Holomorph (mathematics) - Hol(G) As A Permutation Group

Hol(G) As A Permutation Group

A group G acts naturally on itself by left and right multiplication, each giving rise to a homomorphism from G into the symmetric group on the underlying set of G. One homomorphism is defined as λ: G → Sym(G), λ(g)(h) = g·h. That is, g is mapped to the permutation obtained by left multiplying each element of G by g. Similarly, a second homomorphism ρ: G → Sym(G) is defined by ρ(g)(h) = h·g−1, where the inverse ensures that ρ(g·h)(k) = ρ(g)(ρ(h)(k)). These homomorphisms are called the left and right regular representations of G. Each homomorphism is injective, a fact referred to as Cayley's theorem.

For example, if G = C₃ = {1, x, x2 } is a cyclic group of order three, then

• λ(x)(1) = x·1 = x,
• λ(x)(x) = x·x = x2, and
• λ(x)(x2) = x·x2 = 1,

so λ(x) takes (1, x, x2) to (x, x2, 1).

The image of λ is a subgroup of Sym(G) isomorphic to G, and its normalizer in Sym(G) is defined to be the holomorph H of G. For each f in H and g in G, there is an h in G such that f·λ(g) = λ(h)·f. If an element f of the holomorph fixes the identity of G, then for 1 in G, (f·λ(g))(1) = (λ(h)·f)(1), but the left hand side is f(g), and the right side is h. In other words, if f in H fixes the identity of G, then for every g in G, f·λ(g) = λ(f(g))·f. If g, h are elements of G, and f is an element of H fixing the identity of G, then applying this equality twice to f·λ(g)·λ(h) and once to the (equivalent) expression f·λ(g·h) gives that f(g)·f(h) = f(g·h). That is, every element of H that fixes the identity of G is in fact an automorphism of G. Such an f normalizes any λ(g), and the only λ(g) that fixes the identity is λ(1). Setting A to be the stabilizer (group theory) of the identity, the subgroup generated by A and λ(G) is semidirect product with normal subgroup λ(G) and complement A. Since λ(G) is transitive, the subgroup generated by λ(G) and the point stabilizer A is all of H, which shows the holomorph as a permutation group is isomorphic to the holomorph as semidirect product.

It is useful, but not directly relevant, that the centralizer of λ(G) in Sym(G) is ρ(G), their intersection is ρ(Z(G)) = λ(Z(G)), where Z(G) is the center of G, and that A is a common complement to both of these normal subgroups of H.