\section{Subgroups} \problem{} What elements do $S_2$ and $S_3$ share? \vspace{2cm} Consider the sets $\{1, 2\}$ and $Omega_3 = \{1,2,3\}$. Clearly, $\{1, 2\} \subset \{1, 2, 3\}$. \par Can we say something similar about $S_2$ and $S_3$? \vspace{2mm} Looking at \ref{s2s3share}, we may want to say that $S_2 \subset S_3$ since every element of $S_2$ is in $S_3$. \par This reasoning, however, is not correct. Remember that $S_2$ and $S_3$ are \textit{groups}, not \textit{sets}: \par their elements come with structure. \vspace{2mm} Therefore, the \say{subset} relation isn't particularly useful when applied to groups. \par We instead use a similar relation: subgroups. \definition{} Let $G$ and $G'$ be groups. We say $G'$ is a \textit{subgroup} of $G$ (and write $G' \subset G$) if the following are true:\par (Note that $x, y$ are elements of $G$, and $xy$ is multiplication in $G$) \begin{itemize} \item the set of elements in $G'$ is a subset of the set of elements in $G$. \item the identity of $G$ is in $G'$ \item $x,y \in G' \implies xy \in G'$ \item $x \in G' \implies x^{-1} \in G'$ \end{itemize} The above definition may look faily scary, but the idea behind a subgroup is simple. \par Consider $S_3$ and $S_4$, the groups of permutations of $3$ and $4$ elements. \par \vspace{2mm} Say we have a set of four elements and only look at the first three. \par $S_3$ fully describes all the ways we can arrange those three elements: \begin{center} \begin{tikzpicture}[scale=0.5] \node (1a) at (0, 0.5) {1}; \node (2a) at (1, 0.5) {2}; \node (3a) at (2, 0.5) {3}; \node (4a) at (3, 0.5) {4}; \node (2b) at (0, -2) {2}; \node (3b) at (1, -2) {3}; \node (1b) at (2, -2) {1}; \node (4b) at (3, -2) {4}; \draw[line width = 0.3mm, ->, ogreen] (4a) -- ($(4a) + (0, -1)$) -- ($(4b) + (0,1)$) -- (4b); \line{1a}{1b} \line{2a}{2b} \line{3a}{3b} \node[fill=white,draw=oblue,line width=0.3mm] at (1, -0.75) {$S_3$}; \end{tikzpicture} \end{center} \problem{} Show that $S_3$ is a subgroup of $S_4$. \vfill \pagebreak \problem{} How many subgroups of $S_4$ are equal to $S_3$? \begin{solution} Four, since there are four ways to pick three things from $S_4$. \end{solution} \vfill \problem{} What is the order of $S_3$ and $S_4$? \par How is this related to \ref{firstindex}? \begin{solution} $|S_4| = |S_3| \times [S_4 : S_3]$ \vspace{2mm} This solution is written using index notation, but the class doesn't yet need to know what it means. \end{solution} \vfill \problem{} $S_4$ also has $S_2$ and the trivial group as subgroups. \par How many instances of each does $S_4$ contain? \vfill \problem{} $(\mathbb{Z}_4, +)$ is also a subgroup of $S_4$. Find it! \par How many copies of $Z_4$ are in $S_4$? \par (You'll need to re-label elements, since we usually use different notation for $\mathbb{Z}_4$ and $S_4$). \begin{solution} A good hint is \say{look at generators.} \vspace{4mm} There are four instances of $\mathbb{Z}_4$ in $S_4$, \par each of which is generated by a 4-cycle of $S_n$. \par (i.e, the group generated by $(1234)$ is isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z}_4$) \end{solution} \vfill \pagebreak