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Algebra Difficulty 7.0 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Romania

Let GG be a finite group of order nn. Define the set
H={x:xG and x2=e}, H = \{x : x \in G \text{ and } x^2 = e\},
where ee is the neutral element of GG. Let p=Hp = |H| be the cardinal of HH. Prove that

a) HxH2pn|H \cap xH| \geq 2p - n, for any xGx \in G, where xH={xh:hH}xH = \{xh : h \in H\}.

b) If p>3n4p > \frac{3n}{4}, then GG is commutative.

c) If n2<p3n4\frac{n}{2} < p \leq \frac{3n}{4}, then GG is non-commutative.

Solution

a) Since GG is a group, it follows that xH=p|xH| = p. Therefore
n=GHxH=H+xHHxH=2pHxH, n = |G| \ge |H \cup xH| = |H| + |xH| - |H \cap xH| = 2p - |H \cap xH|,
whence HxH2pn|H \cap xH| \ge 2p - n.

b) Let have xHx \in H and yHxHy \in H \cap xH. Then y=y1y = y^{-1} and y=xhy = xh, hHh \in H. Since xy=x2h=hHxy = x^2h = h \in H, it follows that xy=(xy)1=y1x1=yxxy = (xy)^{-1} = y^{-1}x^{-1} = yx. Therefore xx commutes with all elements of HxHH \cap xH.
Since HxH2pn>3n2n=n2|H \cap xH| \ge 2p - n > \frac{3n}{2} - n = \frac{n}{2}, it follows the subgroup of the elements that commute with xx has at least n2\frac{n}{2} elements. From Lagrange's theorem, it follows that xx commutes with all elements of GG. Therefore HZ(G)H \subseteq Z(G), the center of GG. It results Z(G)H=p>3n4>n2|Z(G)| \ge |H| = p > \frac{3n}{4} > \frac{n}{2}, so Z(G)=GZ(G) = G.

c) Assume GG is commutative.
If x,yHx, y \in H, then (xy)2=x2y2=e(xy)^2 = x^2y^2 = e, so xyHxy \in H. Since HH is a finite set, it follows that HH is a subgroup of GG.
The condition H>n2|H| > \frac{n}{2} forces H=GH = G, so 3n4H=G=n\frac{3n}{4} \ge |H| = |G| = n, contradiction.

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