FINAL EXAMINATION

IN
ABSTRACT ALGEBRA

Name : Alyca P. Toraja Course & Year: BSEd III - Mathematics

Test I

Let S be a set. We define the group of permutations of S to be set of

bijections from S to itself, denoted Σ (S), where the group binary operation
is composition of functions. Please write your remarks.

1. By composition of functions we always mean on the left, i.e. ∀f, g

∈ Σ(S) and s ∈ S (f ∗ g)(s) = f(g(s)).

2. Associativity clearly has to hold. The identity element e of this

group is the identity function on S, i.e. ∀x ∈ S, e(s) = s. Inverses
exist because any bijective map from a set to itself has an
inverse map.

3. Let n ∈ N. We write Symn := Σ({1, 2, ..., n}). If S is any set of

cardinality n then Σ(S) is isomorphic to Symn, the isomorphism
being induced by writing a bijection from S to {1, 2, ..., n}. We call
these groups the finite symmetric groups.

4. Observe that given σ ∈ Σ(S) we can think about σ as “moving” S

around. In this sense the group Σ(S) naturally “acts” on S. Let’s
make this precise.
Test II:

Write your proposition and proof.

Proposition. Stab(s) is a subgroup of G.

Proof. 1. e(s) = s ⇒ e ∈ Stab(s)
2. x, y ∈ Stab(s) ⇒ (x ∗ y)(s) = x(y(s)) = x(s) = s ⇒ x ∗ y ∈ Stab(s).
3. x ∈ Stab(s) ⇒ x-1(s) = x-1(x(s)) = (x-1 ∗ x)(s) = e(s) = s ⇒ x-1 ∈
Stab(s)
Thus we may form the left cosets of Stab(s) in G:
G/Stab(s) := {xStab(s)|x ∈ G}.
Recall that these subsets of G are the equivalence classes for
the equivalence relation:
Given x, y ∈ G, x ∼ y ⇐⇒ x-1 ∗ y ∈ Stab(s),
hence they partition G into disjoint subsets.
Proposition. Let x, y ∈ G then xStab(s)=yStab(s) ⇐⇒ x(s) = y(s).
Proof. Recall that x and y are in the same left coset ⇐⇒ x-1y ∈
Stab(s). Hence x-1y(s) = s. Composing both sides with x and
simplifying by the axioms for a group action implies that x(s) =
y(s).
We deduce that there is a well defined map (of sets):
: G/Stab(s) → Orb(s)
xStab(s) → x(s)
Proposition. is a bijection.
Proof. By definition, Orb(s) := {x(s) ∈ S|x ∈ G}. Hence is trivially
surjective. Assume (xStab(s)) = (yStab(s)) for some x, y ∈ G.
This implies the following:
 x(s) = y(s) ⇒ x-1(y(s)) = s
⇒ (x-1 ∗ y)(s) = s
⇒ x-1 ∗ y ∈ Stab(s)
⇒ xStab(s) = yStab(s)
Therefore is injective.