Classify the groups of order \(28\) up to isomorphism.
Solution
There are exactly four isomorphism types.
1. Every group \(G\) of order \(28\) has a normal Sylow \(7\)-subgroup \(P\cong C_7\) and a Sylow \(2\)-subgroup \(Q\) of order \(4\).
Sylow gives \[ n_7\equiv1\pmod7, \qquad n_7\mid4, \] so \(n_7=1\). Thus \(P\trianglelefteq G\) and \(P\cong C_7\). A Sylow \(2\)-subgroup \(Q\) has order \(4\), hence \[ Q\cong C_4 \quad\text{or}\quad Q\cong C_2\times C_2. \] Since \(P\cap Q=1\) and \(|P||Q|=28\), we have \(G=PQ\), so \[ G\cong C_7\rtimes_\theta Q \] for some action \[ \theta:Q\longrightarrow\Aut(C_7)\cong C_6. \]
2. If \(Q\cong C_4\), there are exactly two isomorphism types.
The image of a homomorphism \(C_4\to C_6\) has order dividing both \(4\) and \(6\), hence has order \(1\) or \(2\).
For the trivial action, \[ G\cong C_7\times C_4\cong C_{28}. \] For a nontrivial action, a generator of \(C_4\) acts by the unique involution in \(\Aut(C_7)\), namely inversion. Up to automorphisms of \(C_4\) and \(C_7\), there is only one such action. It gives \[ C_7\rtimes C_4 =\langle a,t\mid a^7=t^4=1,\ tat^{-1}=a^{-1}\rangle. \]
3. If \(Q\cong C_2\times C_2\), there are exactly two isomorphism types.
Any homomorphism \[ C_2^2\longrightarrow C_6 \] has image contained in the unique subgroup of order \(2\) of \(C_6\).
The trivial action gives \[ G\cong C_7\times C_2^2\cong C_{14}\times C_2. \] Any nontrivial action is a surjection \(C_2^2\to C_2\). All nonzero homomorphisms \(C_2^2\to C_2\) are equivalent under \(\Aut(C_2^2)\cong GL_2(\FF_2)\), so there is one nontrivial isomorphism type. Choosing generators \(s,u\) with \(s\) acting by inversion and \(u\) acting trivially gives \[ G\cong (C_7\rtimes C_2)\times C_2. \]
4. The four groups are pairwise nonisomorphic.
The first two listed direct products are the two abelian groups of order \(28\), one cyclic and one noncyclic. The two nonabelian groups have nonisomorphic Sylow \(2\)-subgroups: one has a cyclic Sylow \(2\)-subgroup \(C_4\), while the other has Sylow \(2\)-subgroup \(C_2^2\). Hence all four types are distinct.
Thus the groups of order \(28\) are \[ C_{28}, \qquad C_{14}\times C_2, \qquad C_7\rtimes C_4\ \text{(inversion action)}, \qquad (C_7\rtimes C_2)\times C_2. \]