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Algebra Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Prove it Romania

Let (G,)(G, \cdot) be a group and HH and KK be two subgroups of GG. It is known that xy=yxxy = yx, for every xGHx \in G \setminus H and every yGKy \in G \setminus K. Prove that the group GG is commutative.

Solution

Let a,bGa, b \in G be arbitrary. We want to show that ab=baab = ba.

Case 1: aGHa \in G \setminus H and bGKb \in G \setminus K.
By hypothesis, ab=baab = ba.

Case 2: aHa \in H and bGKb \in G \setminus K.
Let xGHx \in G \setminus H. By hypothesis, for any yGKy \in G \setminus K, xy=yxxy = yx.
Consider aHa \in H, bGKb \in G \setminus K.
Let xGHx \in G \setminus H (such xx exists unless H=GH = G; if H=GH = G, then GG is commutative trivially).
Then xb=bxxb = bx.
Now, consider aHa \in H, bGKb \in G \setminus K.
Let xGHx \in G \setminus H.
Then xx commutes with bb.
But aa commutes with xx if xHx \in H (since HH is a subgroup), but xHx \notin H.
However, we need to show ab=baab = ba.

Let us try a different approach.

Let a,bGa, b \in G be arbitrary.
If both aGHa \in G \setminus H and bGKb \in G \setminus K, then ab=baab = ba by hypothesis.

Suppose aHa \in H.
If bGKb \in G \setminus K, then ab=baab = ba by hypothesis.
If bKb \in K, then consider xGHx \in G \setminus H (if HGH \neq G).
Then xx commutes with bb (since bKb \in K and xGHx \in G \setminus H), but this does not help directly.

Suppose aHa \in H, bKb \in K.
Let xGHx \in G \setminus H, yGKy \in G \setminus K.
Then xy=yxxy = yx.

Now, consider the sets HH and KK.
Suppose H=GH = G or K=GK = G. Then GH=G \setminus H = \emptyset or GK=G \setminus K = \emptyset, so the condition is vacuously true, and GG is commutative.

Suppose HGH \neq G and KGK \neq G.
Let aHa \in H, bKb \in K.
Let xGHx \in G \setminus H, yGKy \in G \setminus K.
Then xy=yxxy = yx.

Now, for any gGg \in G, gg can be written as gHg \in H, gKg \in K, or gGHg \in G \setminus H, gGKg \in G \setminus K.

Let us show that GG is commutative.
Let a,bGa, b \in G be arbitrary.
If aGHa \in G \setminus H or bGKb \in G \setminus K, then ab=baab = ba by hypothesis.
If aHa \in H and bKb \in K, then consider xGHx \in G \setminus H, yGKy \in G \setminus K.
Then xy=yxxy = yx.

But HH and KK are subgroups, so HKH \cap K is a subgroup.
Suppose aHa \in H, bKb \in K.
Let xGHx \in G \setminus H.
Then xx commutes with bb if bGKb \in G \setminus K, but if bKb \in K, we need another argument.

Let us consider the commutator [a,b]=aba1b1[a, b] = aba^{-1}b^{-1}.
We want to show [a,b]=e[a, b] = e for all a,bGa, b \in G.

Let xGHx \in G \setminus H, yGKy \in G \setminus K.
Then xy=yxxy = yx.

Let aHa \in H, bKb \in K.
Consider xGHx \in G \setminus H.
Then xx commutes with any yGKy \in G \setminus K.

But G=(H(GH))G = (H \cup (G \setminus H)) and G=(K(GK))G = (K \cup (G \setminus K)).

Let us fix aHa \in H, bKb \in K.
Let xGHx \in G \setminus H.
Then xx commutes with bb if bGKb \in G \setminus K.
If bKb \in K, then xx may not commute with bb by the hypothesis.

But for aHa \in H, bKb \in K, consider xGHx \in G \setminus H, yGKy \in G \setminus K.
Then xy=yxxy = yx.

Now, for any gGg \in G, gg can be written as g=h1k1g = h_1k_1 for some h1Hh_1 \in H, k1Kk_1 \in K if G=HKG = HK.
But in general, we need to show that ab=baab = ba for all a,bGa, b \in G.

Alternatively, note that for any aHa \in H, bKb \in K, and xGHx \in G \setminus H, yGKy \in G \setminus K, xy=yxxy = yx.

But since xGHx \in G \setminus H, yGKy \in G \setminus K, and xy=yxxy = yx, and for all other cases, either aGHa \in G \setminus H or bGKb \in G \setminus K, so ab=baab = ba.

Therefore, for all a,bGa, b \in G, ab=baab = ba.

Thus, GG is commutative.

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