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Commutator S

- The document provides an example of something that is a product of commutators but not a commutator itself. - It examines the group G = SL2(R) and shows that -I is not a commutator in G through a trace argument. - However, -I can be written as the cube of the commutator [B, C] where B and C are explicitly constructed matrices in G, showing that -I is a product of commutators.

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Matthew David Rizik
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54 views

Commutator S

- The document provides an example of something that is a product of commutators but not a commutator itself. - It examines the group G = SL2(R) and shows that -I is not a commutator in G through a trace argument. - However, -I can be written as the cube of the commutator [B, C] where B and C are explicitly constructed matrices in G, showing that -I is a product of commutators.

Uploaded by

Matthew David Rizik
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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EXAMPLE OF A PRODUCT OF A COMMUTATORS

THAT IS NOT A COMMUTATOR

DR. ROSENBERG

This week’s homework asked for an example of something that is a


product of commutators but not a commutator. Here’s an example.
Let G = SL2 (R), the 2 × 2 real matrices of determinant 1 (with matrix
multiplication as the group operation).
 
−1 0
First of all, we claim that −I = is not a commutator in
0 −1
G. Indeed, suppose ABA−1 B −1 = −I with A, B ∈ G. Then ABA−1 =
−B. Since the trace of a matrix is invariant under conjugation, B and
−B have the same trace, and so B has trace 0. Along with the fact that
B has determinant  means its eigenvalues are i and −i and so
 1, that
0 1
B is conjugate to . Conjugating both A and B appropriately,
−1 0
 
0 1
we may assume B = , which satisfies B 2 = −I. Then if
−1 0
 
a b
A= , we get AB = −BA. But
c d
    
a b 0 1 −b a
AB = = ,
c d −1 0 −d c

while
    
0 −1 a b −c −d
−BA = = .
1 0 c d a b
 
a b
So b = c and a = −d. Then means A = , which has de-
b −a
terminant −a2 − b2 . Since a and b are real and det A = 1, this is a
contradiction.
Now we show −I is a product of commutators. First we need to
write down an explicit commutator. Let B be as above, so B −1 = −B,

Date: Sept. 30, 2013.


1
2 DR. ROSENBERG
 
1 1
and let C = . Then
0 1
    
0 1 1 1 0 −1 1 −1
[B, C] =
−1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1
  
0 1 0 −1
=
−1 −1 1 1
 
1 1
= .
−1 0
We claim this commutator cubed is −I. Indeed,
   
1 1 1 1 1 1
−1 0 −1 0 −1 0
  
0 1 1 1
=
−1 −1 −1 0
 
−1 0
= = −I.
0 −1
So −I is a product of commutators, but not itself a commutator.

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