Question on conditions for commutativity of subgroups

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In summary, the conversation discusses conditions for two subgroups of a group G to commute. It is known that if the subgroups H and K are normal and have a trivial intersection, then they will commute. However, these conditions are not necessary for commutativity as there exist examples of commutative subgroups with non-trivial intersection. The conversation then raises the question of whether there is a weaker condition that can replace the trivial intersection condition and still make the combination of conditions 1) and 2) necessary and sufficient for commutativity.
  • #1
mnb96
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Hi,
it is known that given two subgroups [itex]H\subset G[/itex], and [itex]K\subset G[/itex] of some group G, then we have that:

1) H, K are normal subgroups of G
2) [itex]H\cap K[/itex] is trivial

are sufficient conditions for H and K to commute.
Moreover we have that:

H, K commute [itex]\Rightarrow[/itex] H, K are normal.

In fact, conditions 1) and 2) together are not necessary conditions for commutativity because there exist subgroups that are commutative but do not have trivial intersection (it is posible to find examples).

My question is: is it possible to keep condition 1) and instead replace only 2) with some weaker condition that would make 1),2) necessary and sufficient conditions for commutativity?
 
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  • #2
mnb96 said:
Hi,
it is known that given two subgroups [itex]H\subset G[/itex], and [itex]K\subset G[/itex] of some group G, then we have that:

1) H, K are normal subgroups of G
2) [itex]H\cap K[/itex] is trivial

are sufficient conditions for H and K to commute.
Moreover we have that:

H, K commute [itex]\Rightarrow[/itex] H, K are normal.

This is false: [itex]\,K=\{(1)\,,\,(12)\}\,\,,\,\,H=\{(1)\,,\,(34)\}\,[/itex] are commuting subgroups of [itex]\,S_4\,[/itex] and

they're far from being normal. In fact, they even commute pointwise.

DonAntonio

In fact, conditions 1) and 2) together are not necessary conditions for commutativity because there exist subgroups that are commutative but do not have trivial intersection (it is posible to find examples).

My question is: is it possible to keep condition 1) and instead replace only 2) with some weaker condition that would make 1),2) necessary and sufficient conditions for commutativity?
 
  • #3
oh!
I think I forgot to say that G is not just some arbitrary group, but I am considering: [tex]G=HK[/tex] In such case it should be true that "H, K commute ==> H,K normal". My original post was intended to be formulated under this assumption: G=HK.
 

1. What are subgroups?

A subgroup is a subset of a larger group that satisfies the same algebraic properties as the larger group. In other words, it is a smaller group that is contained within a larger group.

2. What is commutativity?

Commutativity, or the commutative property, refers to the ability to switch the order of two elements in an equation without changing its value. In other words, if a and b are elements in a group, then a * b = b * a.

3. What are the conditions for commutativity of subgroups?

The conditions for commutativity of subgroups are that the subgroup must contain elements that commute with each other, and the subgroup must also commute with the larger group. This means that for every element a in the subgroup and every element b in the larger group, a * b = b * a.

4. Why is commutativity important for subgroups?

Commutativity is important for subgroups because it allows for simpler and more efficient calculations. If a subgroup is commutative, then the order in which operations are performed does not matter, making calculations easier and less prone to error.

5. Can all subgroups be commutative?

No, not all subgroups can be commutative. For a subgroup to be commutative, it must satisfy the conditions for commutativity, which not all subgroups do. In some cases, the elements of a subgroup may not commute with each other or with the larger group, making it non-commutative.

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