Talk on extensible automorphisms

This is (approximately) the transcript of a talk given by Vipul Naik as part of the Graduate Student Talks for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of Chicago, on August 13, 2008

Plan of the talk: An automorphism of a group is termed extensible if it can be extended to an automorphism for every bigger group containing it. All inner automorphisms are clearly extensible. Is the converse true?

The talk is divided in two parts. The first part focuses on the Problem: it lays out definitions of homomorphism, automorphism and inner automorphism, and then examines in excruciating detail the (easy) proof that every inner automorphism is extensible. The second part is focused on a partial solution: it introduces ideas of linear representation theory, and (with a bit of hand-waving) proves a partial converse.

Prerequisites for the talk: A clear understanding of the definition of group. Knowledge of homomorphism, automorphism etc. is helpful but these terms will anyway be defined clearly in the talk. For the second part of the talk, linear representation theory is helpful to know, though you should be able to follow the talk if you're willing to take my word for things.

Transcript of part one of the talk

Vipul: So I'll assume that everybody knows what a group is, and I'll define a homomorphism of groups.

Audience person: Could we skip that?

Vipul: No, it's very important.

Audience person (other): Good.

Chalkboard (1,1):

Def: Homomorphism of groups: Given group $G,H$ a homomorphism from $G$ to $H$ is a map $f:G\to H$ such that:

• $f(ab)=f(a)f(b)\mathrm{\forall }a,b\in G$
• $f(a^{-1})=f(a{)}^{-1}\mathrm{\forall }a\in G$
• $f(e)=e$

Vipul: So a homomorphism is a map that preserves the group structure. Group structure has three aspects: the multiplication, the inverse map and the identity element, so the homomorphism must preserve all three.

A homomorphism preserves words. So $f(a{b}^{2}c{d}^{-3})=f(a)f(b{)}^{2}f(c)f(d{)}^{-3}$. So, a homomorphism also preserves equations. So if $a{b}^2=cd$ then $f(a)f(b{)}^2=f(c)f(d)$.

But a homomorphism doesn't preserve inequations. So if $ab\ne cd$ we might still have $f(a)f(b)=f(c)f(d)$. Basically, that's because the homomorphism may not be injective. So, you cannot pull equations back via homomorphisms.

Now, there's one special example of a homomorphism we've all seen, and that's the inclusion of a subgroup in a group.

Chalkboard (1,1):

Def: Homomorphism of groups: Given group $G,H$ a homomorphism from $G$ to $H$ is a map $f:G\to H$ such that:

• $f(ab)=f(a)f(b)\mathrm{\forall }a,b\in G$
• $f(a^{-1})=f(a{)}^{-1}\mathrm{\forall }a\in G$
• $f(e)=e$

The inclusion of a subgroup in a group is an injective homomorphism: If

$G\le H$

, the inclusion of

$G$

in

$H$

is an injective homomorphism.

So homomorphisms preserve structure, but this preservation of structure is one-way. They could lead to some kind of collapse. So now let's introduce a certain kind of homomorphism that preserves structure two-way:

Chalkboard (1,1):

Def: Homomorphism of groups: Given group $G,H$ a homomorphism from $G$ to $H$ is a map $f:G\to H$ such that:

• $f(ab)=f(a)f(b)\mathrm{\forall }a,b\in G$
• $f(a^{-1})=f(a{)}^{-1}\mathrm{\forall }a\in G$
• $f(e)=e$

The inclusion of a subgroup in a group is an injective homomorphism: If $G\le H$, the inclusion of $G$ in $H$ is an injective homomorphism.

Definition: Automorphism of a group: An automorphism of a group

$G$

is a bijective homomorphism from

$G$

to

$G$

So automorphisms preserve structure both ways. They preserve equations, and also inequations. Automorphisms can be thought of as symmetries of a group. I'll get to this view later.

Am I going too fast?

Audience member: No no.

Vipul: So what I'm going to do now is something miraculous, remarkable. You may have seen it before and not realized how wondrous it is.

Chalkboard (2,1):

Definition:Conjugation by an element: Define, for a group $G$, the operation of conjugation by an element:
$c_g(x)=gx{g}^{-1}$

This is called conjugating $x$ by $g$.

Now, I'm thinking of this, not as an operation that takes two variables and gives an answer, but rather, as an operation with one parameter, the conjugating element $g$, and one variable, the group element $x$. In other words, for any fixed value of $g$, I get a map $c_g$ from $G$ to $G$ that feeds on $x$ and spits out $gx{g}^{-1}$.

And now for the really remarkable theorem:

Chalkboard (2,1):

Definition:Conjugation by an element: Define, for a group $G$, the operation of conjugation by an element:
$c_g(x)=gx{g}^{-1}$
Theorem: For any group $G$ and any element $g\in G$, the function $c_g$ is an automorphism of $G$.