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Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it Romania

Suppose (G,)(G, \cdot) is a finite group with unity ee, aa is an element in G{e}G \setminus \{e\} and pp is a prime number such that xp+1=a1xax^{p+1} = a^{-1} x a, for all xGx \in G.

a) Show that there is kNk \in \mathbb{N}^* such that ord(G)=pk\text{ord}(G) = p^k.

b) Prove that H={xGxp=e}H = \{x \in G \mid x^p = e\} is a subgroup of GG and
(ord(H))2>ord(G). (\text{ord}(H))^2 > \text{ord}(G).

Solution

a) If x,yGx, y \in G, then (xy)p+1=a1xya=a1xxa1ya=xp+1yp+1(xy)^{p+1} = a^{-1} x y a = a^{-1} x x a^{-1} y a = x^{p+1} y^{p+1}. We can write x(yx)py=xp+1yp+1x(yx)^p y = x^{p+1} y^{p+1}, then (yx)p=xpyp(yx)^p = x^p y^p. For x=ax = a we get ap=ea^p = e so by the preceding equality (ya)p=yp(y a)^p = y^p. Multiplying at left by yay a we obtain yayp=(ya)p+1=yp+1ay a y^p = (y a)^{p+1} = y^{p+1} a, that is ayp=ypaa y^p = y^p a, for all yGy \in G. From the hypothesis we have yp(p+1)=a1ypa=ypy^{p(p+1)} = a^{-1} y^p a = y^p, so yp2=ey^{p^2} = e, for all yGy \in G. Because pp is a prime, every element of the group has order 11, pp or p2p^2 and by the Cauchy theorem we deduce ord(G)=pk\text{ord}(G) = p^k, for a kNk \in \mathbb{N}^*.

b) For x,yHx, y \in H, we have (xy)p=ypxp=e(xy)^p = y^p x^p = e, that is xyHxy \in H, proving that HH is a stable part of GG, and, as it is finite, HH is a subgroup.

Consider f:GGf : G \to G, given by f(x)=xpf(x) = x^p. Because e=xp2=(xp)pe = x^{p^2} = (x^p)^p, the image of ff is contained in HH. Moreover, x,yGx, y \in G and f(x)=f(y)f(x) = f(y) imply xp(y1)p=ex^p (y^{-1})^p = e, so (y1x)p=e(y^{-1} x)^p = e, that is y1xHy^{-1} x \in H. This gives xHyx \in H y. We conclude that for every element in Imf\text{Im} f, the number of its pre-images in GG is exactly ord(H)\text{ord}(H), so Imf=ord(G)ord(H)|\text{Im} f| = \frac{\text{ord}(G)}{\text{ord}(H)}.

Because aea \neq e we get aImfa \notin \text{Im} f: for if not a=bpa = b^p for some bGb \in G. This would imply bp+1=bpbbpb^{p+1} = b^{-p} b b^p, that is e=bp=ae = b^p = a a contradiction. As aHa \in H, we conclude ord(H)>Imf=ord(G)ord(H)\text{ord}(H) > |\text{Im} f| = \frac{\text{ord}(G)}{\text{ord}(H)}, which gives the conclusion.

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