(New page: == Symmetric Group == The symmetric group <math>S_n</math>, which was mentioned in lecture, is a group of permutation mappings on an arbitrary <math>n</math> element set. Each element of...)
 
 
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composition.  For example,
 
composition.  For example,
  
<math>(\pi_{12} \circ \pi_{23})(x) = \pi_{12}(\pi_{23}(x))</math>
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<math>\pi_{12} \cdot \pi_{23} = \pi_{12} \circ \pi_{23}</math>
  
 
But notice (by computing its value on all 3 elements of the
 
But notice (by computing its value on all 3 elements of the
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--[[User:Jvaught|Jvaught]] 20:14, 30 March 2010 (UTC)
 
--[[User:Jvaught|Jvaught]] 20:14, 30 March 2010 (UTC)
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[[EE662Sp10AbstarctAlgebra|Back to Jvaught's group theory summary]]
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Latest revision as of 07:37, 2 April 2010

Symmetric Group

The symmetric group $ S_n $, which was mentioned in lecture, is a group of permutation mappings on an arbitrary $ n $ element set. Each element of $ S_n $ is actually a bijection $ \pi:B\to B $ where $ B $ is an arbitrary $ n $ element set. Often, but without loss of generality, $ B $ is taken to be the set $ \{1, 2, \ldots, n\} $. There are $ n! $ elements of $ S_n $. So, for example, the group $ S_3 $ consists of the following 6 elements (each a function from $ \{1, 2, 3\} $ (or any arbitrary 3 element set) to itself):

$ \pi_e $ $ e $ $ 1 \mapsto 1, 2 \mapsto 2, 3 \mapsto 3 $
$ \pi_{12} $ $ (1 2) $ $ 1 \mapsto 2, 2 \mapsto 1, 3 \mapsto 3 $
$ \pi_{13} $ $ (1 3) $ $ 1 \mapsto 3, 2 \mapsto 2, 3 \mapsto 1 $
$ \pi_{23} $ $ (2 3) $ $ 1 \mapsto 1, 2 \mapsto 3, 3 \mapsto 2 $
$ \pi_{123} $ $ (1 2 3) $ $ 1 \mapsto 2, 2 \mapsto 3, 3 \mapsto 1 $
$ \pi_{132} $ $ (1 3 2) $ $ 1 \mapsto 3, 2 \mapsto 1, 3 \mapsto 2 $

The binary operation of the symmetric group is function composition. For example,

$ \pi_{12} \cdot \pi_{23} = \pi_{12} \circ \pi_{23} $

But notice (by computing its value on all 3 elements of the domain) that $ \pi_{123} = \pi_{12} \circ \pi_{23} $. This set of functions is actually closed under function composition. It can be shown that this binary operation is associative. Also $ \pi_e $ is obviously the group identity element, and each element has an inverse, specifically:

$ \pi_e = \pi_e^{-1} $
$ \pi_{12} = \pi_{12}^{-1} $
$ \pi_{13} = \pi_{13}^{-1} $
$ \pi_{23} = \pi_{23}^{-1} $
$ \pi_{123} = \pi_{132}^{-1} $
$ \pi_{132} = \pi_{123}^{-1} $

so the group axioms hold.

--Jvaught 20:14, 30 March 2010 (UTC)


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