Group Theory – Proving [G:K] = [G:H][H:K] for K ? H ? G

abstract-algebragroup-theory

This is not for homework. (I am a grader for a class.)

The case in which $G$ is finite is trivial. (That is, use a corollary to Lagrange's Theorem, and set $[G:H] = \dfrac{|G|}{|H|}$, and similarly for $[H:K]$.) How do you prove this for when $G$ is infinite?

The proof of this statement that I know well tries to show that $[G:K]$ is finite iff $[G:H]$ and $[H:K]$ are finite, but I am not a fan of that proof. For pedagogical purposes, I'm looking for a better proof. (The course uses right cosets by convention.)

The course has just started covering normal subgroups, so things like the Isomorphism Theorems are not known yet.

Best Answer

We'll show that there exists a bijection between $(H\backslash G)\times(K\backslash H)$ and $K\backslash G$. Let $(a_i)_{i\in I}$ be a collection of representatives for the elements of $H\backslash G$ and $(b_j)_{j\in J}$ a collection of representatives for the elements of $K\backslash H$. Define $\phi:(H\backslash G)\times(K\backslash H)\to K\backslash G$ by $$ \phi(Ha_i,Kb_j)=Kb_ja_i. $$ Let $Kc\in K\backslash G$. Then $Kc\subset Ha_i$ for some unique $a_i$ since $K\leq H$, so $c=ha_i$ for some (also clearly unique given an $a_i$) $h\in H$. We also have that $Kh=Kb_j$ for some unique $b_j$, so $Kc=Kb_ja_i=\phi(Ha_i,Kb_j)$, and this choice of $(Ha_i,Kb_j)$ is unique for a given $Kc$. Hence, $\phi$ is a bijection and $$ [G:K]=[G:H][H:K]. $$ This proof formalizes Aaron's comment about breaking each coset up into finer cosets.

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