Homepage Solution manuals David S. Dummit Abstract Algebra Exercise 4.5.7(Sylow $2$-subgroups of $S_4$)

Exercise 4.5.7(Sylow $2$-subgroups of $S_4$)

Exhibit all Sylow 2 -subgroups of S 4 and find elements of S 4 which conjugate one of these into each of the others.

Answers

Proof. By Sylow’s Theorem, the number n 2 of Sylow 2 -subgroups of S 4 satisfies

n 2 1 ( 𝑚𝑜𝑑 2 ) , n 2 24 ,

thus n 2 = 1 or n 2 = 3 .

Let H be the subgroup of A 4 given by

H = { ( ) , ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 1 4 ) ( 2 3 ) } = ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) .

Then H S 4 . Consider the subgroup K = τ = { 1 , τ } , where τ = ( a b ) is any transposition. Then H K = { 1 } .

Since H S 4 , 𝐻𝐾 is a subgroup of S 4 , and

| 𝐻𝐾 | = | H | | K | | H K | = 8 ,

thus 𝐻𝐾 is a 2 -Sylow of S 4 . Moreover, since H is a maximal subgroup of 𝐻𝐾 , and τ = ( a b ) H ,

𝐻𝐾 = ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( a b ) .

There are 6 transpositions, but

( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 1 2 ) = ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) = ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 2 4 ) , ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 2 3 ) = ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 1 4 ) .

Thus there are three Sylow 2 -subgroups of S 4 , given by

H 1 = ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 1 2 ) , H 2 = ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) , H 3 = ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 2 3 ) .

Put τ = ( 2 3 ) . Since 𝜏𝐻 τ 1 = H ,

τ H 1 τ 1 = ( 2 3 ) ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) ( 2 3 ) 1 , ( 2 3 ) ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) ( 2 3 ) 1 , ( 2 3 ) ( 1 2 ) ( 2 3 ) 1 = ( 1 3 ) ( 2 4 ) , ( 1 2 ) ( 3 4 ) , ( 1 3 ) = H 2 ,

Thus

τ H 1 τ 1 = H 2 , τ = ( 2 3 ) .

Similarly,

λ H 1 λ 1 = H 3 , λ = ( 1 2 3 ) .

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2026-03-09 09:18
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