Scribd
Upload
101 views2 pages

04.8 Homomorphisms and Isomorphisms

Uploaded by

joysinna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
101 views2 pages

04.8 Homomorphisms and Isomorphisms

Uploaded by

joysinna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

4.

8 Homomorphisms and isomorphisms

Let G, ∗ and H, △ be groups. A function f : G → H doesn’t necessarily tell us anything


about the relationship between G and H as groups unless we insist that it interacts in some
specific way with the group operations ∗ and △ . We define a group homomorphism G → H

to be a function which respects the group structure on G and H in the following sense:

Definition 4.14 Let G, ∗ and H, △ be groups.

A group homomorphism f : G → H is a function such that for all x, y ∈ G we have

f (x ∗ y) = f (x)△f (y).

A group isomorphism is a group homomorphism which is a bijection.

We usually just say homomorphism and isomorphism instead of group homomorphism and
group isomorphism.

Example 4.10

The identity map G → G is an isomorphism.


Let G, ∗ and H, △ be any groups. The map f : G → H given by f (g) = eH for all
g ∈ G is a group homomorphism.
The map f : Z → Zn given by f (z) = [z]n is a group homomorphism. To see this, we
have to check that f (z + w) = f (z) + f (w) . This is true because f (z + w) = [z + w]n

and by definition, [z]n + [w]n = [z + w]n .


Let H = {1, −1} so that H, × is a cyclic group of order 2. Then our results on the sign of
a permutation show that sign : Sn → H is a group homomorphism.
The map det : GL(n, R) → R
×
is a group homomorphism.
There is an isomorphism between S3 and the dihedral group of order 6.

Lemma 4.12 Let f : G → H be a group homomorphism. Then

f (eG ) = eH , and
for any g ∈ G we have f (g
−1
) = f (g)
−1
.
Proof.

We have

f (eG ) = f (eG ∗ eG ) as eG ∗ eG = eG

= f (eG )△f (eG ) as f is a homomorphism.

Now multiply both sides on the left by the inverse of f (eG ) , to get

eH = f (eG ).

By the previous part, eH = f (g ∗ g


−1
) = f (g)△f (g
−1
) . Multiply on the left by f (g)
−1
to
get

−1 −1
f (g) = f (g )

Definition 4.15 Let f : G → H be a group homomorphism. ▢

ker f , the kernel of f, is defined to be {g ∈ G : f (g) = eH } .


im f , the image of f, is defined to be {f (g) : g ∈ G} .

The latter isn’t a new definition — it’s just the image of the function f as we already defined it.

Proposition 4.8 Let f : G → H be a group homomorphism. Then ker f is a subgroup of G


and im f is a subgroup of H.
Proof. The kernel contains eG because f (eG ) = eH by the previous Lemma. If g ∈ ker f then

−1 −1
f (g ) = f (g) by the lemma

−1
= e as g ∈ ker f
H

= eH

so g
−1
∈ ker f which is therefore closed under inverses, and if g, h ∈ ker f then

f (g ∗ h) = f (g)△f (h) as f is a homomorphism

= eH △eH as g, h ∈ ker f

= eH

so g ∗ h ∈ ker f . It follows ker f is a subgroup.

Now the image. The previous lemma shows eh ∈ im f , and that im f is closed under
inverses. If f (g), f (h) ∈ im f then f (g)△f (h) = f (gh) ∈ im f as f is a homomorphism, so
im f is a subgroup. ▢

You might also like