Skip to main content
Mathematics LibreTexts

7.2: The Isomorphism Theorems

  • Page ID
    98009
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    ( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

    \(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)

    The next theorem is arguably the crowning achievement of the course.

    Theorem \(\PageIndex{1}\): The First Isomorphism Theorem

    Let \(G_1\) and \(G_2\) be groups and suppose \(\phi:G_1\to G_2\) is a homomorphism. Then \[G_1/\ker(\phi)\cong \phi(G_1).\] If \(\phi\) is onto, then \[G_1/\ker(\phi)\cong G_2.\]

    Problem \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    Let \(\phi:Q_8\to V_4\) be the homomorphism described in Problem 7.1.6. Use the First Isomorphism Theorem to prove that \(Q_8/\langle-1\rangle\cong V_4\).

    Problem \(\PageIndex{2}\)

    For \(n\geq 2\), define \(\phi:S_n\to \mathbb{Z}_2\) via \[\phi(\sigma)=\begin{cases} 0, & \sigma \text{ even}\\ 1, & \sigma \text{ odd}. \end{cases}\] Use the First Isomorphism Theorem to prove that \(S_n/A_n\cong \mathbb{Z}_2\).

    Problem \(\PageIndex{3}\)

    Use the First Isomorphism Theorem to prove that \(\mathbb{Z}/6\mathbb{Z}\cong \mathbb{Z}_6\). Attempt to draw a picture of this using Cayley diagrams.

    Problem \(\PageIndex{4}\)

    Use the First Isomorphism Theorem to prove that \((\mathbb{Z}_4\times \mathbb{Z}_2)/(\{0\}\times \mathbb{Z}_2)\cong \mathbb{Z}_4\).

    The next theorem is a generalization of Theorem [thm:orderImage] and follows from the First Isomorphism Theorem together with Lagrange’s Theorem.

    Theorem \(\PageIndex{2}\)

    Let \(G_1\) and \(G_2\) be groups and suppose \(\phi:G_1\to G_2\) is a homomorphism. If \(G_1\) is finite, then \(|\phi(G_1)|\) divides \(|G_1|\).

    We finish the chapter by listing a few of the remaining isomorphism theorems.

    Theorem \(\PageIndex{3}\): The Second Isomorphism Theorem

    Let \(G\) be a group with \(H\leq G\) and \(N\trianglelefteq G\). Then

    1. \(HN:=\{hn\mid h\in H, n\in N\}\leq G\);
    2. \(N\trianglelefteq HN\);
    3. \(H\cap N\trianglelefteq H\);
    4. \(\displaystyle H/(H\cap N)\cong HN/N\).

    Theorem \(\PageIndex{4}\): The Third Isomorphism Theorem

    Let \(G\) be a group with \(H,K\trianglelefteq G\) and \(K\leq H\). Then \(H/K\trianglelefteq G/K\) and \[G/H\cong (G/K)/(H/K).\]

    The last isomorphism theorem is sometimes called the Lattice Isomorphism Theorem.

    Theorem \(\PageIndex{5}\): The Fourth Isomorphism Theorem

    Let \(G\) be a group with \(N\trianglelefteq G\). Then there is a bijection from the set of subgroups of \(G\) that contain \(N\) onto the set of subgroups of \(G/N\). In particular, every subgroup \(G\) is of the form \(H/N\) for some subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) containing \(N\) (namely, its preimage in \(G\) under the canonical projection homomorphism from \(G\) to \(G/N\).) This bijection has the following properties: for all \(H,K \leq G\) with \(N\leq H\) and \(N\subseteq K\), we have

    1. \(H\leq K\) if and only if \(H/N \leq K/N\)
    2. If \(H\leq K\), then \([K:H]=[K/N:H/N]\)
    3. \(\langle H,K\rangle/N=\langle H/N,K/N\rangle\)
    4. \((H\cap K)/N=H/N \cap K/N\)
    5. \(H\trianglelefteq G\) if and only if \(H/N\trianglelefteq G/N\).

    This page titled 7.2: The Isomorphism Theorems is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Dana Ernst via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

    • Was this article helpful?