Frattini's argument

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In group theory, a branch of mathematics, Frattini's argument is an important lemma in the structure theory of finite groups. It is named after Giovanni Frattini, who first used it in a paper from 1885 when defining the Frattini subgroup of a group.

[edit] Statement and proof

Frattini's argument states that if a finite group G has a normal subgroup H and if H has a Sylow p-subgroup P then

G = NG(P)H,

where NG(P) denotes the normalizer of P in G.

Proof: P is a Sylow p-subgroup of H, so its H-conjugates h−1Ph are also Sylow p-subgroups belonging to H. H is normal in G, so the action of a gG by conjugacy sends P in H to one of its H-conjugates (see Sylow theorems), i.e.

g−1Pg = h−1Ph,

so

hg−1Pgh−1 = P, thus
gh−1NG(P),

therefore gNG(P)H. But gG was arbitrary, so G = HNG(P) = NG(P)H. \square

[edit] Applications

  • Frattini's argument can be used as part of a proof that any finite nilpotent group is a direct product of its Sylow subgroups.
  • By applying Frattini's argument to NG(NG(P)), it can be shown that NG(NG(P)) = NG(P) whenever G is a finite group and P is a Sylow p-subgroup of G.
  • More generally, if a subgroup MG contains NG(P) for some Sylow p-subgroup P of G, then M is self-normalizing, i.e. M = NG(M).
Proof: M is normal in H := NG(M), and P is a Sylow p-subgroup of M, so the Frattini argument applied to the group H with normal subgroup M and Sylow p-subgroup P gives NH(P)M = H. Since NH(P) ≤ NG(P) ≤ M, one has the chain of inclusions MH = NH(P)MM M = M, so M = H. \square