Abstract Algebra Vocabulary
Abstract Algebra Vocabulary
Abstract Algebra Vocabulary
Chapter 0: Preliminaries
Relations (p. 26) Any equations in a general group G which the generators satisfy.
Presentation (p. 26) For a group G, the set of generators S and a collection of
relations R1 , . . . , Rm such that any relation among the elements of
S can be deduced from these relations. We write
G = hS|R1 , . . . , Rm i .
Ring (p. 223) A set R together with two binary operations + and such that
(R, +) is an abelian group, is associative, and a, b, c R, a
(b + c) = a b + a c (a + b) c = a c + b c. The ring
is commutative if is commutative, and the ring has an identity if
e Ra Re a = a e = a. All elds are rings.
Field (p. 34) A set F together with two binary operations + and such that
(F, +) is an abelian group (whose identity can be called 0), (F {0} , )
is an abelian group, and a, b, c F , a (b + c) = a b + a c.
Equivalently, a eld is a ring with 0 1+ and 1 1 6= 0, which
has a multiplicative inverse a 6= 0 R. F F {0}.
General linear group (p. 34) GLn (F )
{A|A is an n n matrix with entries from F and det (A) 6= 0}.
Quaternion group (p. 36) Q8 {1, 1, i, i, j, j, k, k},
with 1a = a1 = a, (1) (1) = 1, (1) a = a (1) = a, if
i i = j j = k k = 1. D
For mixed multiples, useijk (eg., i j = k).
E
As a presentation, Q8 = 1, i, j, k| (1)2 = 1, i2 = j 2 = k2 = ijk = 1, .
Group action (p. 41) A map from G A A, written as g a, for which g1
(g2 a) = (g1 g2 ) a , 1 a = a g1 , g2 G, a A.
Faithful (p. 43) A group action is faithful if distinct elements of G induce distinct permutations of A.
Kernel [of an action] (p. 43) ker (G A) {g G|g b = bb B}.
Chapter 2: Subgroups
Center (p. 50) Z (G) CG (G), i.e., it is the set of elements of G which commute with all other elements of G.
gAg 1 (p. 50) gAg 1 gag 1 |a A .
Normalizer (p. 50) NG (A) g G|gAg 1 = A , i.e., the set of elements of
G such that commutation gives ga = bg , with a, b A.
Stabilizer (p. 51) Gs {g G|g s = s}, i.e., for G acting on A, the stabilizer
of G on s is the set of elements of G which map s to itself.
Cyclic group (p. 54) hxi a group that can be generated by a single element
x. For such a group H , we can write H = hxi.
Zn the cyclic group of order n.
2
Subgroup generated by a set (p. 62) hAi the intersection of all subgroups of
G containing A, where A G. Alternatively, and equivalently,
A {a11 a22 ann |n Z , n 0 , i ai A , i = 1}, i.e., A is the
subgroup whose set is all nite products of elements of A.
Lattice of subgroups (p. 66) A graph, constructed by plotting all subgroups of
G starting at the bottom with {1}, ending at the top with G, and,
roughly speaking, with subgroups of larger order positioned higher
on the page than those of smaller order.
Chapter 3: Quotient Groups and Homomorphisms
Normal, normalize (p. 82) An element g normalizes N if gN g 1 = N . A subgroup N G is called normal if every element of g normalizes N ,
g G gN g 1 = N . We denote that N is a normal subgroup of
G as N E G. Note that
N E G NG (N ) = G
gN = N g g G
gN g 1 N
g G
Natural projection (homomorphism) (p. 83) The natural projection (homomorphism) of G onto G/N is the homomorphism : G G/N, g 7
gN , where N E G.
Complete preimage (p. 83) If H G/N , the complete preimage of H in G is
the preimage of H under the natural projection homomorphism.