MATH 3005 Homework Solution Han-Bom Moon

Homework 5 Solution
Chapter 5.

1. Let " # " #

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
= and = .
2 1 3 5 4 6 6 1 2 4 3 5
Compute each of the following.

(a) 1 " #
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 =
2 1 3 5 4 6

(b) " #
1 2 3 4 5 6
=
1 6 2 3 4 5

(c) " #
1 2 3 4 5 6
=
6 2 1 5 3 4

2. Let
" # " #
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
= and = .
2 3 4 5 1 7 8 6 1 3 8 7 6 5 2 4

Write , , and as

(a) products of disjoint cycles;

= (12345)(678), = (23847)(56), = (12485736)

(b) products of 2-cycles.

= (15)(14)(13)(12)(68)(67), = (27)(24)(28)(23)(56),

= (16)(13)(17)(15)(18)(14)(12)

3. Write each of the following permutations as a product of disjoint cycles.

(a) (1235)(413)
(15)(234)

(b) (13256)(23)(46512)
(124)(35) or (124)(35)(6)

1
MATH 3005 Homework Solution Han-Bom Moon

(c) (12)(13)(23)(142)
(1423)

6. What is the order of each of the following permutations?

" #
1 2 3 4 5 6
(a)
2 1 5 4 6 3
Let be the permutation. Then = (12)(356).

2 = ((12)(356))2 = (12)2 (356)2 = (365),

3 = ((12)(356))3 = (12)3 (356)3 = (12),

4 = (356), 5 = (12)(365), 6 = e.
Thus || = 6.
Indeed, you may find a pattern. If = 1 2 k where i are disjoint
cycles of length `i , then the order of is lcm(`1 , `2 , , `k ).
" #
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
(b)
7 6 1 2 3 4 5
Let be the permutation. Then = (1753)(264). By the same idea, you may
find || = lcm(4, 3) = 12.

11. Determine whether the following permutations are even or odd.

(a) (135)
(135) = (15)(13)
So it is an even permutation.
(b) (1356)
(1356) = (16)(15)(13)
It is an odd permutation.
(c) (13567)
(13567) = (17)(16)(15)(13)
It is an even permutation.
(d) (12)(134)(152)
(12)(134)(152) = (12)(14)(13)(12)(15)
It is an odd permutation.
(e) (1243)(3521)
(1243)(3521) = (13)(14)(12)(31)(32)(35)
It is an even permutation.

2
MATH 3005 Homework Solution Han-Bom Moon

15. Let n be a positive integer. If n is odd, is an n-cycle an odd or an even permuta-

tion? If n is even, is an n-cycle an odd or an even permutation?
Note that an n-cycle = (a1 a2 an ) is a product

(a1 an )(a1 an1 ) (a1 a2 ).

So it is a product of (n 1) 2-cycles. Therefore if n is odd, then it is an even

permutation and if n is even, then it is an odd permutation.

34. What cycle is (a1 a2 an )1 ?

The cycle := (a1 a2 an ) is a function where (a1 ) = a2 , (a2 ) = a3 , ,
(an1 ) = an , and (an ) = a1 . So 1 (an ) = an1 , , 1 (a2 ) = a1 , and
1 (a1 ) = an . Therefore 1 = (an an1 a2 a1 ).

35. Let G be a group of permutations on a set X. Let a X and define stab(a) =

{ G | (a) = a}. We call stab(a) the stabilizer of a in G (since it consists of all
members of G that leave a fixed). Prove that stab(a) is a subgroup of G.
First of all, stab(a) 6= because e stab(a). Let , stab(a). Then (a) = a
and (a) = a. (a) = ((a)) = (a) = a so stab(a). Also for stab(a),
1 (a) = a because a = 1 ((a)) = 1 (a). Therefore 1 stab(a) as well. So
stab(a) G.

57. Viewing the members of D4 as a group of permutations of a square labeled 1, 2,

3, 4 as described in Example 3, which geometric symmetries correspond to even
permutations?
If you denote all elements of D4 as a permutation on the vertex set {1, 2, 3, 4} as
in Example 3, we have

R0 = e, R90 = (1234) = (14)(13)(12), R180 = (13)(24),

R270 = (1432) = (12)(13)(14),

H = (12)(34), V = (14)(23), D = (24), D0 = (13).
Therefore R0 , R180 , H, and V are even permutations.

69. Prove that every element of Sn (n > 1) can be written as a product of elements of
the form (1k).
Because all permutations Sn is a product of 2-cycles, if each 2-cycle (ij) is
a product of 2-cycles of the form (1k), we are able to obtain the conclusion. But
(ij) = (1i)(1j)(1i), so we have the result.