Abstract Algebra Question: order, stabilizer, and general linear groups

In summary, the order of X, the set of 2-dimensional subspaces of F_{p}^{n}, is (p^{n}-1)(p^{n}-p) divided by the order of GL_{2}(F_{p}). The order of the stabilizer S in GL_{n}(F_{p}) of the 2-dimensional subspace U is (p^{n}-1)(p^{n}-p) multiplied by the order of the 2x2 identity matrix. To show that GL_{n}(F_{p}) acts transitively on X, we must show that for every two 2-dimensional subspaces U and V, there exists a linear transformation g that maps U to V. This is
  • #1
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The question asks:
3) Let X be the set of 2-dimensional subspaces of F_{p}^{n}, where n >= 2.
(a) Compute the order of X.
(b) Compute the stabilizer S in GL_{n}(F_{p}) of the 2-dimensional subspace U = {(x1, x2, 0, . . . , 0) ε F_{p}^{n} | x1, x2 ε F_{p}}.
(3) Compute the order of S.
(4) Show that GL_{n}(F_{p}) acts transitively on X.

for 3.a I still need clarity on why this is the case, but the order of F_{p}^{n} is (p^{n}-1)(p^{n}-p) My reason for thinking this is because there are p^{n} possible vectors we then subtract one to eliminate the null case, we also must consider all multiples of the p^{n}-1 vectors, since it is a finite field there are (p^{n}-p) possible scalar combinations to multiply by, For the 2-D subspaces we must first consider the fact the order of F_{p}^{n} includes all multiples of 2-D spaces, so we must mod redundant multiples, the multiples are linear combinations of the 2-D space which is GL_{2}(F_{p}) so we must divide the order of F_{p}^{n} by the order of GL_{2}(F_{p}) i.e. |F_{p}^{n}| / |GL_{2}(F_{p})| = (p^{n}-1)(p^{n}-p) / (p^{2}-1)(p^{2}-p)
I am not sure if my reasoning for dividing by the order of the 2-d special linear group is correct

3.b I am having a bit of difficulty with this one. GL_{n}(F_{p}) will be a nXn matrix with elements from the prime ordered field F with a non-zero determinant. The stabilizer will be the nXn matrices that whose product with U (defined above) produce U. so G*U = U . To do this we get a block matrix defined below:
top left 2x2 matrix is the identity. after the first two rows are zero. after second two columns any element from F_{p} may be used.

| I [ any elements] |
| 0 0 [any elements] |
| . . [ ] |
| . . [ ] |
| 0 0[ ] |

the order of this matrix is the order of the (n-2)Xn matrix minus the cases that produce determinant zero
I will wait to get too involved to see if what I've done till now is on the right path
 
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  • #2
. 3.c The order of S is equal to the number of possible matrices that form the stabilizer of U multiplied by the order of the 2x2 identity matrix found in part b, so order of S = (p^{n}-1)(p^{n}-p) * (p^{2}-1)(p^{2}-p). 3.d To show that GL_{n}(F_{p}) acts transitively on X we must prove that for every two 2-dimensional subspaces U and V there is a g ε GL_{n}(F_{p}) such that g*U = V. To do this we first use the fact that the set of all vectors in F_{p}^{n} forms a basis for F_{p}^{n}. Next, we take two arbitrary vectors from U and V, call them u and v. Then, find a linear transformation g such that g*u = v. This will ensure that the two subspaces are equivalent and that GL_{n}(F_{p}) acts transitively on X.
 

1. What is the order of a group in abstract algebra?

The order of a group in abstract algebra is the number of elements in the group. It is denoted as |G| and can be finite or infinite, depending on the group.

2. What is a stabilizer in abstract algebra?

A stabilizer, also known as a fixed subgroup, is a subgroup of a group G that stabilizes a certain element. This means that the elements in the stabilizer do not change the element they are stabilizing when operated on by the group's operation.

3. What is the general linear group in abstract algebra?

The general linear group, denoted as GL(n), is a group of invertible matrices of size n x n, where the elements are from a specific field. The group operation is matrix multiplication, and the identity element is the identity matrix.

4. How do you find the order of a group in abstract algebra?

The order of a group can be found by counting the number of elements in the group. For finite groups, this can be done by listing out all the elements and counting them. For infinite groups, the order can be determined by looking at the properties and structure of the group.

5. What are some real-life applications of abstract algebra?

Abstract algebra has many applications in fields such as cryptography, coding theory, and physics. It is used to study symmetry in geometric shapes, analyze data patterns, and develop algorithms for secure communication. It also has applications in engineering, economics, and computer science.

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