Transitive Group Action: Product of Stabilizers Not Equal to G?

  • Thread starter fireisland27
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Group
In summary, for a group G acting transitively on a set S, the product of the stabilizer of two distinct elements a and b in S is not equal to G, as shown using the orbit-stabilizer theorem and the fact that there is only one orbit of any element due to transitivity. This is proven by considering a group element that transforms a into b and its inverse, and attempting to express it as a product of elements that stabilize a or b.
  • #1
fireisland27
11
0

Homework Statement



Let G be a group acting transitively on a set S. for a and b elements in S which are distinct, show that the product of the stabilizer of a and the stabilizer of b is not equal to G.

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



I was trying to use the orbit-stabilizer theorem and the fact that there is only one orbit of any element due to transitivity and somehow show that the product of the sizes of the stabilizers isn't equal to the size of G, but this doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I don't really know many theorems about group actions so I'm fairly lost as to how to find a solution. Can you point me in the right direction?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
If G acts transitively then there is a group element that transforms a into b. It's inverse transforms b into a. Can this group element be expressed as a product of elements that stabilize a or b? Try it. Remember that the stabilizer is a subgroup, therefor it contains with each element also its inverse.
 

1. What is transitive group action?

Transitive group action refers to a mathematical concept where a group of elements acts on a set in such a way that every element of the set can be mapped to any other element through the group's operations.

2. What are the key properties of transitive group action?

The key properties of transitive group action include the existence of a neutral element, closure under the group's operation, and the existence of an inverse element for each element in the group.

3. How is transitive group action related to permutation groups?

Transitive group action is closely related to permutation groups, as these groups are used to describe the symmetries of a set, and transitive group actions can be used to describe how these symmetries act on the set's elements.

4. What are some real-world applications of transitive group action?

Transitive group action has many applications, including in physics, chemistry, and computer science. For example, it is used to study the symmetries of molecules in chemistry and to design efficient algorithms in computer science.

5. How is transitive group action used in group theory?

Transitive group action is an important tool in group theory, as it helps to classify groups and understand their properties. It is often used to prove theorems and solve problems related to groups and their operations.

Similar threads

  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
767
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
12
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
929
  • Linear and Abstract Algebra
Replies
11
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
965
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
963
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
Back
Top