What is a free product of groups or vector space?

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Heidi
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Hi Pfs,
I do not succeed to handle free products of groups or vector spaces.
In the case of two vector spaces E and F the product (E,F) is the same thing that the free product E * F
I rad this article
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_product
i would like to construct a free product in simple cases (say with groups of 2*2 matrices or somehthing
like that)
thanks
 
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What exactly is yout question?
 
  • #3
The free product of two nontrivial groups is infinite. It's difficult to exhibit examples other than describe the generating process, which is outlined in your link, already.

It also doesn't matter how one labels the elements in the groups. For instance, we can have matrices ##A,B,C## and permutations ##\sigma,\rho,\tau##. In the free product we just have words that might look something like ##A\sigma B\rho\tau C ## and so on. There is nothing about matrices or mappings that stands out here.
 
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1. What is a free product of groups or vector space?

A free product of groups or vector space is a mathematical concept that combines two or more groups or vector spaces to create a new structure. It is essentially a way of combining the elements of each group or vector space to form a larger, more complex structure.

2. How is a free product different from a direct product?

While a direct product combines groups or vector spaces by taking the Cartesian product of their elements, a free product combines them by taking the smallest possible structure that contains both groups or vector spaces. This means that the elements of a free product can be written as "words" made up of elements from the original groups or vector spaces.

3. What are some examples of free products?

One example of a free product is the free group, which is the free product of an infinite number of copies of a single group. Another example is the free vector space, which is the free product of an infinite number of copies of a single vector space. Both of these structures are used in abstract algebra and have important applications in mathematics and physics.

4. What is the significance of free products in mathematics?

Free products are important in mathematics because they allow us to create new structures from existing ones. This can be useful when studying symmetries, transformations, or other properties of groups or vector spaces. Free products also have connections to other areas of mathematics, such as topology and algebraic geometry.

5. What are some applications of free products in science?

Free products have many applications in science, particularly in physics and chemistry. In physics, free products are used to study symmetries and transformations in quantum mechanics and particle physics. In chemistry, free products are used to describe the behavior of molecules and chemical reactions. They also have applications in computer science, where they are used to model data structures and algorithms.

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