Is there a natural way to represent all the partitions of an integer set <mo fence="false" stret

Bruno Pittman

Bruno Pittman

Answered question

2022-07-02

Is there a natural way to represent all the partitions of an integer set { 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . , n } as a matrix in the similar way permutations can be mapped to group of matrices?

Answer & Explanation

Leslie Rollins

Leslie Rollins

Beginner2022-07-03Added 25 answers

The important component of the question here seems to be: can we define a natural binary operation on the set P of partitions of 1 , 2 , , n to form a group G?
Theorem tells us that if G exists, it is isomorphic to a subgroup of the symmetric group on G. So G will be isomorphic to a group of permutation matrices.
However, finding a natural binary operation on P is going to be tricky. Of course, P is just a set, and it would be possible to construct some highly-contrived binary operation on P, but typically it would not preserve the structure of the partitions.
As an off-the-top-of-my-head example of why I think it should be tricky: | P | is given by the Bell Numbers, which can be a prime number, whence G must be a cyclic group and each non-identity element of G must somehow generate G.

Do you have a similar question?

Recalculate according to your conditions!

Ask your question.
Get an expert answer.

Let our experts help you. Answer in as fast as 15 minutes.

Didn't find what you were looking for?