Cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power

In summary, cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power is the process of breaking down an n-cycle into smaller cycles and determining their repetitions when the n-cycle is raised to a power. This is calculated by expressing the n-cycle as a product of disjoint cycles, raising each individual cycle to the desired power, and combining the resulting cycles. Its significance lies in helping us understand the structure and order of permutations, as well as in solving problems related to cyclic groups and group actions. It is also used in various real-life applications such as cryptography, coding theory, and network routing algorithms.
  • #1
TTob
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Homework Statement


let a=(b_1,...,b_n) n-cycle in the permutation group S_n .
prove that the cycle decomposition of a^k consist of gcd(n,k) cycles of n/gcd(n,k) size.

The Attempt at a Solution


I know that [tex]a^k(b_i)=b_{i+k (mod n)}[/tex]
how can it help me ?
 
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  • #2
Have you tried playing with small examples and looking for patters than you can generalize?
 

FAQ: Cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power

What is cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power?

Cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power refers to the process of breaking down an n-cycle into smaller cycles, known as cycles of length 2 or greater, and determining the number of times each cycle is repeated when the n-cycle is raised to a power. This is often used in group theory and combinatorics to study permutations.

How is cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power calculated?

To calculate cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power, we first need to express the n-cycle as a product of disjoint cycles. Then, we raise each individual cycle to the desired power, keeping in mind that the order of the cycle will change. Finally, we combine the resulting cycles to get the final cycle decomposition.

What is the significance of cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power?

The cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power helps us understand the underlying structure of a permutation. It allows us to determine the order of a permutation, which is the smallest positive integer k such that raising the permutation to the kth power results in the identity permutation. It also helps in solving problems related to cyclic groups and group actions.

Can any permutation be expressed as a product of disjoint cycles?

Yes, any permutation can be expressed as a product of disjoint cycles. This is known as the cycle decomposition theorem, and it is a fundamental result in permutation theory. It states that every permutation can be uniquely expressed as a product of disjoint cycles, and the order of the cycles in the product does not matter.

How is cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power used in real life applications?

Cycle decomposition of n-cycle's power has various applications in real life, such as in cryptography, coding theory, and network routing algorithms. In cryptography, it is used to generate secure encryption keys, and in coding theory, it is used to construct error-correcting codes. In network routing, it helps in optimizing the routing paths and reducing congestion.

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