Doubt about abelian conjugacy class

In summary, conjugate elements in group theory refer to elements that can be transformed into each other by using the inverse and group operation. In an abelian group, where the group operation is commutative, conjugate elements are equivalent and can be swapped without changing the result. This is because the inverse and group operation can be rearranged in any order without affecting the outcome. However, in non-abelian groups, this property does not hold and conjugate elements may not be equivalent.
  • #1
frank1
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Homework Statement


I'm kinda lost in the concept of conjugate elements in group theory. It says that a element "h conjugate by g" is:

g-1×h×g = hg

Then it says that if the group is abelian h = hg

Homework Equations


Abelian group: a*b = b*a

The Attempt at a Solution


I don't get why the fact that the group is abelian (a*b = b*a) leads to the conclusion that h = hg

g-1×h×g = g×h×g-1 why does it lead to h. I know it implies g×g-1 = e. But why wouldn't g-1×g = e as well then leading to every non-abelian group also having the property h = hg?

PS: Sorry my english.
 
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  • #2
if the group is abelian then it's possible to swap the ##g^{-1}## & ##h## or the ##h## & ##g## to get either ##g^{-1}g## or ##gg^{-1}## leaving h by itself.
 
  • #3
got it! thanks fourier
 

1. What is an abelian conjugacy class?

An abelian conjugacy class is a set of elements in a group that are all conjugate to each other and commute with each other. In other words, for any two elements in an abelian conjugacy class, their product will be the same regardless of the order in which they are multiplied.

2. How is an abelian conjugacy class different from a regular conjugacy class?

An abelian conjugacy class is a special type of conjugacy class that exists in abelian groups, which are groups where all elements commute with each other. In a regular conjugacy class, the elements do not necessarily commute with each other.

3. Can there be more than one abelian conjugacy class in a group?

Yes, there can be multiple abelian conjugacy classes in a group. In fact, abelian groups can have infinitely many abelian conjugacy classes, as long as they have infinitely many elements.

4. How do you determine if a group has any abelian conjugacy classes?

A group is an abelian group if and only if all of its elements commute with each other. Therefore, to determine if a group has any abelian conjugacy classes, you can check if all elements in the group commute with each other.

5. What is the significance of abelian conjugacy classes in group theory?

Abelian conjugacy classes play an important role in understanding the structure of abelian groups. They also have applications in other areas of mathematics, such as number theory and algebraic geometry.

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