 29
Complete Factorization is Essentially Unique
TheoremLet α ∈ Sn and let α = β1 · · · βt be a complete factorizationinto disjoint cycles. This factorization is unique except for theorder in which the cycles occur.
12 / 29
Outline
Starting Definitions
Factorizations of Permutations
Cycle Structure of Permutations
Orders of Permutations
Parity of Permutations
Dihedral Groups
13 / 29
Cycle Structure
DefinitionTwo permutations α, β ∈ Sn have the same cycle structure iftheir complete factorizations have the same number of r -cyclesfor each r .
14 / 29
Conjugates have the same Cycle Structure
LemmaIf γ, α ∈ Sn, then αγα−1 has the same cycle structure as γ. Inmore detail, if the complete factorization of γ is
γ = β1β2 · · · (i1 i2 . . .) · · · βt ,
then αγα−1 is the permutation that is obtained from γ byapplying α to the symbols in the cycles of γ.
15 / 29
Permutations with same Cycle Structure are
Conjugates
TheoremPermutations γ and σ in Sn have the same cycle structure ifand only if there exists α ∈ Sn with σ = αγα−1.
16 / 29
Outline
Starting Definitions
Factorizations of Permutations
Cycle Structure of Permutations
Orders of Permutations
Parity of Permutations
Dihedral Groups
17 / 29
Orders of Permutations
PropositionLet α ∈ Sn.
(i) If α is an r -cycle, then α has order r .
(ii) If α = β1 · · · βt is a product of disjoint ri -cycles βi , thenα has order lcm(r1, . . . , rt).
(iii) If p is a prime, then α has order p if and only if it is ap-cycle or a product of disjoint p-cycles.
18 / 29
Outline
Starting Definitions
Factorizations of Permutations
Cycle Structure of Permutations
Orders of Permutations
Parity of Permutations
Dihedral Groups
19 / 29
Permutations are Products of Transpositions
PropositionIf n ≥ 2, then every element of Sn is a product oftranspositions.
20 / 29
Parity of Permutations
DefinitionA permutation α ∈ Sn is even if it can be factored into aproduct of an even number of transpositions; otherwise, α isodd. The parity of a permutation is its status as even or odd.
21 / 29
Definition of Signum Function
DefinitionIf α ∈ Sn and α = β1 · · · βt is a complete factorization intodisjoint cycles, then signum α is defined by
sgn(α) = (−1)n−t .
22 / 29
Signum is Multiplicative
TheoremFor all α, β ∈ Sn,
sgn(αβ) = sgn(α)sgn(β).
23 / 29
Signum and Parity
Theorem
(i) Let α ∈ Sn; if sgn(α) = 1, then α is even, and ifsgn(α) = −1, then α is odd.
(ii) A permutation α is odd if and only if it is a product of anodd number of transpositions.
24 / 29
Example
Alternating GroupThe subset An = {α ∈ Sn : α is even } of Sn is a subgroup,called the alternating group on n symbols.
25 / 29
Outline
Starting Definitions
Factorizations of Permutations
Cycle Structure of Permutations
Orders of Permutations
Parity of Permutations
Dihedral Groups
26 / 29
Dihedral Groups
DefinitionThe group of symmetries of an n-sided regular polygon iscalled the dihedral group of order 2n, and is denoted by D2n.
The group D2n contains 2n elements, namely the rotationsI,R ,R2, . . . ,Rn−1 and the reflections F ,FR ,FR2, . . . ,FRn−1.
27 / 29
D6 versus S3
Note that both D6 and S3 have order 6, with half of theelements of order 2.
In what other ways are the two groups related?
28 / 29
Review
Starting Definitions
Factorizations of Permutations
Cycle Structure of Permutations
Orders of Permutations
Parity of Permutations
Dihedral Groups
29 / 29