7 Group actions

P. 7.1. Show that the function α : G × G −→ G : (x, g) 7−→ g −1 xg defines a right group action of the
group G on its own support set, the conjugation action.

P. 7.2. Show that for the conjugation action of a group G on itself,

StabG (x) = CG (x) , (∀)x ∈ G .

P. 7.3. Let (G, ·) be a finite group, and K a representative system of its conjugacy classes. Show that
1) Z(G) ⊆ K, P
2) |G| = |Z(G)| + [G : CG (x)].
x∈K\Z(G)

P. 7.4. Let H ≤ G and α : G × (G/H)s −→ (G/H)s : (g, xH) 7−→ gxH. Show that α is a group action
and determine StabG (xH).

P. 7.5. Let X be a nonempty set and G ≤ SX . Show that α : X × G −→ X : (x, f ) 7−→ xf is a right
group action of the group G on the set X.
P. 7.6. Show that α : P ∗ (G) × G −→ P ∗ (G) : (A, g) 7−→ Ag (:= g −1 Ag) is a right group action of the
group G on the set P ∗ (G) of its nonempty subsets.

P. 7.7. Let α : M × G −→ M be a right group action of a group G on a set M , x ∈ M , g ∈ G and

y = x · g. Show that
StabG (y) = StabG (x)g
P. 7.8. Let p ∈ N∗ be a prime number, and G a finite group. The group G is called a p−group if there is
a nonnegative integer n ∈ N, such that |G| = pn . Show that if G is a nontrivial p−group, then Z(G) 6= 1.

P. 7.9. Show that any group of order p2 , where p is a prime number, is abelian.
P. 7.10. Let (G, ·) be a nonabelian group of order p3 , where p is a prime number, and k(G) the number
of its conjugacy classes. Show that
k(G) = p2 + p − 1 .

P. 7.11. Determine the conjugacy classes of the quaternion group Q8 .

P. 7.12. Determine the conjugacy classes of the dihedral group Dn .
P. 7.13. (Cauchy’s theorem) Let (G, ·) be a finite group, and p ∈ π(G). Show that there is an element
x ∈ G with |x| = p.

P. 7.14.
S Let (G, ·) be a finite group and H ≤ G. Show that
1) | H g | ≤ |G| − [G : H] + 1.
g∈G
H g = G ⇐⇒ H = G.
S
2)
g∈G

P. 7.15. Let σ ∈ Sn be a permutation whose disjoint cycles decomposition is formed of k1 cycles of

length 1, k2 cycles of length 2, . . . , kn cycles of length n. Show that
n!
|σ Sn | = .
k1 !k2 ! . . . kn ! · 1k1 2k2 . . . nkn
P. 7.16. Determine the class equation for any of the groups S4 , A5 , S5 , A6 and S6 . Show that A5 is a
simple group(i.e. its only normal subgroups are 1 and A5 ).