Symetric Group 2

CYCLIC PERMUTATONS AND TRANSPOSITIONS:
DEFINITION 3.3.1:- Let X  {1,2,3,........, n } and A  X such that X  n
, where A  {1,2,3,......m }, A  m , m  n. 
A permutation which moves all elements contained in A
cyclically and does not move elements contained in X\A; is called a cycle and expressed as
1 2 3.........m 
   
 2 3 4..........1 
Usually , a cycle is denoted by
  (123........m)
Lemma 3.2.1:- A cycle of length m is of order m.
Proof:- Suppose   S n and A  m , where   (123......m) and A  {1,2,3,......m}.
Let i  A and  is applied r times on i, where r  m. Then , by equation (E.2.2.4) , We have
(i )  r  (i  r ) mod m  (i ) m  (i  m) mod m.
By equation ( E.2.2.4) , (i ) m  (i  m) mod m  i  (i ) m  i   m  e  S n

, where e the identity element in S n . Hence O( )  m . QED
Definition 3.4.1: A cycle of length 2 is called a transposition. Thus a transposition is a permutation

  ab  which interchanges a and b and leaves all other symbol fixed. Note that  2  e and
   1 where e is the identity permutation
Theorem 3.4.1: Every cycle is product of transpositions.
Proof: Let us consider a cycle   S n where
  1 2 3 m
We apply induction on the length of the cycle to prove the theorem. We note that
1 21 3  
1 2 3 1 2 3  1 2 3 
      123
 21 3  3 2 1   2 3 1 
Similarly
1 21 31 4  

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4  1 2 3 4 
       1234
 21 3 4  3 2 1 4  4 2 3 1   2 3 4 1 
In general if we take , 1 21 31 4...(1 k )  12...k , Then (12)(13)(14)........(1k )  (123.....k ) .
 1 21 31 4...(1 k )  123...k 


1 21 31 4...(1 k )1  

k  1  12...k  1 k  1 
1 2 ... k  1 k  1
..    
 2 3 ...1  k  1 1 
1 2 3 ... k k  1 1 k  1
   
 2 3 4 ... 1 k  1  k  1 1 
1 2 3 ... k k  11 2 3...... k k  1

   
 2 3 4 ... 1 k  1  k  1 2 .3...... k 1 
1 2 3 ... k k  1
  
 2 3 4 ... k  1 1 
 123...k  1
Hence by induction, 12 13...1m   1 2 3 m  . QED
Theorem 3.4.2: Every permutation can be expressed as a product of transpositions.
Proof: By Theorem 3.2.1, each permutation can be expressed as a product of disjoint cyclic
permutations. By Theorem 3.3.2, each cyclic permutation is a product of transpositions, so every
permutation is expressible as a product of transpositions taken in particular order. QED
Remark 3.4.1 Let us consider the cyclic permutation   123
We note that
12  
1 2 3

2 1 3
13  
1 2 3

3 2 1
23  
1 2 3

1 3 2 
1 2 3 1 2 3  1 2 3   123
 1213       
We compute  2 1 3  3 2 1   2 3 1 
 123  12 13   A
Also
1 2 3 1 2 3  1 2 3 
 1323       
 3 2 1 1 3 2   2 3 1 
 123  1323  B 
It follows from (A) and (B) that we can write (123) as the product of two transpositions in at least two
distinct ways, which means that decomposition of a cycle into transpositions, is not unique and the
factors need not to be pair wise disjoint.
Given a m cycles (123…m), then (123…m) = (12) (13)... (1m), so every m – cycle is a product of (m-1)
transpositions and this can be done in m ways, not in a unique way. It motivates us to have the following
theorem 3.4.3,which we give without proof.
Theorem 3.4.3: A cyclic permutation of length m is a product of (m-1) transpositions.
Theorem 3.4.4: Let X  1,2,..., n then the symmetric group S n is generated by the transpositions
(12), (13), (14),…, (1n) (A)
Proof: we know that the permutations are elements of S n Further every element of S n is a product of
transpositions by Theorem 2.3.1. It suffices to show that an arbitrary transposition (ab) can be
expressed in terms of the elements in (A). An arbitrary transposition (ab) where a  b, a  1 and b  1
can be written as
ab   1a 1b 1a  , because

1 a b 1 a b 1 a b 
 1a 1b 1a      
 a 1 b  b a 1  a 1 b 
1 a b 
   ab 
1 b a 
Since every permutation is expressible as the product of the transpositions, so every element of S n can
be written as a product of transpositions given in (A). Hence (A) is the system of generators for S n .
Sn 1
nn  1
NOTE:-The group contains 2 transpositions(See theorem 3.6.5).Take
n  3, then (12), (13), (23).

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CYCLIC PERMUTATONS AND TRANSPOSITIONS:

DEFINITION 3.3.1:- Let X  {1,2,3,........, n } and A  X such that X  n

Usually , a cycle is denoted by

Lemma 3.2.1:- A cycle of length m is of order m.

Proof:- Suppose   S n and A  m , where   (123......m) and A  {1,2,3,......m}.

Let i  A and  is applied r times on i, where r  m. Then , by equation (E.2.2.4) , We have

By equation ( E.2.2.4) , (i ) m  (i  m) mod m  i  (i ) m  i   m  e  S n

Definition 3.4.1: A cycle of length 2 is called a transposition. Thus a transposition is a permutation

Theorem 3.4.1: Every cycle is product of transpositions.

Proof: Let us consider a cycle   S n where

1 21 31 4  

In general if we take , 1 21 31 4...(1 k )  12...k , Then (12)(13)(14)........(1k )  (123.....k ) .

 1 21 31 4...(1 k )  123...k 

1 21 31 4...(1 k )1  

1 2 3 ... k k  11 2 3...... k k  1

Hence by induction, 12 13...1m   1 2 3 m  . QED

Theorem 3.4.2: Every permutation can be expressed as a product of transpositions.

Remark 3.4.1 Let us consider the cyclic permutation   123

Theorem 3.4.3: A cyclic permutation of length m is a product of (m-1) transpositions.

ab   1a 1b 1a  , because

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