---- > [!definition] Definition. ([[Frobenius product of subgroups]]) > For $H,K$ are [[subgroup]]s of a [[group]] $G$, define their **Frobenius product** $HK$ to be $HK=\{ hk:h \in H, k \in K \}.$ > **Remark.** $HK \leq G$ **if and only if** $HK=KH$. > [!basicexample] Example. ([[Symmetric group]] on $3$ letters) > Take $H:=\{ e,\tau,\tau^{2} \} \leq S_{3}$ and $K:=\{ e,\sigma \}\leq S_{3}$. $HK$ looks like $\begin{array}{c|cc} HK & e & \sigma \\ \hline e & e & \sigma \\ \tau & \tau & \tau \sigma \\ \tau^2 & \tau^2 & \tau^2 \sigma \\ \end{array} = \begin{array}{c|cc} HK & e & \sigma \\ \hline e & e & \sigma \\ \tau & \tau & \sigma \tau^{2} \\ \tau^2 & \tau^2 & \sigma \tau \\ \end{array}.$ $KH$ looks like $\begin{array}{c|cc} KH & e & \tau & \tau^2 \\ \hline e & e & \tau & \tau^2 \\ \sigma & \sigma & \sigma \tau & \sigma \tau^2 \\ \end{array}.$ observe that $HK=KH=G$. This isn't surprising because we know that $\tau$ and $\sigma$ [[generating set of a group|generate]] $G$, and since $H$ contains all powers of $\tau$ and $K$ contains all powers of $\sigma$ their product will contain all combinations of powers of $\tau$ and $\sigma$ (which is the def. of [[group]] generated by $\tau$ and $\sigma$). \ In contrast, if we let $L=\{ e, \sigma \tau \}$, then $KL$ is $\begin{array}{c|cc} KL & e & \sigma\tau \\ \hline e & e & \sigma\tau \\ \sigma & \sigma & \sigma^2\tau \\ \end{array}=\begin{array}{c|cc} KL & e & \sigma\tau \\ \hline e & e & \sigma\tau \\ \sigma & \sigma & \tau \\ \end{array}$ while $LK$ is $\begin{array}{c|cc} LK & e & \sigma \\ \hline e & e & \sigma \\ \sigma\tau & \sigma\tau & \sigma\tau\sigma \\ \end{array}=\begin{array}{c|cc} LK & e & \sigma \\ \hline e & e & \sigma \\ \sigma\tau & \sigma\tau & \tau^{2} \\ \end{array}.$ We see that $KL \neq LK$, and neither of them are [[subgroup]]s. > [!justification] > We must demonstrate the **remark**ed equivalence. > \ > $\to.$ Assume $HK=KH$. We want to show $HK \leq G$. Since $e \in H$ and $e \in K$, $e=e^{2} \in HK$. Next let $h_{1}k_{1}, h_{2}k_{2} \in HK$. Since $HK=KH$, we have that $h_{1}k_{1}=k_{3}h_{3}$ for some $k_{3}h_{3} \in KH$. We have $\begin{align} (h_{1}k_{1})(h_{2}k_{2})= & k_{3}\overbrace{h_{3}h_{2}}^{\in H}k_{2} \\ = & \overbrace{k_{3}h^{*}}^{\in KH}k_{2} \text{ for some } h^{*} \in H \\ = & (k^{*}h^{*})k_{2} \text{ for some } k^{*} \in K \\ = & (hk')k_{2} \text{ for some } h \in H, k' \in K \text{ (since } HK=KH \text{)} \\ = & h(k'k_{2}) \text{ for some } h \in H, k' \in K \text{(associativity)} \\ = & hk^{} \text{ for some } h \in H, k^{} \in K \text{($K$ closed under $\cdot$)} \end{align},$ hence $HK$ is closed under $Gs group operation $\cdot$. Finally, let $hk \in HK$ be arbitrary. $K$ and $H$ are [[subgroup]]s, hence $k^{-1}h^{-1} \in KH$. Since $KH=HK$, we have $k^{-1}h^{-1} \in HK$, and since $k^{-1}h^{-1}=(kh)^{-1}$ by the [[socks-shoes property]], $HK$ is closed under inverses. Thus, $HK$ is a [[subgroup]] of $G$. \ $\leftarrow.$ Assume $HK$ is a [[subgroup]] of $G$. We'll show that $KH \subset HK$ and $HK \subset KH$. Since $K$ and $H$ are closed under inverses, an arbitrary element $kh \in KH$ can be written as $k_{*}^{-1}h_{*}^{-1}$ for some $k_{*} \in K$ and $h_{*} \in H$. By the [[socks-shoes property]] this implies $kh=(h_{*}k_{*})^{-1}$. Since $HK$ is a [[subgroup]], it is closed under inverses; hence because $h_{*}k_{*} \in HK$ we have $kh = (h_{*}k_{*})^{-1} \in HK$. Thus $KH \subset HK$. Next, since $HK$ is closed under inverses, an arbitrary element in $HK$ can be written as $hk=(h_{*}k_{*})^{-1}$ for some $h_{*}\in H$ and $k_{*}\in K$. Using the [[socks-shoes property]] we obtain $hk=k_{*}^{-1}h_{*}^{-1}=k'h'$ for some $k'\in K$ and $h' \in H$ (since $K$ and $H$ are closed under inverses). Thus $HK=KH$ as required. ^dbe793 ---- #### ---- #### References > [!backlink] > ```dataview > TABLE rows.file.link as "Further Reading" > FROM [[]] > FLATTEN file.tags as Tag > WHERE Tag = "#definition" OR Tag = "#theorem" OR Tag = "#MOC" OR Tag = "#proposition" OR Tag = "#axiom" > GROUP BY Tag > ``` > [!frontlink] > ```dataview > TABLE rows.file.link as "Further Reading" > FROM outgoing([[]]) > FLATTEN file.tags as Tag > WHERE Tag = "#definition" OR Tag = "#theorem" OR Tag = "#MOC" OR Tag = "#proposition" OR Tag = "#axiom" > GROUP BY Tag > ```