Groups Acting on Sets

Let \(G = GL_2( {\mathbb R} )\) and \(X = {\mathbb R}^2\). Then \(G\) acts on \(X\) by left multiplication. If \(v \in {\mathbb R}^2\) and \(I\) is the identity matrix, then \(Iv = v\). If \(A\) and \(B\) are \(2 \times 2\) invertible matrices, then \((AB)v = A(Bv)\) since matrix multiplication is associative.

Let \(G = D_4\) be the symmetry group of a square. If \(X = \{ 1, 2, 3, 4 \}\) is the set of vertices of the square, then we can consider \(D_4\) to consist of the following permutations: \[\begin{aligned}\end{aligned}\]. The elements of \(D_4\) act on \(X\) as functions. The permutation \((1 \, 3)(2 \, 4)\) acts on vertex \(1\) by sending it to vertex \(3\), on vertex \(2\) by sending it to vertex \(4\), and so on. It is easy to see that the axioms of a group action are satisfied.

If we let \(X = G\), then every group \(G\) acts on itself by the left regular representation; that is, \((g,x) \mapsto \lambda_g(x) = gx\), where \(\lambda_g\) is left multiplication: \[\begin{aligned}e \cdot x = \lambda_e x = ex = x \\ (gh) \cdot x = \lambda_{gh}x = \lambda_g \lambda_h x = \lambda_g(hx) = g \cdot ( h \cdot x)\end{aligned}\]. If \(H\) is a subgroup of \(G\), then \(G\) is an \(H\)-set under left multiplication by elements of \(H\).