Group theory, subgroup question

In summary, the conversation discusses the definition of a subgroup and how to prove that a set is also a subgroup of a given group. There are two options for proving this, either by confirming that the set satisfies all the group axioms or by using a theorem. The conversation also mentions the importance of proving that the identity is contained in the set.
  • #1
rallycar18
9
0
Let A be a subgroup of G. If g [tex]\in[/tex] G, prove that the set {g[tex]^{-1}[/tex] ag ; a [tex]\in[/tex] A} is also a subgroup of G.

Thanks for any help.
 
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  • #3
Mark44 said:
What's the definition of a subgroup?

Thanks, mark- i left that out.

A subset A of a group (G,*) is called a subgroup if the elements of A form a group under *.

* is the binary operation of the two groups.
 
  • #4
You have two choices:
1) Either prove that the set is a group by confirming that it satisfies all the group axioms (there are only four, so that's not too bad)

2) Use a theorem that allows you to confirm something is a subgroup in fewer steps (I don't know if you know any)

Just focusing on 1, can you for example prove that the identity is contained in that set?
 

Related to Group theory, subgroup question

1. What is group theory?

Group theory is a branch of mathematics that studies the algebraic structures called groups. These groups consist of a set of elements and a binary operation that combines any two elements to form a third element. Group theory is used to study symmetry and patterns in various mathematical and scientific contexts.

2. What is a subgroup?

A subgroup is a subset of a larger group that has the same group operation as the larger group. This means that the elements in a subgroup can be combined using the same operation as the elements in the larger group. Subgroups are useful in group theory because they allow for the study of smaller, simpler groups that still exhibit similar properties as the larger group.

3. How do you determine if a subset is a subgroup?

In order for a subset to be considered a subgroup, it must meet three criteria: it must be closed under the group operation, it must contain the identity element of the larger group, and it must contain the inverse of each element in the subset. This means that every element in the subset must have an inverse in the subset and the inverse must also be in the subset.

4. What is the difference between a normal subgroup and a regular subgroup?

A normal subgroup is a subgroup that is invariant under conjugation by elements of the larger group. This means that if an element in the larger group is used to transform the elements in the subgroup, the result will still be in the subgroup. A regular subgroup, on the other hand, is a subgroup that is not necessarily invariant under conjugation but still exhibits similar properties as the larger group.

5. What are some real-world applications of group theory?

Group theory has many applications in various fields, including chemistry, physics, computer science, and cryptography. In chemistry, group theory is used to study molecular symmetry and the properties of molecules. In physics, group theory is used to describe the symmetries of space and time in the theory of relativity. In computer science, group theory is used in the development of algorithms and coding theory. In cryptography, group theory is used to design and analyze secure communication protocols.

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