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Let $G$ be a group and $g$ be one fixed element of $G$. Show that the map $i_g(x)=gxg'$ for $x \epsilon G$ is an isomorphism of G with itself.

One of the things that I couldn't understand is under what binary operation the expression $gxg'$ is. Is it multiplication? If multiplication why isn't it given under first place. If it's a binary operation $*$ that we have no knowledge of, then why is this written in this way?

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    If $G$ is a group, it has only one operation.2017-02-15
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    I think the map should be $i_g (x) = g x g^{-1}$.2017-02-15

1 Answers 1

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Let us prove that $i_g: G \to G: x \mapsto gxg^{-1}$ is a group isomorphism. (I assumed you meant with $g'$ the inverse of $g$, so I wrote $g^{-1}$ instead of $g'$). Note that we do not have to write down the binary operation, since we are working in $G$ the entire time.

It is clear that $i_g(G)$ is a subset of $G$. Let us prove that $i_g$ is a group homomorphism: let $x, y \in G$. Then we have that \begin{align} i_g(xy) &= gxyg^{-1}\\ &= gx(g^{-1}g)yg^{-1}\\ &= (gxg^{-1})(gyg^{-1})\\ &= i_g(x)i_g(y) \end{align} showing this is a group morphism.

Let us now determine the kernel of this map: If $x \in \ker(f)$, then we have that $gxg^{-1} = e_G$ ($e_G$ the neutral element in $G$) and therefore $x = e_G$ (do you see why?).

Moreover, $i_g$ is surjective: let $y \in G$ and consider the element $g^{-1}yg \in G$. We have that $i_g(g^{-1}yg) = g(g^{-1}yg)g^{-1} = y$.

This proves that $i_g$ is a bijection and a morphism, hence an isomorphism. Such an isomorphism (from a group to itself) is called an automorphism.