Appendix: Algebraic Integers and Characters
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Appendix: Algebraic Integers and Characters In this appendix, we discuss some aspects of character theory that have a different flavor than the material covered in Chapter 6. Log ically speaking, this appendix follows Section 15, although here we require a somewhat higher level of algebraic background than in the main part of the book; for instance, some familiarity with Galois theory would be an asset. Throughout, we let G be a finite group. We say that x E C is an algebraic integer if there is some monic polynomial f E Z[X] such that f(x) = O. LEMMA 1. The set of rational numbers that are also algebraic integers is exactly the set of ordinary integers. PROOF. Suppose that alb E Q is an algebraic integer, where a and b are coprime integers with 1 =1= bEN. Then there are integers co, ... ,Cn-l for some n E N such that (ba)n + Cn-l (a)n-lb + ... + Cl (a)b + Co = O. Upon multiplying through by bn, we see that an == 0 (mod b); this contradicts the fact that a and b are coprime. • 180 Appendix: Algebraic Integers and Characters We will make use of the following standard result, whose proof we sketch in the exercises. PROPOSITION 2. The algebraic integers form a subring of C. • The relevance of algebraic integers to the representation theory of finite groups is established by the following basic fact: PROPOSITION 3. Let X be a character of G. Then X(g) is an algebraic integer for any 9 E G. PROOF. Let 9 E G. Then X(g) is a sum of roots of unity by part (iii) of Proposition 14.4. Any root of unity is an algebraic integer; for instance, if w is an nth root of unity, then f(w) = 0, where f(X) = xn -1 E Z[X]. Since the set of algebraic integers is a ring by Proposition 2, it follows that any sum of roots of unity, and in particular X(g), is an algebraic integer. • The next result is necessary for both of our intended applications. LEMMA 4. If X is an irreducible character of G and 9 E G, then IG: Ca(g)IX(g)/X(l) is an algebraic integer. PROOF. Let S be the simple CG-module having character x. Let 9 E G, let K be the conjugacy class of 9 in G, and let 0: E CG be the class sum EXEK x. Consider the map cp: S ---t S defined by cp( s) = o:s for S E S. We observed in the proof of Theorem 14.3 that 0: lies in the center of CG, and from this it follows that cp E Endca(S); therefore by Schur's lemma, there is some A E C such that o:s = AS for all s E S. By taking traces, we now obtain the equation AX(l) = L X(x) = IKlx(g) = IG : Ca(g)lx(g)· xEK Therefore A = IG : Ca(g)IX(g)/X(l). Let r: CG ---t CG be defined by r(z) = zo: for z E CG. It follows from the proof of Lemma 13.11 that r E Endca(CG). Now since S is a simple CG-module, we can view S as being a submodule of CG, and for 0 f: S E S ~ CG we have r(s) = so: = o:s = AS since 0: is a central element. Therefore A is an eigenvalue of r, and so if we let A be the matrix of r with respect to the C-basis G for CG, then we now have det(AI - A) = o. But we see easily that each entry of A is either 0 or 1, and from this it follows that f(X) = det(XI - A) is Appendix: Algebraic Integers and Characters 181 a monic polynomial in X with coefficients in Z. Since f()..) = 0, we conclude that ).. is an algebraic integer. • We can now prove the first main result of this appendix, a fact that was mentioned in Section 14: PROPOSITION 5. Let X be an irreducible character of G. Then X(l) divides IGI· PROOF. Let gl, ... ,gr be a set of conjugacy class representatives of G. We know for each i that IG : Ca(gi)IX(gi)/X(l) and X(gi) are algebraic integers, the former by Lemma 4 and the latter by part (iv) of Proposition 14.4 and Proposition 3. Using row orthogonality, we see that which by Proposition 2 is a rational algebraic integer; the result now follows from Lemma 1. • The goal of the remainder of this appendix is to prove Burnside's theorem on the solvability of groups of order paqb, which was men tioned in Section 11. LEMMA 6. Let X be a character of G, let 9 E G, and define , = X(g)/X(l). If, is a non-zero algebraic integer, then 1,1 = 1. PROOF. We see from part (iii) of Proposition 14.4 that x(1h is a sum of X(l) nth roots of unity, where n is the order of g; therefore 1,1 ::; 1. Suppose that 0 < 1,1 < 1, and assume that, is an algebraic integer. Since, is an average of d complex roots of unity, the same will be true of any algebraic conjugate of ,. (Here we are applying Galois theory. An algebraic conjugate of , is the image of , under any automorphism of K that fixes Q, where K is a suitable extension of Q containing ,.) In particular, every conjugate of, has absolute value at most 1, and thus the product of the conjugates of, has ab solute value less than 1. But it follows from [25, Theorem 2.5] that this product is, up to sign, a power of the constant term of the min imal polynomial of, over Q, a polynomial that by [25, Lemma 2.12] is monic and has integer coefficients. Therefore, the constant term of 182 Appendix: Algebraic Integers and Characters the minimal polynomial of'Y must be zero, which is a contradiction. Hence 'Y cannot be an algebraic integer. • We now prove a classical theorem due to Burnside. THEOREM 7. If G has a conjugacy class of non-trivial prime power order, then G is not simple. PROOF. Suppose that G is simple and that the conjugacy class of 1 # 9 EGis of order pn, where p is prime and n E N. (Observe that G must be non-abelian in this event.) From column orthogonality, we obtain o 1 r r 0= - = -. LXi(g)Xi(l) = (l/p) + LXi(g)Xi(l)/p, p p i=l i=2 where Xl, ... ,Xr are the irreducible characters of G. Since -l/p is by Lemma 1 not an algebraic integer, it follows from Proposition 2 that Xi(g)xi(l)/p is not an algebraic integer for some 2 :S i :S r. As Xi(g) is an algebraic integer, this implies that p f Xi(l) and that Xi(g) # O. Now IG : Ca(g)1 = pn is coprime to Xi(l), so we have alG: Ca(g)1 + bXi(l) = 1 for some a, bE Z. Thus Xi(g)/Xi(l) = alG : Ca(g)IXi(g)/Xi(l) + bXi(g), which by Proposition 3 and Lemma 4 is an algebraic integer, and therefore IXi(g)1 = Xi(l) by Lemma 6. Consequently, we see that 9 E Zi = {x E G Ilxi(X)1 = Xi(l)}. But Zi = 1 by Corollary 15.11, which gives a contradiction. • Finally, we have Burnside's famed paqb theorem: BURNSIDE'S THEOREM. If IGI = paqb, where p and q are primes, then G is solvable. PROOF. We use induction on a + b. If a + b = 1, then G has prime order and hence is solvable by Proposition 11.1. Hence we assume that a + b ~ 2 and that any group of order pr qB is solvable whenever r+s < a+b. Let Q be a Sylow q-subgroup of G. If Q = 1, then G is a p-group and hence is solvable by Corollary 11.5, so we assume that Q # 1, in which case Z(Q) # 1 by Theorem 8.1. Let 1 # 9 E Z(Q). Then as Q ~ Ca(g), we have IG : Ca(g) I = pn for some n :S a. If n = 0, then 9 E Z(G) and hence G is not simple; and if n > 0, then by Proposition 3.13 and Theorem 7 we see that G is not simple. Therefore, G has a non-trivial proper normal subgroup N. Appendix: Algebraic Integers and Characters 183 By induction, both N and G / N are solvable, and hence G is solvable by part (iii) of Proposition 11.3. • We observed on page 100 that there are non-solvable groups of order paqbrc, where p, q, and r are distinct primes. In fact, up to isomorphism there are eight such groups. Six of these groups are projective special linear groups. (Recall that A5 and A6 are, by Ex ercises 6.2 and 6.5, isomorphic with projective special linear groups.) The remaining two groups are members of a family of groups called the projective special unitary groups (see [24, p. 245]). EXERCISES 1. For x E C, let Z[x] = {f(x) I f(X) E Z[X]}j this is an abelian subgroup of C. Show that x is an algebraic integer iff Z[x] is finitely generated. 2. (cont.) Show that the set of algebraic integers is a subring of C.