22 Centralizers and Normalizers, Stabilizers and Kernels

2

Question

Prove that CG(Z(G))=G and deduce that NG(Z(G))=G. See Centralizer and Normalizer.

Proof

(): Let gCG(Z(G)). Then since CG(A)A for any set A, then gG.

(): Let gG. We want to show that aZ(G) that ag=ga, so then that bG then ab=ba.

Now, let aZ(G). Then bG then ab=ba. Now since gG then ag=ga as desired. Thus then gCG(Z(G)).

Now to deduce NG(Z(G))=G, notice that for any set A that:

CG(A)={gG|gag1=aaA}={gG|gAg1=A}=NG(A)

so using our first part automatically gives us NG(Z(G))=G.

3

Question

Prove that if A and B are subsets of G with AB then CG(B) is a Subgroup of CG(A).

Proof

Let's just assume that CG(A) is a group as it's trivial to show. It is good to note that CG(B)CG(A) as if we let gCG(B) then bB then gb=ba. Let aA (and thus aB) so then ga=ag and thus gCG(A).

(Closure under binary operation) Let g1,g2CG(B). Then bB then g1b=bg1 and the same for g2. Now let aA and consider g1g2. We want to show:

(g1g2)a=a(g1g2)

To do this, notice that aB as AB, so then g1a=ag1 and the same for g2. Thus:

(g1g2)a=g1ag2g2a=ag2=a(g1g2)g1a=ag1

Thus g1g2CG(A).

(Inverses are in the set). Let gCG(B). Again bB then gb=bg. We want to show that g1CG(B). Now to do this let bB. Then gb=bg as described before. We really want to show that g1b=bg1 but that's easy since:

gb=bgg1gb=g1bgb=g1bgbg1=g1b

as desired.

6

Question

Let H be a Subgroup of the group G.
a. Show that HNG(H) (see Normalizer). Give an example to show that this is not necessarily true if H is not a Subgroup.
b. Show that HCG(H) (see Centralizer) iff H is Abelian Group.

Proof

(a): Let's assume that NG(H) be a group. Let's show that HNG(H). Let hH. We want to show that hHh1=H (because then by definition we have hNG(H)). To do this consider the following subset arguments:

h0=h1hhhh0h1=h

Thus hhHh as desired.

To show that this is not necessarily true if H is not a subgroup, it begs to find a group that isn't a subset, as then we don't get the subset property above (and thus it's not a valid statement). Let G=(Z3Z,+) and H=({1,2},+). Clearly H is not a valid subgroup, and NG(H)=G, but H still doesn't have the identity element and thus is not a subgroup here.

(b): For the forward direction, suppose HCG(H). Let h1,h2H. Then h1,h2CG(H) by HCG(H). Then h0H(h1h0=h0h1). Use h0=h2H to get that h1h2=h2h1, showing abelianness of H.

For the reverse direction, suppose H is abelian. Then to show HCG(H) (similar to (a)) we only need to show HCG(H). Let hH. To show hCG(H) let h0H. Notice that by H being abelian, then hh0=h0h. Thus hCG(H).

11

Question

Prove that Z(G)NG(A) for any AG

Proof

Clearly |Z(G) is closed (with its inverses) so we'll only show Z(G)NG(A) for any AG.

Let AG, and let zZ(G). Then gG(zg=gz) by the definition for Z(G).

To show zNG(A) requires showing zAz1=A:

a=zaz1=azz1=aA

so then aA.