Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2006 / iii / Paper 3 / 5 / Solution

Let $K=\ker \theta$. The subgroup correspondence for a surjective group homomorphism sends a subgroup $B\le H$ to ${\theta }^{-1}(B)$ and a subgroup $A\le G$ containing $K$ to $\theta (A)$. Inverse images are subgroups containing $K$, and images are subgroups. Surjectivity gives $\theta ({\theta }^{-1}(B))=B$. Conversely, if $K\le A$ and $\theta (g)\in \theta (A)$, choose $a\in A$ with $\theta (g)=\theta (a)$. Then $g{a}^{-1}\in K\le A$, so $g\in A$. Thus ${\theta }^{-1}(\theta (A))=A$. These two assignments are inverse bijections.

For $C={\theta }^{-1}(B)$, the map of left coset setsis well defined and onto. If $\theta (g_1)B=\theta (g_2)B$, then $\theta (g_2^{-1}{g}_1)\in B$, so $g_2^{-1}{g}_1\in C$ and $g_{1}C=g_{2}C$. Hence it is injective, provingNo normality of $B$ is required; these are coset sets, not necessarily quotient groups.

The abelianization is $\overline{G}=G/[G,G]$, where the commutator subgroup is generated by the commutators $[x,y]=x^{-1}{y}^{-1}xy$. Conjugating a commutator gives another commutator, so this subgroup is normal. In the quotient all commutators are trivial, and therefore the quotient is abelian. If $N⊲G$ and $G/N$ is abelian, every commutator lies in $N$, so $[G,G]\le N$. Henceis well defined and satisfies $\pi =\tilde{\pi }\circ q$, where $q:G\to \overline{G}$ is the natural map. It is uniquely determined because $q$ is onto. This is the universal factorization property of abelianization.

Now write $S_i$ for the unique index-$i$ subgroup of $S$. Since conjugation preserves index, as shown in part (ii), $g{S}_i{g}^{-1}=S_i$ for every $g\in S$. Thus every $S_i$ is normal. For each prime $p$ the quotient $S/S_p$ has order $p$ and is cyclic, so there is a surjection $S\to C_p$. Being an abelian quotient, it factors through $\overline{S}$.

The abelianization is finitely generated because $S$ is. By the Fundamental theorem of finitely generated abelian groups,where $T$ is finite. If $r=0$, choose a prime $p>|T|$. The finite group $T$ could not surject onto the order-$p$ group $C_p$, contradicting the preceding surjections. Hence $r\ge 1$, and projection from a free coordinate supplies

Every subgroup of finite index in $\overline{S}$ has an inverse image of the same index in $S$, so there cannot be two different subgroups of any given finite index in $\overline{S}$. If $r\ge 2$, reduction modulo a prime $p$ in the first and second free coordinates gives two distinct surjective maps to $C_p$ with different kernels: the first basis vector lies in one kernel but not the other. Both kernels have index $p$, a contradiction. Therefore $r=1$.

If $T\ne 1$, choose a prime $p$ dividing its order. The decomposition of a finite abelian group into cyclic factors gives a surjection $\chi :T\to C_p$. In $\mathbb{Z}\oplus T$, the mapshave distinct index-$p$ kernels, again distinguished by $(1,0)$. This is another contradiction, so $T=1$. We have proved uniqueness of finite-index subgroups forces infinite cyclic abelianization:

A residually finite group is one in which every nonidentity element has nonidentity image under some homomorphism to a finite group. Equivalently, the intersection of all finite-index normal subgroups is trivial: a finite separating map has such a kernel, and conversely quotienting by such a normal subgroup gives a finite separating map.

Choose the surjection $\sigma :S\to \overline{S}\cong \mathbb{Z}$. For each positive integer $i$, the subgroup ${\sigma }^{-1}(i\mathbb{Z})$ has index $i$ and hence equals $S_i$. Its kernel $[S,S]$ is therefore contained in every finite-index subgroup. Indeed,If $S$ is residually finite, this intersection is trivial. Thus $[S,S]=1$ and $\sigma$ is an isomorphism. The residually finite group with one subgroup of each finite index is infinite cyclic conclusion isResidual finiteness is used exactly to eliminate the commutator subgroup that all finite quotients would otherwise fail to detect.