# Automorphisms of the Dihedral Group D8

• Nov 26th 2011, 02:26 AM
Bernhard
Automorphisms of the Dihedral Group D8
Dummit and Foote Section 4.4 Automorphisms, Exercise 3 reads as follows:

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Prove that under any automomorpism of $D_8$, r has at most two possible images and s has at most 4 possible images. Deduce that |Aut( $D_8$)| $\leq$8

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Can anyone help with the above problem? Be grateful for help!

The notation of D&F regarding the construction of $D_8$ is as follows:

Fix a square centred at the origin in an x,y plane and label the vertices from 1 to 4 in a clockweise manner. Let r be the rotation clockwise about the origin through $\pi /2$ radian. Let s be the reflection about the line of symmetry through vertex 1 and the origin.

Then

$D_8$ = {1, r, $r^2$, $r^3$, s, sr, s $r^2$, s $r^3$}

Peter
• Nov 26th 2011, 05:35 AM
Amer
Re: Automorphisms of the Dihedral Group D8
• Nov 26th 2011, 09:35 AM
Deveno
Re: Automorphisms of the Dihedral Group D8
to fill in the gaps of the link Amer gave (which is a great site to look up various math proofs), note that $Z(D_8) = \{1,r^2\}$.

if you really feel ambitious, try to prove that $\mathrm{Aut}(D_8) \cong D_8$.
• Nov 26th 2011, 03:47 PM
Bernhard
Re: Automorphisms of the Dihedral Group D8
Thanks for the link - looks really helpful!!!

Peter
• Nov 26th 2011, 07:41 PM
Amer
Re: Automorphisms of the Dihedral Group D8
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bernhard
Thanks for the link - looks really helpful!!!

Peter

yea it is very it contains alot of problems from Dummit Footie Abstract Algebra