Questions tagged [free-groups]

Should be used with the (group-theory) tag. Free groups are the free objects in the category of groups and can be classified up to isomorphism by their rank. Thus, we can talk about the free group of rank $n$, denoted $F_n$.

Free groups are the free objects in the category of groups. This means that if $S$ is some set such that there exists a function $f: S\rightarrow G$ where $G$ is some group then there exists some group homomorphism $\varphi: F_S\rightarrow G$ such that the following diagram commutes,

The universal property of free groups - from Wikipedia

The universality of free groups implies the set $S$ which they are generated by is important, and indeed one can view a free group over the set $S$ as the set of all words over $S^{\pm 1}$ under the operation of concatenation. This leads to the theory of group presentations.

Free groups can be classified up to isomorphism by their rank. Thus, we can talk about the free group of rank $n$, denoted $F_n$.

The standard (classical) reference for free groups is the book "Combinatorial Group Theory: Presentations of Groups in Terms of Generators and Relations" by Wilhelm Magnus, Abraham Karrass and Donald Solitar.

Note: diagram taken from Wikipedia.

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Does a four-variable analog of the Hall-Witt identity exist?

Lately I have been thinking about commutator formulas, sparked by rereading the following paragraph in Isaacs (p.125): An amazing commutator formula is the Hall-Witt identity: $$[x,y^{-1},z]^y[y,z^{-1},x]^z[z,x^{-1},y]^x=1,$$ which holds for any…
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I don't understand what a "free group" is!

My lecture note glosses over it really, introduces it and says "well it intuitively makes sense" but I say, nope it doesn't. Free groups on generators $x_1,...,x_m,x_1^{-1},...,x_m^{-1}$ is a group whose elements are words in the symbols…
John Trail
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What is tricky about proving the Nielsen–Schreier theorem?

The Nielsen–Schreier theorem states (in part): Let $F$ be a free group, and $H\le F$ be any subgroup. Then $H$ is isomorphic to a free group. I have seen the topological proof of this theorem using the correspondence between coverings and…
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Abelianization of free group is the free abelian group

How does one prove that if $X$ is a set, then the abelianization of the free group $FX$ on $X$ is the free abelian group on $X$?
user88576
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Commutator subgroup of rank-2 free group is not finitely generated.

I'm having trouble with this exercise: Let $G$ be the free group generated by $a$ and $b$. Prove that the commutator subgroup $G'$ is not finitely generated. I found a suggestion that says to prove $G'$ is generated by the collection…
Weltschmerz
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Different ways of constructing the free group over a set.

This could be too broad if we're not careful. I'm sorry if it ends up that way. Let's put together a list of different constructions of the free group $F_X$ over a given set $X$. It seems to be one of those things a lot of people know about (and…
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Finding subgroups of a free group with a specific index

How many subgroups with index two are there of a free group on two generators? What are their generators? All I know is that the subgroups should have $(2 \times 2) + 1 - 2 = 3$ generators.
letiitbe
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Can free groups on different cardinals be isomorphic in ZF?

For the free group on a finite number of generators, $F_n$, this is simple. It is enough to find a group that can be a quotient of one and not the other, so it is sufficient to find a group that can be generated by $n$ generators and no less. The…
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Is there a generalization of the free group that includes infinitely long words?

The free group over a set $S$ only includes finitely-long words made up of letters from $S$ and their inverses. It seems natural to me to also allow infinitely long words. While this would obviously be impossible to operationalize on a computer, in…
tparker
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Prove elements generate a free group

How does one show that the elements $x^2$, $y^2$, and $xy$ have no nontrivial relations among them in the free group generated by $\{x,y\}$? This would prove that the free group $F_2$ has a subgroup isomorphic to $F_3$. (I understand the problem,…
Paul Orland
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Total ordering on the free group

The free groups can be totally (bi-)ordered. This paper shows how to do it (page 4). In short, you embed the group in multiplicative structure of the ring of power series in non-commuting variables, order those and transfer the ordering back to the…
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Show a free group has no relations directly from the universal property

The free group is often defined by its universal property. A group $F$ is said to be free on a subset $S$ with inclusion map $\iota : S \rightarrow F$ if for every group $G$ and set map $\phi:S \rightarrow G$ there exists a unique homomorphism…
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Motivation for definition of free group?

Let $S$ be a set and $F_S$ be the equivalence classes of all words that can be built from members of $S$. Then $F_S$ is called the free group over $S$. I don't understand the motivation for this definition. Since each word $w$ in $F_S$ is a finite…
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Homomorphisms of $\mathbb{F}_2$ that preserve $aba^{-1}b^{-1}$

Let $\mathbb{F}_2$ be the free group generated by $a$ and $b$. Suppose we are given a homomorphism $\phi: \mathbb{F}_2 \to \mathbb{F}_2$ with the property that $\phi(aba^{-1}b^{-1}) = aba^{-1}b^{-1}$. Can I conclude that $\phi$ is surjective? Can…
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Why the group $\langle x,y\mid x^2=y^2\rangle $ is not free?

Why is the group $G= \langle x,y\mid x^2=y^2\rangle $ not free? I can't find any reason like an element of finite order or some subgroup of it that is not free etc.
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