Herstein: Topics in Algebra - Subgroups and A Counting

Principle
by Bret Sherfinski

May 20, 2015

8. Is every right coset of H in G a left coset of H in G in the groups of Herstein 2.5.6?

Solution: Observe for parts (a) and (b) the group is abelian so left and right cosets will
coincide as inspection will verify (in this case Hg = gH for every g ∈ G since G is abelian).
In part (c) G is not abelian so cosets do not automatically coincide as in parts (a) and (b).
Comparing the cosets in Herstein 2.5.6 and Herstein 2.5.7 we see not every right coset is a
left coset:
(
ψH = {ψ, ψ ◦ ϕ}
Hψ = {ψ, ϕ ◦ ψ} = 6
ψ 2 H = {ψ 2 , ψ 2 ◦ ϕ}

and (
2 2 2 ψH = {ψ, ψ ◦ ϕ}
Hψ = {ψ , ϕ ◦ ψ } =
6
ψ 2 H = {ψ 2 , ψ 2 ◦ ϕ}

since ϕ ◦ ψ = ψ 2 ◦ ϕ 6= ψ ◦ ϕ = ϕ ◦ ψ 2 in G.

Recall that

G = {e, ϕ, ψ, ψ 2 , ϕ ◦ ψ, ψ ◦ ϕ | ϕ2 = ψ 3 = e and ϕ ◦ ψ = ψ 2 ◦ ϕ}.