Solving: How H Normalises [H,K]?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the concept of subgroup normalization within group theory, specifically regarding the subgroups H and K of a group G. It is established that H normalizes the commutator subgroup [H,K] if [H,K]^{h} = [H,K] for all h in H. The user seeks clarification on proving that [H,K] is both a subset and superset of [H,K]^{h}, ultimately leading to the conclusion that any element a in [H,K] can be expressed in the form a = h^{-1} b h for some b in [H,K]. The proof involves demonstrating that elements of the form [h_j, k_j]^{h} remain within [H,K].

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Silversonic
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I'm slightly confused by definition of normalises.

It's shown in my notes that for two subgroups H, K of G we have

[itex][H,K]^{h_1} ≤ [H,K][/itex] for all [itex]h_1[/itex] in [itex]H[/itex]

and then it says

"and so [itex]H[/itex] normalises [itex][H,K][/itex]."

It hasn't been fully introduced to me what a subgroup normalising another subgroup means. But a bit of searching around shows H normalises [H,K] means that [itex][H,K]^{h} = [H,K][/itex] for all h in H.

Clearly [itex][H,K]^{h} \subseteq [H,K][/itex] from above. But showing [itex][H,K]^{h} \supseteq [H,K][/itex] I can't seem to work out.

I've tried myself, I've looked around. Even wikipedia explains it;

http://groupprops.subwiki.org/wiki/Subgroup_normalizes_its_commutator_with_any_subset

But I can't understand how [a,h] is a generating set for H, and even if it was how that goes on to help the proof anyway.

Can anyone shed some light my way?

Edit: I apologise for not realising this should be posted in the HW section.
I may have found my own proof if anyone doesn't mind reading it.

To show [itex][H,K] \subseteq [H,K]^{h}[/itex] amounts to showing that for any [itex]a \in [H,K][/itex] we have [itex]a \in [H,K]^h[/itex]

This amounts to showing there exists [itex]b \in [H,K][/itex] such that

[itex]a = h^{-1} b h[/itex]

Equivalent to showing that

[itex]b = hah^{-1} = a^{h^{-1}}[/itex] is an element of [itex][H,K][/itex]

By definition

[itex][H,K] = <[h,k] | h \in H, k \in K>[/itex]

By noting that [itex][h_m,k_m]^{-1}[/itex] can be written in the form of [itex][h_j,k_j][/itex], [itex]a[/itex] can written in the form

[itex]a = [h_1 , k_1][h_2,k_2]...[h_n,k_n][/itex]

[itex]a^{h^{-1}} = [h_1 , k_1]^{h^{-1}}[h_2,k_2]^{h^{-1}}...[h_n,k_n]^{h^{-1}}[/itex]

It is easily shown that any [itex][h_j, k_j]^{h}[/itex] for [itex]h \in H[/itex] is an element of [itex][H,K][/itex] and hence as [itex][H,K][/itex] is a group, [itex]a^{h^{-1}} \in [H,K][/itex]

There's probably a shorter proof, because the wikipedia page makes it seem like it's about 1 lines worth.
 
Last edited:
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##A## normalises ##B## means ##aBa^{-1} \subseteq B## for all ##a\in A##. The equality holds, because you can simple rewrite it as ##B \subseteq a^{-1}Ba##.
 

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