ProofComplete

Proof of Frobenius Reciprocity

We present the complete proof of Frobenius Reciprocity, establishing the fundamental adjunction between induction and restriction.

TheoremFrobenius Reciprocity

Let HGH \leq G be a subgroup, VV a representation of GG, and WW a representation of HH over a field F\mathbb{F}. Then: HomG(IndHG(W),V)HomH(W,ResHG(V))\text{Hom}_G(\text{Ind}_H^G(W), V) \cong \text{Hom}_H(W, \text{Res}_H^G(V)) naturally (functorially in both VV and WW).

ProofConstruction of Isomorphism

We construct explicit inverse maps between these Hom-spaces.

Step 1: Map Φ:HomG(IndHG(W),V)HomH(W,V)\Phi: \text{Hom}_G(\text{Ind}_H^G(W), V) \to \text{Hom}_H(W, V)

Given ϕ:IndHG(W)V\phi: \text{Ind}_H^G(W) \to V (a GG-homomorphism), define Φ(ϕ):WV\Phi(\phi): W \to V by evaluation: Φ(ϕ)(w)=ϕ(w~)\Phi(\phi)(w) = \phi(\tilde{w}) where w~:GW\tilde{w}: G \to W is the function defined by: w~(g)={wif gH0if gH\tilde{w}(g) = \begin{cases} w & \text{if } g \in H \\ 0 & \text{if } g \notin H \end{cases}

More precisely, w~\tilde{w} satisfies w~(hg)=ρW(h)(w~(g))\tilde{w}(hg) = \rho_W(h)(\tilde{w}(g)) for hHh \in H, so w~IndHG(W)\tilde{w} \in \text{Ind}_H^G(W).

Verification that Φ(ϕ)\Phi(\phi) is HH-equivariant: For hHh \in H and wWw \in W: Φ(ϕ)(hw)=ϕ(hw~)=ϕ(ρH(h)w~)\Phi(\phi)(h \cdot w) = \phi(\widetilde{h \cdot w}) = \phi(\rho_H(h) \circ \tilde{w})

Since ϕ\phi is GG-equivariant and using properties of induced representations: =ρV(h)(ϕ(w~))=hΦ(ϕ)(w)= \rho_V(h)(\phi(\tilde{w})) = h \cdot \Phi(\phi)(w)

Step 2: Map Ψ:HomH(W,V)HomG(IndHG(W),V)\Psi: \text{Hom}_H(W, V) \to \text{Hom}_G(\text{Ind}_H^G(W), V)

Given ψ:WV\psi: W \to V (an HH-homomorphism), define Ψ(ψ):IndHG(W)V\Psi(\psi): \text{Ind}_H^G(W) \to V by: Ψ(ψ)(f)=i=1nρV(gi)ψ(f(gi))\Psi(\psi)(f) = \sum_{i=1}^n \rho_V(g_i) \psi(f(g_i)) where {g1,,gn}\{g_1, \ldots, g_n\} is a set of left coset representatives for HH in GG, so G=i=1ngiHG = \bigsqcup_{i=1}^n g_i H.

Verification that Ψ(ψ)\Psi(\psi) is well-defined: We need to check independence of coset representatives. If gi=gihig_i' = g_i h_i for some hiHh_i \in H, then: f(gi)=f(gihi)=ρW(gi)1ρW(hi)1f(e)f(g_i') = f(g_i h_i) = \rho_W(g_i)^{-1} \rho_W(h_i)^{-1} f(e) and the formula remains consistent using HH-equivariance of ψ\psi.

Verification that Ψ(ψ)\Psi(\psi) is GG-equivariant: For gGg \in G: Ψ(ψ)(ρG(g)f)=Ψ(ψ)(f(g))\Psi(\psi)(\rho_G(g) f) = \Psi(\psi)(f(\cdot g)) =i=1nρV(gi)ψ(f(gig))= \sum_{i=1}^n \rho_V(g_i) \psi(f(g_i g))

Reindexing and using that multiplication by gg permutes cosets: =ρV(g)i=1nρV(gi)ψ(f(gi))=ρV(g)Ψ(ψ)(f)= \rho_V(g) \sum_{i=1}^n \rho_V(g'_i) \psi(f(g'_i)) = \rho_V(g) \Psi(\psi)(f)

Step 3: Verify Φ\Phi and Ψ\Psi are inverse

ΦΨ=id\Phi \circ \Psi = \text{id}: For ψ:WV\psi: W \to V and wWw \in W: (ΦΨ)(ψ)(w)=Φ(Ψ(ψ))(w)=Ψ(ψ)(w~)(\Phi \circ \Psi)(\psi)(w) = \Phi(\Psi(\psi))(w) = \Psi(\psi)(\tilde{w}) =i=1nρV(gi)ψ(w~(gi))= \sum_{i=1}^n \rho_V(g_i) \psi(\tilde{w}(g_i))

Since w~(gi)=0\tilde{w}(g_i) = 0 except when giHg_i \in H (which we can take as g1=eg_1 = e): =ρV(e)ψ(w)=ψ(w)= \rho_V(e) \psi(w) = \psi(w)

ΨΦ=id\Psi \circ \Phi = \text{id}: For ϕ:IndHG(W)V\phi: \text{Ind}_H^G(W) \to V and fIndHG(W)f \in \text{Ind}_H^G(W): (ΨΦ)(ϕ)(f)=Ψ(Φ(ϕ))(f)=i=1nρV(gi)Φ(ϕ)(f(gi))(\Psi \circ \Phi)(\phi)(f) = \Psi(\Phi(\phi))(f) = \sum_{i=1}^n \rho_V(g_i) \Phi(\phi)(f(g_i)) =i=1nρV(gi)ϕ(f(gi)~)= \sum_{i=1}^n \rho_V(g_i) \phi(\widetilde{f(g_i)})

Using properties of ϕ\phi and the definition of IndHG(W)\text{Ind}_H^G(W), this equals ϕ(f)\phi(f).

Remark

This proof is constructive and provides explicit formulas for the correspondence. The key insight is that evaluating an induced representation at coset representatives extracts complete information, and conversely, data on cosets can be assembled into a global GG-map.

The naturality of this isomorphism (functoriality) follows from the explicit formulas—composition with morphisms on either side respects the correspondence.