Math 113 Homework 4

Solutions

due July 11, 2011

1. Show that if G is a group of odd order, then no x ∈ G other than the

identity is conjugate to x−1 .
Solution: Firstly, no element of G is of order 2, since else the cyclic
subgroup it generated would be a subgroup of order 2, which cannot exist
by Lagrange’s theorem. Thus no nonidentity element g of G satisfies
g = g −1 .
Now suppose x is a nonidentity element such that x−1 = gxg −1 . Then if
y = hxh−1 , we have

y −1 = h−1 x−1 h = (h−1 g)x(h−1 g)−1

so any conjugate of x is also conjugate to its own inverse. Thus the inverse
of each of the elements of the conjugacy class of x is a different element of
the same conjugacy class, so the conjugacy class is partitioned into two-
element sets of the form {x, x−1 } and is hence of even order. But this
would not divide the order of G, so our assumption must be false, and
there is no such x.
2. Let N be a normal subgroup of a group G. Suppose that |N | = 5 and
that |G| is odd. Prove that N is contained in the center of G.
Solution: N is by definition a disjoint union of conjugacy classes of G;
these all must have odd order as |G| is odd, and one of them is {1}.
Therefore the other 4 elements of N must be partitioned either into 4
conjugacy classes of size 1, or one of size 1 and one of size 3. In particular,
at least one nonidentity element x ∈ N is the only element in its conjugacy
class, i.e. x ∈ Z(G). However, since |N | = 5, N is cyclic generated by any
nonidentity element, so N = hxi. But since Z(G) is a subgroup containing
x, we must have N ≤ Z(G) as desired.
3. Let H ⊂ K ⊂ G be groups. Prove that H is normal in K if and only if
K ⊂ N (H).
Solution: By definition of normality H is normal in K iff for every k ∈ K
we have kHk −1 = H. But this is exactly the criterion for an element k to
lie in N (H), so H is normal in K iff K ⊂ N (H).
4. How many elements of order 5 are contained in a group of order 20?

1
 Solution: Let G be a group with |G| = 20. By the Sylow theorems,
the number of 5-Sylow subgroups divides 4 and is congruent to 1 modulo
5, and thus is equal to 1. Thus there is a unique subgroup of order 5,
generated by each of its 4 nonidentity elements. Conversely, any element
of order 5 would generate a subgroup of order 5 and hence is one of these
4 elements.
5. Prove that no group of order pq, where p and q are prime, is simple.
Solution: Let G be a group of order pq, with p > q primes, and let N ≤ G
be a Sylow p-subgroup. Let Hp be the number of Sylow p-subgroups of
G. Hp divides q, hence is equal to 1 or q, and is congruent to 1 modulo
p. Since p > q, this entails that Hp = 1, i.e. there is a unique Sylow
p-subgroup. This subgroup is a nontrivial normal subgroup, showing that
G is not simple.
6. Prove that no group of order p2 q, where p and q are prime, is simple.
Solution: If p > q, the same analysis as in the last problem shows that
there is a unique Sylow p-subgroup. On the other hand, if q > p, let Hq
be the number of Sylow q-subgroups. Hq divides p2 , hence is equal to 1,
p, or p2 , and is congruent to 1 modulo q. Since q > p, the case Hq = p is
not possible. If Hq = 1 then the Sylow q-subgroup is normal, so we must
rule out the case Hq = p2 .
In this case, p2 is congruent to 1 modulo q, so p is congruent to ±1 modulo
q. Since q > p we must have q = p + 1, i.e. p = 2 and q = 3. Then G = 12
and there are 4 Sylow 3-subgroups. No nonidentity element is in two
of these (since it will generate the 3-subgroup containing it), accounting
for 2 · 4 = 8 of the elements of G. As there is at least one subgroup of
order 4 (a Sylow 2-subgroup), the remaining 4 elements must constitute
such a subgroup, which is then the unique subgroup of order 4 = 22 , and
therefore normal.