MT 357: ABSTRACT ALGEBRA I
TUTORIAL 2
1. Determine if the following sets G with the binary operation indicated form a group.
If not, point out which of the group axioms fail. Moreover, decide which of the
binary operations are commutative.
(a) G = Z, a ∗ b = a − b.
(b) G = Z, a ∗ b = a + b + ab.
a+b
(c) G = {a ∈ R : −1 < a < 1}, a ∗ b = 1+ab for all a, b ∈ G.
√ √ √ √
(d) G = { 3 a : a ∈ Z}, 3 a ∗ 3 b = 3 a + b.
(e) G = R, a ∗ b = ab.
(f) G = Z+ ∪ {0}, a ∗ b = max{a, b}.
2. If G is an abelian group, prove that (a ∗ b)n = an ∗ bn for a positive integer n. Note:
cn = c ∗ c ∗ · · · ∗ c, n times.
3. If G is a group in which a2 = e for all a ∈ G, show that G is abelian.
4. Let G be a group and a, b ∈ G.
(a) Show that (a ∗ b)−1 = a−1 ∗ b−1 if and only if G is abelian.
(b) Suppose that a ∗ b = b ∗ a−1 and b ∗ a = a ∗ b−1 . Prove that a4 = b4 = e.
5. Determine if the subset H is a subgroup of G. Prove or disprove.
(a) G = (Z, +); H = {even numbers};
(b) G = (R, +); H = (−1, ∞).
√
(c) G = (R∗ , ·); H = {a + b 2 | a, b ∈ Q, (a, b) ̸= (0, 0)}.
6. Let G be a group. Prove that H is a subgroup of Z if and only if H is of the form
nZ, where n is an integer.
7. Let G be a group and H, K be two subgroup of G. Prove that H ∪ K is a subgroup
of G if and only if H ⊂ K or K ⊂ H.
8. Let (G, ·) be a group and A, B two subgroup of G. We denote AB = {ab, a ∈ A, b ∈
B}. Prove that AB is a subgroup of G if and only if AB = BA.
9. Find the orders of the following elements of the additive group Z/12Z: 1, −1, 5, 7, −7, 13.
10. Which of the following groups are cyclic? For each cyclic group, list all the gener-
ators of the group.
1
(a) G1 = (Z, +)
(b) G2 = (Q, +)
(c) G3 = {6n |n ∈ Z under multiplication}
√
(d) G4 = {a + b 2 | a, b ∈ Z} under addition.
