Hungerford: Algebra

II.5. Sylow Theorems

1. If N
G and N, G/N are both p-groups, then G is a p-group.

Proof: Arbitrarily pick a ∈ G. Then a = aN ∈ G/N . Since G/N is a p-group, |a| = pn ,

n n
for some positive integer n. Thus (aN )p = N , and so ap ∈ N .
n m n+m
Since N is a p-group, for some integer m > 0, (ap )p = e. This means that ap = e,
and so G is a p-group.

2. If |G| = pk , H
G and |H| > 1, then |H ∩ C(G)| > 1.

Proof Let G act on H by conjugation. Then the fixed points HG = {h ∈ H | ghg −1 =

h, ∀g ∈ G} = H ∩ C(G). Since G is a p-group, |HG | ≡ |H| ≡ 0 (mod p). But |HG | ≥ 1.

3A. If H ≤ C(G), then H
G.

Proof We verify this by definition. ∀x ∈ G, and ∀h ∈ H, since h ∈ H ⊆ C(G), xhx−1 =

hxx−1 = h ∈ H.

3. Let |G| = pn , where p is a prime and n > 0 is an integer. For each k, 0 ≤ k ≤ n, G has
a normal subgroup of order pk .

Proof We first prove the following.

Claim 1 G has a normal subgroup of order p.
In fact, since G is a p-group, its center C(G) 6= {e}. Therefore, C(G) is a p-subgroup of
G. By Cauchy’s lemma, there is an element a ∈ C(G) such that |a| = p. Then N = hai is
a a subgroup of order p.
Since every subgroup of C(G) is normal in G, N
G. This proves the claim.

Next, we shall show that for each k, 0 ≤ k ≤ n, G has a normal subgroup of order pk ,
by induction on k. When k = 0, {e} is a normal subgroup of order 1. Assume that G has
a normal subgroup K with |K| = pk , and 1 ≤ k < n.
Consider G0 = G/K. By Lagrange, |G0 | = pn−k , and so G0 is a p-group. By Claim 1,
G0 has a normal subgroup N 0 = haH 0 i such that |N 0 | = p. Let π : G 7→ G0 be the canonical
projection, and let
H = π −1 (H 0 ) = {g ∈ G : gK ∈ N 0 }.

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Then by Theorem I.5.11, and since H 0
G0 , H
G. Moreover, H 0 = H/K, and so by
Lagrange, |H| = |K|p = pk+1 . Therefore, the statement is proved by induction.

4. If G is an infinite p-group (a group in which every non identity element has order a
power of a prime p), then either G has a subgroup of order pn for each integer n > 0, or
there exists an integer m > 0 such that every finite subgroup of G has order at most pm .

Proof Suppose that no such an m exists. Then for each integer n > 0, there is an integer
N > n such that G has a subgroup H of order pN . But then, by Sylow, H has a subgroup
of order pn .

5. If P is a normal Sylow-p-subgroup of a finite group G and f : G 7→ G is an endomorphism,

then f (P ) < P .

Proof: Since P ≤ G, and since the homomorphism image of a group is also a group, then
f (P ) ≤ G.
Since P is a p-group, ∀x ∈ P , |x| = pn is a power of p. Since f is a homomorphism,
|f (x)| is a factor of |x|, and so it is also a power of p. It follows that f (P ) is also a p-subgroup
of G, and so for some Q ∈ Sylp (G) such that f (P ) ≤ Q.
By the 2nd Sylow Theorem, and since P
G, Sylp (G) = {P }, and so we must have
Q = P.

6. If H is a normal subgroup of order pk of a finite group G, then H is contained in every

Sylow p-subgroup of G.

Proof Let P be a Sylow p-subgroup of G. By Sylow, H, as a p-subgroup, is contained in

a Sylow p-subgroup Q of G. By Sylow, P = xQx−1 for some x ∈ G. Thus H = xHx−1 ≤
xQx−1 = P .

9. If |G| = pn q with p > q primes, then G contains a unique normal subgroup of index q.

Proof By Sylow, G has a Sylow p-subgroup P with [G : P ] = q. Since p > q, q 6≡ 1 (mon

p), and so by Sylow, P is the only one Sylow p-subgroup of G. Hence P
G.

10. Every group of order 12, 28, 56 and 200 must contain a normal Sylow subgroup.

Proof: We shall use the fact that if G is not isomorphic to Zp , and if G has only one Sylow
p-subgroup, then the only Sylow p-subgroup os a normal Sylow subgroup of G.

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(i) |G| = 12 = (2)2 (3). Let n3 = |Syl3 (G)|. By 3rd Sylow Theorem, n3 ∈ {1, 4}. If
n3 = 1, then done. We assume that n3 = 4, then let Syl3 (G) = {H1 , H2 , H3 , H4 }. Then
there are 4(3 − 1) = 8 elements of order 3 in G, and so G must have exactly one Sylow
2-subgroup.

(ii) |G| = 28 = (2)2 (7). Let n7 = |Syl7 (G)|. By 3rd Sylow Theorem, n7 is a factor of
22 , and n7 ≡ 1 (mod 7). Thus n7 = 1.

(iii) |G| = 56 = (2)3 (7). Let n7 = |Syl7 (G)|. By 3rd Sylow Theorem, n7 ∈ {1, 8}. If
n7 = 1, then done. We assume that n7 = 8, then let Syl7 (G) = {H1 , H2 , · · · , H8 }. Then
there are 8(7 − 1) = 48 elements of order 7 in G, and so G must have exactly one Sylow
2-subgroup.

(iv) |G| = 200 = (2)3 (5)2 . Let n5 = |Syl5 (G)|. By 3rd Sylow Theorem, n5 is a factor
of 23 , and n5 ≡ 1 (mod 1). Thus n5 = 1.

11. How many elements of order 7 are there in a simple group of order 168?

Solution |G| = 168 = (2)2 (3)(7). Let n7 = |Syl7 (G)|. By 3rd Sylow Theorem, n7 must
divide (2)2 (3) and n7 ≡ 1 (mod 7), and so n7 ∈ {1, 8}. Since G is simple, n7 6= 1. Thus
n7 = 8, and we may assume that Syl7 G = {H1 , H2 , · · · , H8 }. Since for each i, |Hi | = 7,
and Hi ∼
= Z7 . If follows that if i 6= j, then Hi ∩ Hj = {e}. Hence the number of order 7
elements is 8(7 − 1) = 48.

13. Every group G of order p2 (p prime) is abelian.

Proof Since G is a p-group, the center C(G) 6= {e}. By Lagrange, either |C(G)| = p2 ,
whence G is abelian; or |C(G)| = p.
If |V (G)| = p, then G/C(G) is cyclic, and so G is abelian (by Exercise II-4.9). Therefore,
we must have C(G) = G, a contradiction.

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Supplemental Problems

1. Let H ≤ G with [G : H] < ∞. Show that H has a finite number of conjugates in G.

Proof Let S denote the set of all subgroups of G and let G acts on S by conjugation:

∀g ∈ G and ∀K ∈ S, g(K) = gKg −1 .

Then the orbit of the action OH is OH = {gHg −1 | g ∈ G}. Consider the subgroup in G
that fixes H:
GH = {g ∈ G | g(H) = H} = {g ∈ G | gHg −1 = H}.

Then H ≤ GH ≤ G, and so [G : GH ] ≤ [G : H] < ∞. One can check that the map

φ(gHg −1 ) = gGH is a well defined bijection between OH and G/GH , and so |OH | = [G :
GH ] ≤ [G : H] < ∞.

2. No group of order 36 is simple.

Proof Suppose that n3 = |Syl3 (G)| = 4, (otherwise n3 = 1 and G is not simple). Let
Syl3 (G) = {H1 , H2 , H3 , H4 } and H = H1 ∩ H2 such that H is maximal among all the
intersections of two members in Syl3 (G). Then

|H1 | · |H2 | 81
48 = |G| ≥ |H1 H2 | = = ,
|H| |H|

implying |H| = 3. Let N = NG (H). Then by the maximality of H, for every Hi ∈ Syl3 (G)
such that N ⊂ Hi , we have Hi ∩ N ∈ Syl3 (N ) and Hi ∩ N properly contains H (see
Theorem (3.2) in Lecture Notes: Theorems on Sylow p-subgroups). It follows that both
H1 , H2 ∈ Syl3 (N ), and so

|H1 | · |H2 | 81
36 ≤ |N | ≥ |H1 H2 | = = = 27.
|H| 3

But as N ≤ G, Lagrange said that |N | must be a factor of 36, and so N = G.