[Math] Elements of odd order generate a proper subgroup of a group

abstract-algebragroup-theory

I am stuck with the following question:

Given is a group $G$ with a subgroup $H$ of index $2$, so $\left [ G:H \right ]=2$. I have to show that the elements of odd order of $G$ generate a proper subgroup.

What i know is that $H$ as a subgroup of index $2$ has only $2$ left cosets (and also right too). So i know that this subgroup is normal in $G$. What can i do with the order? Can anybody help me with this exercise, please?
Thank you in advance!

Best Answer

The elements of odd order generate a subgroup, let's call it $P$, because $1 \in G$ has order $1$, which is odd. So $1 \in P$.

Thus $P$ contains some elements and since we are generating a group, we automatically generate the inverses and all products, so $P$ will be a subgroup.


We still need to show that $P\neq G$ for $P$ to be a proper subgroup.

We know that there is an $H \leq G$ with $[G:H]=2$, so $H\neq G$.

We will show that $P$ lies in $H$.

Theorem 2. If $G$ is a finite group and $N \triangleleft G$ then any element of $G$ with order relatively prime to $[G:N]$ lies in $N$. In particular, if $N$ has index $2$ then all elements of $ G$ with odd order lie in $N$.

Proof: Let $g$ be an element of $G$ with order $m$, which is relatively prime to $[G:N]$. The equation $g^m=e$ gives $(gN)^m=N \in G/N$. Also $(gN)^{[G:N]}=N$, as $[G:N]$ is the order of $G/N$.

So the order of $gN \in G/N$ divides $m$ and $[G:N]$.

These numbers are relatively prime, so $gN=N$, which means $g \in N$.

Now we know that all odd elements lie in $H$. Since $H$ is a subgroup, it is closed, so the whole subgroup generated by odd elements must lie in $H$. Thus $P\neq G$.

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