Group (English)
Search for " Group " in NRICH | PLUS | maths.org | Google
Definition (keystage 4)
A collection of objects, with a binary operation, satisfying the group axioms:
I: the result of the operation of two members of the group is always a member of the group ('closure');
II: the operation is associative;
III: the operation has an identity element which is a member of the group;
IV: each element has an inverse element which is a member of the group.
I: the result of the operation of two members of the group is always a member of the group ('closure');
II: the operation is associative;
III: the operation has an identity element which is a member of the group;
IV: each element has an inverse element which is a member of the group.
Definition (undergraduate level)
A set G equipped with an associative binary operation ° containing an identity element e such that e °x = x = x °e and an inverse element x−1 satisfying x °x−1=e=x−1 °x for each x ∈ G .
A subgroup H ≤ G is a subset closed under the group operations °, e, ( )−1 and so forms a group in its own right. Given H ≤ G , we can form the quotient G/H = { gH | g ∈ G } , which partitions G into subsets of equal size.
Lagrange's theorem states that the order of a subgroup divides the order of a group, and in the finite case, |G|=|H|.|G : H| where |G : H| , the index of G in H is equal to |G/H| . In particular, the order of an element divides the order of the group. Note that the converse to Lagrange's theorem is false; for example, there are no subgroups of the group A4 of even permutations of order 6, although |A4|=12 . On the other hand, if p | |G| for prime p then G contains elements of order p .
See also permutation, monoid, normal subgroup, quotient group.
A subgroup H ≤ G is a subset closed under the group operations °, e, ( )−1 and so forms a group in its own right. Given H ≤ G , we can form the quotient G/H = { gH | g ∈ G } , which partitions G into subsets of equal size.
Lagrange's theorem states that the order of a subgroup divides the order of a group, and in the finite case, |G|=|H|.|G : H| where |G : H| , the index of G in H is equal to |G/H| . In particular, the order of an element divides the order of the group. Note that the converse to Lagrange's theorem is false; for example, there are no subgroups of the group A4 of even permutations of order 6, although |A4|=12 . On the other hand, if p | |G| for prime p then G contains elements of order p .
See also permutation, monoid, normal subgroup, quotient group.
Relations
- broader:
- (en) Algebraic object
- narrower:
- (en) Abelian group
- (en) Alternating group
- (en) Analytic group
- (en) Centre of a group
- (en) Cyclic group
- (en) Dihedral group
- (en) Galois group
- (en) Lie group
- (en) Matrix representation of a group
- (en) Metabelian group
- (en) Monoid
- (en) Normal subgroup
- (en) Permutation group
- (en) Quotient group
- (en) Semi-direct product
- (en) Simple group
- (en) Subgroup
- (en) Topological group
- (en) Transformation group
- (en) Unitary group
- references:
- (en) Abstract algebra
- (en) Algebraic topology
- referenced:
- (en) Cauchy's group theorem
- (en) Cayley's theorem
- (en) Centralizer
- (en) Commutator
- (en) Conjugacy class
- (en) Conjugate group elements
- (en) Field
- (en) Generator
- (en) Isomorphic
- (en) Lagrange's theorem
- (en) Normalizer
- (en) Orbit of a group element
- (en) Order of a group
- (en) Order of an element of a group
- (en) Ring
- see also:
- (en) Permutation
Funded by: EU Socrates Minerva, HeyMath!, Cambridge University Press