510A HW2

1. Suppose that G is a finite group and p is a prime number dividing Q the order of G. Consider
×p
the subset X of G consisting of elements (g1 , . . . , gp ) with i gi = e. Show that X is
stable under the cyclic permutation action of Z/p on G×p . Compute the number of elements
of X. According to the orbit stabilizer formula, what are the possible sizes of orbits in X?
Provide a description of the elements in orbits that are fixed by the cyclic permutation action
on X. Observe that X is partitioned into orbits for the action. If r is the number of fixed
points of the Z/p-action, then show using the partition of X into orbits that r is divisible by
p. Conclude by establishing Cauchy’s theorem: hypotheses on G as above, G has an element
of order p.

2. Suppose G is a group and X is a set with a G-action. Define an action of G on G×n × X by

the formula
g · (g1 , . . . , gn , x) = (gg1 g −1 , . . . , ggn g −1 , g · x).
Show that the locus of points I(X) ⊂ G×n × X defined by the conditions gi ∈ Gx , [gi , gj ] =
e ∀i, j ∈ {1, . . . , n} is G-stable. On the one hand G×n × X projects onto X and it also
projects on G×n . If S is a subset of G, write X S = {x ∈ X|g · x = x, g ∈ S} for the
fixed-point locus of S.
i) Using n = 1, and assuming G finite, prove Burnside’s lemma: the number of G-orbits
1 P g
in X is equal to the average number of fixed points, i.e., |G| g∈G X . (Hint: count the
subsets of G × X in two different ways using preimages of the projections either to X
or to G).
ii) Using Burnside’s lemma, prove the following result of C. Jordan: if a group G acts
transitively on a finite set X with cardinality ≥ 2, then there exists g ∈ G that has no
fixed points. (Hint: if n is the number of elements of X, what is the order of a stabilizer
of X in terms of the order of G? Is the intersection of the stabilizer groups non-empty?
Bound the order of the union of the stabilizers.)
iii) Conclude that the number of pairs {(g1 , g2 ) ∈ G|[g1 , g2 ] = e} is equal to |G| times the
number of conjugacy classes in G.

3. Prove that if F is a finitely generated free abelian group, and H ⊂ F is a subgroup, then H
is necessarily a finitely generated free abelian group as well.

4. (Grothendieck groups) An abelian monoid is a triple (M, +, 0) consisting of a set M , equipped

with an “addition” function + : M × M → M , and a distinguished element 0 ∈ M ,
such that + is associative, and commutative and 0 is an additive identity. If M and N are

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abelian monoids, then a function f : M → N is a monoid homomorphism if f (m + m0 ) =

f (m)+f (m0 ) and f (0) = 0. Abelian monoids and monoid homomorphism define a category
AbMon. The natural numbers N give perhaps the simplest example of an additive monoid.
The group completion of an abelian monoid M is an abelian group M −1 M together with a
monoid morphism [] : M → M −1 M that is universal in the sense that if A is any abelian
group, and α : M → A is a monoid homomorphism, there exists a unique homomorphism
of abelian groups α̃ : M −1 M → A factoring α, i.e., such that α̃([m]) = α(m). In all the
subsequent problems, M will be an abelian monoid.
i) Show that a group completion of M , if it exists, is necessarily unique up to isomorphism.
ii) Show that every abelian monoid has a functorial group completion. In more detail,
define an abelian group as follows: from the free abelian group F [M ] on the symbols
[m], m ∈ M , and then quotient F [M ] by the subgroup R[M ] generated by relations
[m + n] − [m] − [n]. Check that F [M ]/R[M ] is a group completion of M .
iii) Show that the group completion of N is Z.
iv) If M is an abelian monoid, then show that every element of M −1 M is of the form
[m] − [n] for some m, n ∈ M .
v) If m, n ∈ M , then [m] = [n] in M −1 M if and only if m + p = n + p for some p ∈ M .
vi) Show that the monoid map M ×M → M −1 M sending (m, n) → [m]−[n] is surjective.
vii) Conclude that M −1 M may be identified with the set-theoretic quotient of M × M by
the equivalence relation generated by (m, n) ∼ (m + p, n + p).
viii) Let G be a finite group (possibly non-abelian). Let M be the set of isomorphism classes
of finite G-sets (i.e., sets with G-action). Show M is an abelian monoid with operation
given by disjoint union and identity given by the empty set (with trivial action of G).
The group completion of M , denoted A(G), is called the Burnside ring of G. Using the
fact that any finite G-set is a disjoint union of orbits, conclude that A(G) is isomorphic
to the free abelian group Zc , where c is the number of distinct G-orbits with a basis
given by coset spaces of the form [G/H] for different subgroups of G.

5. Suppose that A is a finitely generated abelian group.

i) Show that if A is divisible, then it is trivial.
ii) If p is a prime number, and A is assumed p-divisible, what can you say about the struc-
ture of A?

6. Prove the following version of the short five lemma: given abelian groups A, A0 , B, B 0 , C, C 0
and homomorphisms g : A → A0 , f : B → B 0 , and h : C → C 0 such that the following
diagram commutes
0 /A /B /C /0

g f h
  
0 / A0 / B0 / C0 / 0,

if g and h are bijective (resp. injective or surjective), then so is f .

7. In this question, we investigate the relationship between divisibilty and p-divsisibilty

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• Show that Z[ p1 ]/Z is a summand of Q/Z and therefore divisible (not just p-divisible).
• Show that if A is an p-primary abelian group, then for any integer m coprime to p, A is
m-divisible. Conclude that any p-primary p-divisible abelian group is divisible.

8. For a fixed prime p show that Z[ p1 ]/Z is isomorphic to the group with presentation hx1 , x2 , . . . |px1 =
0, pxi+1 = xi ∀i ≥ 1i. Show also that Z[ p1 ]/Z is (abstractly, i.e., not by the quotient map)
isomorphic to every quotient by a proper subgroup.

9. An abelian group P is called projective if for any epimorphism f : A → B and any morphism
g : P → B, there exists a morphism g̃ : P → A such that f ◦ g̃ = g. Show that any free
abelian group is projective and conclude that any abelian group is a quotient of a projective
abelian group.

10. Prove that the category Ab of abelian groups is an abelian category (see the appendix of the
notes for a definition).