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Solvable Group

A solvable group is a group whose composition indices are all Prime Numbers. Equivalently, a solvable group is a Group having a ``normal series'' such that each ``normal factor'' is Abelian. The term solvable derives from this type of group's relationship to Galois's Theorem, namely that the Symmetric Group $S_n$ is insoluble for $n\geq 5$ while it is solvable for $n=1$, 2, 3, and 4. As a result, the Polynomial equations of degree $\geq 5$ are not solvable using finite additions, multiplications, divisions, and root extractions.


Every Finite Group of order $<60$, every Abelian Group, and every Subgroup of a solvable group is solvable.

See also Abelian Group, Composition Series, Galois's Theorem, Symmetric Group


References

Lomont, J. S. Applications of Finite Groups. New York: Dover, p. 26, 1993.




© 1996-9 Eric W. Weisstein
1999-05-26