Definition:Coset/Right Coset

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Definition

Let $\struct {S, \circ}$ be an algebraic structure.

Let $\struct {H, \circ}$ be a subgroup of $\struct {S, \circ}$.


The right coset of $y$ modulo $H$, or right coset of $H$ by $y$, is:

$H \circ y = \set {x \in S: \exists h \in H: x = h \circ y}$


That is, it is the subset product with singleton:

$H \circ y = H \circ \set y$


Also defined as

It is usual for the algebraic structure $S$ in fact to be a group.

Hence, when $\struct {S, \circ}$ is a group, the right coset of $H$ by $x$ is the equivalence class of $x$ defined by right congruence modulo $H$.


Some sources (see P.M. Cohn: Algebra Volume 1 (2nd ed.), for example) order the operands in the opposite direction, and hence $x \circ H$ is a right coset.


Also see

  • Results about cosets can be found here.


Sources