Why a group is not a direct or semi direct product

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SUMMARY

The discussion clarifies that the group ℤ₄ is not a direct or semidirect product of two copies of ℤ₂ due to the lack of relative primality and the intersection of subgroups. Specifically, ℤ₄ is not isomorphic to ℤ₂ ⊕ ℤ₂ because 2 is not relatively prime to 2. Additionally, the intersection of the subgroups ℤ₂ within ℤ₄ is not trivial, confirming that ℤ₄ cannot be expressed as a semidirect product of two copies of ℤ₂.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of group theory concepts, particularly direct and semidirect products.
  • Familiarity with the structure of cyclic groups, specifically ℤ₄ and ℤ₂.
  • Knowledge of group isomorphism and properties related to cardinality.
  • Basic proficiency in LaTeX for mathematical notation.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the properties of direct products in group theory.
  • Learn about semidirect products and their applications in group structure.
  • Explore the concept of subgroup intersections and their implications on group properties.
  • Investigate the implications of cardinality in group isomorphisms.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for students and educators in abstract algebra, particularly those focusing on group theory and its applications. It is also useful for mathematicians interested in the structural properties of groups.

DeldotB
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Homework Statement


Good day all!

(p.s I don't know why every time I type latex [ tex ] ... [ / tex ] a new line is started..sorry for this being so "spread" out)

So I was wondering if my understanding of this is correct:

The Question asks: "\mathbb{Z}_4 has a subgroup is isomorphic to \mathbb{Z}_2 The quotient \mathbb{Z}_4/ \mathbb{Z}_2 is also isomorphic to \mathbb{Z}_2Nevertheless, \mathbb{Z}_4 is not a direct or semidirect product of two copies of \mathbb{Z}_2. Why?

Homework Equations


None

The Attempt at a Solution


Well: Its pretty easy to see that \mathbb{Z}_{4}\neq \mathbb{Z}_{2}\oplus \mathbb{Z}_{2} because 2 is not relatively prime to 2. Thus, Z4 isn't a direct product.

For the semi direct product: since \mathbb{Z}_{2}\cap \mathbb{Z}_{2}\neq e (where e is the identity), Z4 is not a semi direct produt of two copies of Z2. Is this correct? (and sufficient?)
 
Last edited:
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DeldotB said:
(p.s I don't know why every time I type latex [ tex ] ... [ / tex ] a new line is started..sorry for this being so "spread" out)
Because this is the definition of that tag. Use [ itex] or double hashes instead if you want to write equations in text.

##\mathbb Z_4## is not isomorphic to ##\mathbb Z_2##. You cannot have a bijection between sets of different cardinality.

Can you think of a property of any element in ##\mathbb Z_4## which none of the products reproduce?
 
Orodruin said:
Because this is the definition of that tag. Use [ itex] or double hashes instead if you want to write equations in text.

##\mathbb Z_4## is not isomorphic to ##\mathbb Z_2##. You cannot have a bijection between sets of different cardinality.

Can you think of a property of any element in ##\mathbb Z_4## which none of the products reproduce?
[1] in Z4 has order 4
 
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DeldotB said:
<1>
Orodruin said:
Because this is the definition of that tag. Use [ itex] or double hashes instead if you want to write equations in text.

##\mathbb Z_4## is not isomorphic to ##\mathbb Z_2##. You cannot have a bijection between sets of different cardinality.

Can you think of a property of any element in ##\mathbb Z_4## which none of the products reproduce?

I miss typed the question. I meant to say Z4 has a subgroup isomorphic to Z2 (obviously subgroup generated by [2])
 

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