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The usual definition of a normal subgroup $H$ of group $G$ is that $x^{-1}Hx=H$ hold for all $x \in G.$ A weaker form of this is to assert only the containment $$x^{-1}Hx \subseteq H \tag{1}$$ should hold, for each $x \in G.$ If it does, then for any specific $x,$ equality in $(1)$ be deduced by applying it both as is, and with $x^{-1}$ replaced by $x$. Thus the "weaker" form is equivalent to the usual one, provided one assumes it holds for all $x \in G.$

My question concerns cases of a group $G$, a subgroup $H,$ and a choice of just one $x\in G.$ According to Hall's group theory text, in the case of infinite $H$ the containment $(1)$ need not imply equality.

So I'm looking for such examples: A group $G$ with a subgroup $H$ and some specific $x \in G$ for which the containment $(1)$ holds without equality. That is, we have $x^{-1}Hx \subset H,$ where the containment is proper.

coffeemath
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  • Thanks for the pointer to the other answers. I'd just figured out an example after I posted, involving the group of affine maps on $\mathbb{R}$ which has the swubgroup of translations by integers. That example is the same as one of the answers referred to in the link. Moderators: should I delete this question as it is a duplicate? – coffeemath Apr 29 '15 at 20:25

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