Element structure of special linear group of degree two over a finite field
This article gives specific information, namely, element structure, about a family of groups, namely: special linear group of degree two. This article restricts attention to the case where the underlying ring is a finite field.
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This article describes the element structure of the special linear group of degree two over a finite field of order and characteristic
, where
is a power of
. We denote by
the positive integer value
, so
. Some aspects of this discussion, with suitable infinitary analogues of cardinality, carry over to infinite fields and fields of infinite characteristic.
Related information
Generalizing to infinite fields and non-fields
- Element structure of special linear group of degree two over a field
- Element structure of special linear group of degree two over a finite discrete valuation ring
Related groups over finite fields
- Element structure of general linear group of degree two over a finite field
- Element structure of projective general linear group of degree two over a finite field
- Element structure of projective special linear group of degree two over a finite field
Summary
Particular cases
![]() |
![]() |
Case on ![]() |
group ![]() |
order of the group (= ![]() |
conjugacy class sizes (ascending order) | number of conjugacy classes (= ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
element structure page |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 2 | even | symmetric group:S3 | 6 | 1,2,3 | 3 | element structure of symmetric group:S3 |
3 | 3 | odd | special linear group:SL(2,3) | 24 | 1,1,4,4,4,4,6 | 7 | element structure of special linear group:SL(2,3) |
4 | 2 | even | alternating group:A5 | 60 | 1,12,12,15,20 | 5 | element structure of alternating group:A5 |
5 | 5 | odd | special linear group:SL(2,5) | 120 | 1,1,12,12,12,12,20,20,30 | 9 | element structure of special linear group:SL(2,5) |
7 | 7 | odd | special linear group:SL(2,7) | 336 | 1,1,24,24,24,24,42,42,42,56,56 | 11 | element structure of special linear group:SL(2,7) |
8 | 2 | even | special linear group:SL(2,8) | 504 | 1,56,56,56,56,63,72,72,72 | 9 | element structure of special linear group:SL(2,8) |
9 | 3 | odd | special linear group:SL(2,9) | 720 | 1,1,40,40,40,40,72,72,72,72,90,90,90 | 13 | element structure of special linear group:SL(2,9) |
Conjugacy class structure
Number of conjugacy classes
As we know in general, number of conjugacy classes in special linear group of fixed degree over a finite field is PORC function of field size, the degree of this PORC function is one less than the degree of matrices, and we make cases based on the congruence classes modulo the degree of matrices. Thus, we expect that the number of conjugacy classes is a PORC function of the field size of degree 2 - 1 = 1, and we need to make cases based on the congruence class of the field size modulo 2. Moreover, the general theory also tells us that the polynomial function of depends only on the value of
, which in turn can be determined by the congruence class of
mod
(with
here).
Value of ![]() |
Corresponding congruence classes of ![]() |
Number of conjugacy classes (polynomial of degree 2 - 1 = 1 in ![]() |
Additional comments |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 mod 2 (e.g., ![]() |
![]() |
In this case, we have an isomorphism between linear groups when degree power map is bijective, so ![]() |
2 | 1 mod 2 (e.g., ![]() |
![]() |
General strategy and summary
Further information: Element structure of special linear group over a finite field, conjugacy class of elements with semisimple generalized Jordan block does not split in special linear group over a finite field, splitting criterion for conjugacy classes in special linear group of prime degree over a finite field
Before making the entire table, we recall the general strategy: first, imitate the procedure of element structure of general linear group of degree two over a finite field to determine that -conjugacy classes in
. Then, use the splitting criterion for conjugacy classes in the special linear group to determine which of these conjugacy classes split, and how much.
In this case, the fact that conjugacy class of elements with semisimple generalized Jordan block does not split in special linear group over a finite field tells us that the only conjugacy class that might split is the conjugacy class with a Jordan block of size two. Further, the splitting criterion for conjugacy classes in special linear group of prime degree over a finite field, applied to the case of degree two, tells us that:
- When the field size is odd, there are two such
-conjugacy classes (repeated eigenvalue 1, and repeated eigenvalue -1) and each splits into two
-conjugacy classes. We thus get a total of 4
-conjugacy classes of this type.
- When the field size is even, there is only one such
-conjugacy class and it does not split over
.
Summary for odd field size
The key feature for fields of odd size is that there exist two distinct square roots of unity in such fields: 1 and -1.
Nature of conjugacy class | Eigenvalues | Characteristic polynomial | Minimal polynomial | Size of conjugacy class | Number of such conjugacy classes | Total number of elements | Semisimple? | Diagonalizable over ![]() |
Splits in ![]() ![]() |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diagonalizable over ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
1 | 2 | 2 | Yes | Yes | No |
Not diagonal, has Jordan block of size two | ![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Same as characteristic polynomial | ![]() |
4 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes (two conjugacy classes over ![]() ![]() |
Diagonalizable over ![]() ![]() |
Pair of conjugate elements of ![]() |
![]() |
Same as characteristic polynomial | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Yes | No | No |
Diagonalizable over ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
Same as characteristic polynomial | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Yes | Yes | No |
Total | NA | NA | NA | NA | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() 4 conjugacy classes |
Summary for
,
a power of 2
Nature of conjugacy class | Eigenvalues | Characteristic polynomial | Minimal polynomial | Size of conjugacy class | Number of such conjugacy classes | Total number of elements | Semisimple? | Diagonalizable over ![]() |
Splits in ![]() ![]() |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diagonalizable over ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
1 | 1 | 1 | Yes | Yes | No |
Diagonalizable over ![]() ![]() |
Pair of conjugate elements of ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Yes | No | No |
Not diagonal, has Jordan block of size two | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
1 | ![]() |
No | No | No |
Diagonalizable over ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Yes | Yes | No |
Total | NA | NA | NA | NA | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Automorphism class structure
We have that special linear group of degree two has a class-inverting automorphism. In particular, any such group is a group in which every element is automorphic to its inverse. Also, special linear group of degree two is ambivalent iff -1 is a square, where an ambivalent group is a group in which every element is conjugate to its inverse.
We discuss below the automorphism class structure, i.e., the orbit structure under the action of the automorphism group.
Summary for odd characteristic
, field size 
We let . Note that if
, then
.
Nature of automorphism class | Number of automorphism classes of this type | Number of conjugacy classes within each automorphism class | Size of each conjugacy class | Size of each automorphism class | Total number of elements across all such automorphism classes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diagonalizable over ![]() |
2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Not diagonal, has Jordan block of size two | 2 | 2 | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Diagonalizable over ![]() ![]() |
(complicated, depends on ![]() |
(complicated, depends on ![]() |
![]() |
![]() | |
Diagonalizable over ![]() |
(complicated, depends on ![]() |
(complicated, depends on ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Central elements
The center is a subgroup of order either 1 or 2, depending on whether is even or odd. For odd
, the center is given by:
For even (i.e., the characteristic is 2 and
is a power of 2), the center is the trivial group, comprising only the identity element.
Jordan block of size two
The conjugacy classes of this type are the only ones that split in the special linear group relative to the general linear group (in the odd characteristic case), i.e., where there are elements of that are conjugate in
but not in
.
Over , there are two conjugacy classes in odd characteristic (which collapse to one class in even characteristic):
- The conjugacy class of
. In particular, this conjugacy class includes all matrices of the form
and also all matrices of the form
where
.
- The conjugacy class of
. In particular, this conjugacy class includes all matrices of the form
and also all matrices of the form
where
.
Characteristic 2 case
In this case, both conjugacy classes collapse into a single conjugacy class. We have:
Item | Value | Explanation |
---|---|---|
Trace of conjugacy class | 0 | |
Norm or determinant of conjugacy class | 1 | |
Minimal polynomial of conjugacy class | ![]() |
Repeated eigenvalue |
Characteristic polynomial of conjugacy class | ![]() |
|
Centralizer of any element in conjugacy class in ![]() |
Isomorphic to additive group of ![]() |
For the element ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Centralizer of any element in conjugacy class in ![]() |
Isomorphic to direct product of additive and multiplicative groups of ![]() |
Explicitly, it is given by ![]() |
Size of conjugacy class | ![]() |
size of conjugacy class equals index of centralizer |
Here is the information on the collection of all conjugacy classes:
Item | Value | Explanation |
---|---|---|
number of conjugacy classes of this type | 1 | |
total number of elements of this type | ![]() |
Odd characteristic case
In this case, each conjugacy class splits further into two, giving a total of four conjugacy classes. We have:
Item | Value | Explanation |
---|---|---|
Trace of conjugacy class | 2 or -2, depending on whether the eigenvalues are 1 or -1 | |
Norm or determinant of conjugacy class | 1 | |
Minimal polynomial of conjugacy class | ![]() ![]() |
Repeated eigenvalue |
Characteristic polynomial of conjugacy class | ![]() ![]() |
|
Centralizer of any element in conjugacy class in ![]() |
Isomorphic to direct product of additive group of ![]() |
For the element ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Centralizer of any element in conjugacy class in ![]() |
Isomorphic to direct product of additive and multiplicative groups of ![]() |
Explicitly, it is given by ![]() |
Size of conjugacy class | ![]() |
size of conjugacy class equals index of centralizer |
Given two matrices:
the following rule works to determine whether they are conjugate in the special linear group: the elements are conjugate if and only if is a square in
.
Here is the information on the collection of all conjugacy classes:
Item | Value | Explanation |
---|---|---|
number of conjugacy classes of this type | 4 | each of the two conjugacy classes relative to ![]() ![]() |
total number of elements of this type | ![]() |
Elements diagonalizable over
but not 
These elements have pairs of distinct eigenvalues over that are conjugate over
. The unique non-identity automorphism of
over
is the map
, so these two elements are
powers of each other, i.e., if one of them is
, the other one is
.
The conjugacy class is parameterized by the pair .
The element must have determinant 1, so this forces , so
and
.
Here is more information:
Item | Value | Explanation |
---|---|---|
Trace of conjugacy class | ![]() ![]() |
Trace is sum of eigenvalues |
Norm or determinant of conjugacy class | 1 | |
Minimal polynomial of conjugacy class | ![]() |
|
Characteristic polynomial of conjugacy class | Same as minimal polynomial | |
Centralizer of any element of conjugacy class | It is the intersection of the multiplicative group ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
|
Size of conjugacy class | ![]() |
Equals the index of the centralizer |
Here is information on the collection of all such conjugacy classes:
Item | Value | Explanation |
---|---|---|
number of conjugacy classes of this type | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
First explanation: The conjugacy classes are classified by pairs ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Second explanation: There are ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() (Addendum to second explanation): The ![]() ![]() |
total number of elements of this type | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Multiply the size of each conjugacy class with the number of conjugacy classes of this type |
Elements diagonalizable over
with distinct and hence mutually inverse entries
Each such conjugacy class is specified by an unordered pair of distinct elements of , say
. Note that the eigenvalues must be inverses because their product needs to be 1 for the element to be in the special linear group.
Item | Value | Explanation |
---|---|---|
Trace of conjugacy class | ![]() ![]() |
Trace is sum of eigenvalues |
Norm or determinant of conjugacy class | 1 | |
Minimal polynomial of conjugacy class | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Distinct eigenvalues |
Characteristic polynomial of conjugacy class | Same as minimal polynomial | Distinct eigenvalues |
Centralizer of any element of conjugacy class | It is isomorphic to ![]() ![]() |
This is easiest to see for the representative that is diagonal: its centralizer is the subgroup of diagonal matrices of determinant 1, i.e., matrices of the form ![]() |
Size of conjugacy class | ![]() |
It equals the index of the centralizer |
Here is combined information for all conjugacy classes:
Item | Value | Explanation |
---|---|---|
number of conjugacy classes of this type | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
We consider ![]() ![]() |
total number of elements of this type | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Multiply number of conjugacy classes and size of each conjugacy class. |