[Math] The definition the group of rigid motions in $\mathbb R^3$ of a tetrahedron

abstract-algebragroup-theory

In Dummit & Foote's Abstract Algebra text, page 28 the following problem appears:

9. Let $G$ be the group of rigid motions in $\mathbb R^3$ of a tetrahedron. Show that $|G|=12$.

Apparently, I misunderstand something. In page 23 the authors define the dihedral group $D_{2n}$ with the same wording, "rigid motions":

For each $n \in \mathbb{Z}^+$, $n \geq 3$ let $D_{2n}$ be the set of symmetries of a regular $n$-gon, where a symmetry is any rigid motion of the $n$-gon…

Here they allow for the symmetries to be reflections, thus getting $|D_{2n}|=2n$. However, following that approach I find that the $G$ in problem 9 has order $|G|=24$.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there a mistake in the formulation of the problem?

Thanks!

Best Answer

Given a tetrahedron $X \subset \mathbb{R}^3$, $\{T \in O_3(\mathbb{R}) : T(X)=X\}$ is a group of order $24$ (it's isomorphic to $\textrm{PGL}_2(\mathbb{F}_3)$), and $\{T \in SO_3(\mathbb{R}) : T(X)=X\}$ is a group of order $12$ (it's isomorphic to $A_4$). It really does depend if you're allowing reflections or not...

To my knowledge, a rigid motion is just a transformation which is distance preserving (which all elements of $O_n(\mathbb{R})$ certainly are), so I would say it's a group of order $24$.

EDIT: as noted below, rigid motions are orientation preserving, not just isometries, so the group in question is a subgroup of $SO_3(\mathbb{R})$ and hence of order $12$.

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