A technical report on

Coset and Lagrange Theorem

submitted by
Mukesh Chandra Karmi
Roll No: 418MA2087
Department of Mathematics
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROURKELA

20 NOV 2019
1 Introduction :
In mathematics, Lagrange theorem play very important role in group
theory. The mathematician joseph louis Lagrange say that If G is a
finite group and H is a subgroup of G then o(H) divides o(G).In this
theorem we find the subgroup of a group.

2 Some important Definition :

A non empty set with a binary composition · is called a group if the
following condition are satisfied;
1. a, b ∈ G then a · b ∈ G (Closed)
2. a, b, c ∈ G then a · (b · c) = (a · b) · c (Associative law)
3. there exist an identity element e in G such that a · e = e · a =
a, ∀a ∈ G.(The existence of an identity element in G)
4. for every a ∈ G , there exist an element a − 1 ∈ G such that
a · a−1 = a−1 · a = e.(The existence of inverse element)
A group G is said to be abelian if a, b ∈ G, a · b = b · a. A group G
which is not abelian is called non-abelian.
Example : (I, +) is a set of integer under addition is a group ,where
0 is the identity element and inverse element of a in G is –a .
Example : (N, +) is not a group because there is not identity element
and inverse element also.

2.1 Subgroup :
A non empty subset H of a group G is said to be subgroup of G ,if H
itself a group under composition of G, i.e if G be a group and H is a
non empty subset of G, then H is a subgroup of G if ab − 1 ∈ H , and
a · b ∈ H , ∀a, b ∈ H.
Example: H = 1, −1 is a subgroup of G = 1, −1, i, −i .
The intersection of two subgroup of a group G is also a subgroup.
Note: union of two subgroup of a group is need not be a group.
Example: let G = (I, +)andH = 2x/x ∈ I K = 3x/x ∈ I are sub-
group of G. Then H ∪ K = {· · · − 8 − 6 − 4 − 3 − 2 0, 2 3 4 6 8 · · · },
where H ∪ K is not a subgroup of G because 2, 3 ∈ H ∪ K but 2 + 3 = 5

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,which is not in H ∪ K. Intersection of an arbitrary number of subgroups
of a group G is a subgroup of G.

2.2 Order of group :

The number of element present in a group is called order of the group.

2.3 Order of an element :

Let a be the element of group G then order of the element a is the smallest
positive integer m such that am = e ( e is the identity element of G )

2.4 Cosets :
Let H be a subgroup of G and a ∈ G .
The set aH = {ah : h ∈ H} is called a left coset of H in G.
Ha = {ha : h ∈ H} is called a right coset of H in G.
In addition operation ,if (H,+) is a subset of (G,+) then a + H =
a + h : h ∈ H and H + a = {h + a : h ∈ H} are left and right cosets of
H in G.
Example : let G =< a > be a cyclic group of order 10 then find out
all the right coset of H =< a2 > .
Ans : Here G =< a > of order 10 ,i.e G = a, a2 , a3 , · · · , a1 0 = e and
H=a2 , a4 , · · · , a10 = e
Now the right cosets of H in G are Ha = {a3 , a5 , a7 , a9 , a} Ha2 =
{a4 , a6 , a8 , a1 0 = e, a2 } Ha3 = {a5 , a7 , a9 , a, a3 } = Ha ,similarly Ha4 =
Ha6 = Ha8 = Ha1 0 = H and Ha5 = Ha7 = Ha9 = Ha.

2.5 Property of cosets :

let H is subgroup of G and a,b are in G then,
1. a ∈ aH
2. aH = H iff a ∈ H
3. (ab)H =a(bH) and H(ab) = H(a)b
4. aH = bH iff a ∈ bH
5. aH = bH iff ab−1 ∈ H
6. o(aH) = o(bH)

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 7. aH = Ha iff H = aHa−1
8. Ha ∩ Hb = φ or Ha = Hb.
9. The group G is equal to the union of all right(left) cosets of H in
G.

2.6 Coset decomposition :

Let G be a group with subgroup H . for ai ∈ G then decomposition of
the group into left cosets is G = a1 H ∪ a2 H ∪ · · · ∪ an H.

3 Lagarange theorem :
Let G be a finite group and H be a subgroup of G , then o(H) is a divisor
of o(G) i.e o(H)/o(G)
Proof : Let H be a subgroup of finite group G and let o(G)=n ,
o(H)=m, where m < n.
Claim : o(H)/o(G) i.e n/m = k , (k ∈ I+)
Let a ∈ G then aH be the left coset of H in G . where aH =
ah1 , ah2 , · · · , ahn have m distinct element .
First we have to show that aH has m distinct element.
Let ahi = ahj (i 6= j)
=⇒ hi = hj
=⇒ H have same two element so o(H) 6= mi.e < m.
Which is a contradiction ,hence every left coset aH has m distinct
element.
Since G is a finite ,so by left coset decomposition of G i.e
G = a1 H ∪ a2 H ∪ · · · ∪ ak H
=⇒ kGk = ka1 H ∪ a2 H ∪ · · · ∪ ak Hk
=⇒ kGk = ka1 Hk + ka2 Hk + · · · kak Hk
=⇒ n = m + m + . . . . + m(ktimes)
=⇒ n = km
=⇒ K = n/m
i.e (o(G))/(o(H)) = k or hence o(H)/o(G).

Example : Let G = 1,-1,i,-i and H = 1,-1 . Here H is a subgroup

of G of order 2, and G is of order 4 . Then 2/4 i.e o(H)/o(G).

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 Hence Lagrange theorem say that if H is a subgroup of G where
o(G)=12,then o(H) could only be 1,2,3,4,6,12.which are divisor of 12.

NOTE : Converse of Lagrange theorem is not true i.e if m divides o(G)

,then G need not have a subgroup of order m.

Example: Let S4 is a group of all permutation on the set 1,2,3,4 and

A4 is a set of all even permutation in S4 .
Here o(A4 ) = 12 and o(S4 ) =24 .
Here 12 divides 24 but A4 has no subgroup of order 6.
So A4 is not a subgroup of S4 .

NOTE : Converse of Lagrange theorem is true for finite abelian group G.

Example: Let K4 = {e, a, b, ab} , and H = {e, a}. Then H is a is a

subgroup of K4 . Because K4 is abelian group.

4 Application of lagarange theorem :

A consequence of the Lagrange theorem is that the any element a of a
finite group divides the order of that group,since the order of a is equal to
the order the cyclic subgroup generated by a. If the group has n element
,it follow an=e.
Lagrange theorem also show that any group of prime order is cyclic.

5 Conclusion :
In this lagarange theorem we are find the subgroup of a finite group.

6 References :
1. I.N.Herstein,Topic in algebra
2. R.Kumar,Group Theory
3. J.A.Gallian,Abstract Algebra