Paper 3, Section II, D

Groups
Part IA, 2016

Define the sign, sgn(σ)\operatorname{sgn}(\sigma), of a permutation σSn\sigma \in S_{n} and prove that it is well defined. Show that the function sgn:Sn{1,1}\operatorname{sgn}: S_{n} \rightarrow\{1,-1\} is a homomorphism.

Show that there is an injective homomorphism ψ:GL2(Z/2Z)S4\psi: G L_{2}(\mathbb{Z} / 2 \mathbb{Z}) \rightarrow S_{4} such that sgnψ\operatorname{sgn} \circ \psi is non-trivial.

Show that there is an injective homomorphism ϕ:SnGLn(R)\phi: S_{n} \rightarrow G L_{n}(\mathbb{R}) such that det(ϕ(σ))=sgn(σ).\operatorname{det}(\phi(\sigma))=\operatorname{sgn}(\sigma) .