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The indecomposable finite abelian groups are exactly the nontrivial cyclic groups of prime-power order
Statement
The indecomposable finite abelian groups are exactly the nontrivial cyclic groups of prime-power order.
Facts & Assumptions
Given: The objects and hypotheses in the statement.
A nontrivial finite abelian group is indecomposable if it is not an internal direct product of two nontrivial subgroups in the sense of def-internal-direct-product-of-subgroups. It is decomposable if such a product exists. The trivial group is assigned neither label. (Indecomposable and decomposable nontrivial finite abelian groups).
Every finite abelian group is isomorphic to a finite direct product of cyclic groups of prime-power order. The multiset of their orders is uniquely determined by the group, up to permutation of the factors. (Fundamental theorem of finite abelian groups: elementary-divisor form).
Let be a finite abelian group and let be a prime dividing . Then contains an element, and hence a subgroup, of order . (Cauchy's theorem for finite abelian groups).
Every subgroup of a cyclic group is cyclic. If , then the least positive integer for which satisfies . (Every subgroup of a cyclic group is cyclic; the least positive exponent in a nontrivial subgroup supplies a generator).
Let be a finite group such that the positive integer is prime. Then every has order , satisfies , and hence generates . In particular, is cyclic. (A finite group of prime order is cyclic and every nonidentity element generates it).
Proof
The elementary-divisor theorem writes any nontrivial finite abelian group as a product of nontrivial cyclic prime-power factors. Indecomposability forces exactly one factor.
Conversely, if with both factors nontrivial, Cauchy's theorem gives an order- subgroup in each factor. Their images are distinct, but a cyclic group has a unique subgroup of each possible order. Hence no such decomposition exists.
Depends on
- Indecomposable and decomposable nontrivial finite abelian groups
- Fundamental theorem of finite abelian groups: elementary-divisor form
- Cauchy's theorem for finite abelian groups
- Every subgroup of a cyclic group is cyclic; the least positive exponent in a nontrivial subgroup supplies a generator
- A finite group of prime order is cyclic and every nonidentity element generates it
Used by
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Sources
- Keith Conrad, Decomposition of Finite Abelian Groups, §§1-4 (standard reference, not scraped)
- Richard Elman, Lectures on Abstract Algebra, Ch. 14 (standard reference, not scraped)