Finding Automorphism Groups for D4 and D5

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kalinka35
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Groups
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around finding the automorphism groups for the dihedral groups D4 and D5. Participants are exploring methods and properties related to automorphisms in these groups.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to identify automorphisms for D4, noting the identity automorphism and considering the order of elements. They express uncertainty about the existence of multiple automorphisms. Other participants suggest examining inner automorphisms and question the injectivity and surjectivity of related mappings.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively discussing the properties of automorphisms, with some guidance offered regarding inner automorphisms and the need for further analysis. There is recognition that more than the identity automorphism exists, but the discussion remains open without a definitive conclusion.

Contextual Notes

There is an emphasis on the need to show properties of mappings related to automorphisms, particularly in the context of group structures and their implications for D4 and D5.

Kalinka35
Messages
48
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Is there a good method for finding automorphism groups? I am currently working on finding them for D4 and D5.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I've only really looked hard at D4 and the only one I've found is the identity. I know you have to send element of the same order to each other and in D4 there's the identity, two elements of order 4 and the remaining 5 are of order 2. I've been trying to look at ways to send the elements of order 2 to each other and there are a lot of ways, but none of the ones I've done end up being homomorphisms. My gut instinct is that for both of these there is more than one automorphism, but maybe I'm wrong.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Look at inner automorphisms. g->sgs^(-1). There is certainly more than the identity automorphism.
 
Ah, yes. Thanks. So it would appear that Aut(D4) is in fact isomorphic to D4 itself...
 
You have to do slightly more work than that.

First you must show that the map D_4 to Aut(D_4) sending g to the inner automorphism is an injection or not, which it need not be (there are no inner automorphisms of an Abelian group). Then you need to work out if it is a surjection or not. If you were to do the same for S_6, then there are famously automorphisms that are not inner.
 

Similar threads

Replies
11
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
10K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K