MMTB031 Tutorial exercises ABSTRACT ALGEBRA

Exercise 1

1. Suppose (G, ∗) is a group, then each element of G has a unique inverse that is if
a, x, y ∈ G are such that a ∗ x = x ∗ a = e and a ∗ y = y ∗ a = e, show that
x = y.

2. Show that 1H = 1G if H ≤ G.

3. Prove that H ⊆ G iff H 6= ∅ and ∀ a, b ∈ H, ab−1 ∈ H.

4. State and prove the fundamental theorem of finite Abelian groups.

5. Define Isomorphism.

6. Given |G|= 125, state isomorphism classes of Abelian group of |G|.

7. If |G|= p where p is a prime, prove that G ∼

= Zp .

8. Suppose G = Z3 and H =< (1 2 3) >, then G ∼

= Z3 . If the mapping θ : G → H
is defined by θ([0]) = (1), θ([1]) = (1 2 3) and θ([2]) = (1 3 2), show that θ is a
homomorphism.

9. Let G and H be groups and G ∼

= H, show that if G is Abelian so is H.

10. A multiplication binary operator on C is defined by

(a, b).(c, d) := (ac − bd, ad + bc),

for all a, b, c in IR. Prove that [(a, b).(c, d)](f, g) = (a, b)[(c, d)(f, g)].

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Exercise 2

1. Define partition.

2. Let G be a permutation group on S and define a relation ∼ on S by a ∼ b if and

only if α(a) = b for some α ∈ G, then ∼ is an equivalence relation.

3. If a relation ∼ on a nonempty set S is an equivalence relation on S, clearly state

the properties which satisfies equivalence relation.

4. Show that tilda is an equivalent relation if H is a subgroup of a finite group G.

Define a relation tilda as a ∼ b if ab−1 ∈ H.

5. Show that [a1 .b1 ] = [a2 .b2 ] in Z#

n , if [a1 ] = [a2 ] and [b1 ] = [b2 ].

6. Prove that [a1 + b1 ] = [a2 + b2 ], if [a1 ] = [a2 ] and [b1 ] = [b2 ] in Zn .

7. State the following theorems without proves:

(a) Least Integer Principle.

(b) Greatest common divisor.

8. State and prove the division algorithm theorem.

9. Use the Euclidean Algorithm to compute the greatest common divisor

d = (456, 123).

10. Write d = (456, 123) as a linear combination.

11. Assume that n is a positive integer. Prove that each integer is congruent modulo
n to exactly one of 0, 1, · · · , n − 1.

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Exercise 3

1. The binary operation multiplication modulo 10 denoted by ? is defined on the

set S = {2, 4, 6, 8}.

(a). Use the above statement to construct Cayley’s table.

(b). Use (a) to find the identity element. How do you know it is the identity?

(c). Find the inverse of 2. How do you know it is the inverse?

2. Define a cyclic group.

3. If G is a group, and a ∈ G, show that the set {an : n ∈ Z} is a subgroup of G.

4. Prove that every cyclic group is Abelian.

5. Prove that <(1 2 3 4)> is a cyclic subgroup and give it’s order.

6. Prove that if |G|= p, where p is a prime, then G is cyclic.

7. Construct Cayley’s table for group G given that G =< a >, a 6= e and a5 = e.

8. Suppose G is a finite group defined as S3 . Construct Cayley’s table for G.

11. Find the subgroup lattice of Z12 and give the order of each divisor of 12.

12. State without proof, the fundamental theorem of finite cyclic groups theorems.

13. Compute the table for integer mod 9 with binary operation multiplication.

14. Does integer mod 9 with binary operation multiplication form a group? Explain
your answer.

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15. Which of the elements from the table constructed in (13) would give elements of
U9 .

16. Construct Cayley’s table for U9 .

Exercise 4

1. Define the following:

(a). Permutation group.

(b). Disjoint cycle.

(c). Alternating group (An ).

(d). Conjugates.

(e). Centralizer.

2. If α and φ are two disjoint cycles in Sn , prove that α ◦ φ = φ ◦ α.

3. Let σ and τ be two elements in S8 as follows:

 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
σ=  and τ = (1, 2, 6, 5)(2, 4, 3, 5, 7)(1, 4, 6, 8).
3 1 2 5 7 4 8 6

(a). What is the order of τ.

(b). Write σ as a product of transposition and state if σ is odd or even.

(c). Compute σ −1 τ, σ −1 τ −1 , τ στ −1 , σ 2 , τ σ

(d). Is τ even or odd?

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 4. Define an odd permutation.
 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
5. Write the permutation   as a product of disjoint
7 5 2 4 3 1 6
cycles.

6. State without proof the following theorems:

(a) The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic.

(b) Cayley’s theorem.

(c) Least Common Multiple.

7. Define the order of a finite group G.

8. If H is a subgroup of a finite group G, define the index of H in G.

9. Let G be a finite group defined as S3 where H and K are both subgroups of G.

H and K are defined respectively as {e, (1 2)} and <(1 2 3)>. Use the answer
in (2) to prove that the index of H in G is 3 and K in G is 2.

10. State and prove the Langrange’s theorem.

11. Suppose G is a finite group defined as S4 , and H and K are both subgroups of
G. H and K are defined respectively as <(1 2 3)> and <(1 2 3 4)>.

(a) Compute the order of G, H and K.

(b) Using Lagrange’s theorem, compute the index of H in G and K in G.

(c) Find the cosets of H in G and K in G.

12. Let a = (125) and b = (234) where a, b ∈ S5 . Show that (ab)−1 = a−1 b−1 .

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Exercise 5

1. Find the order of the element (12)(345) in S5

2. Find the index of < 3 > in Z24

3. Express (17254)(1423)−1 (154632) as products of transpositions and identify them

as even or odd.

3. Determine the elements in the subgroup < (12345) > of S5

4. Show that (G, ?) is a group:

(a) If G = IR − {−1}, defined a ? b = a + b + ab.

(b) If G = IR − {1}, defined a ? b = a + b − ab.

(c) Inverse.

(d) Commutativity.

5. Show that x ? y = x + y − 1 is commutative.

6. Check if the following binary operations are associative and commutative:

(a). the operation ? on Z defined by a ? b = a − b.

(b). the operation ? on IR defined by a ? b = a + b + ab.

a+b
(c). the operation ? on Q defined by a ? b = 5
.

(d). the operation ? on Z × Z defined by (a, b) ? (c, d) = (ad + bc, bd)

(e). the operation ? on Q − {0} defined by a ? b = ab .

7. Let H be the subgroup and G be a group. Show that H is a subgroup of G

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 (a) If G = <IR, +> and H = <Q? , ×>, defined by Q? = {n ∈ Q : n 6= 0}.

(b) If G = <Z, +> and H = <2Z, +>, defined by H = {2n : n ∈ Z}.

(c) If G = Z4 where Z4 = {0, 1, 2, 3} and H = {0, 2}.

Exercise 6

1. Given a(x) = 3x4 + 2x2 − 1 and b(x) = 2x2 + 4x in Z5 [x].

(a). Use the division algorithm to find q(x) and r(x) such that

a(x) = q(x)b(x) + r(x) with degr(x) < degb(x).

(b). Using q(x) and r(x) obtained above to show that this equation

a(x) = q(x)b(x) + r(x)

is satisfied.

2. Given p(x) = x3 − 6x2 + 14x − 15 and q(x) = x3 − 8x2 + 21x − 18, where
p(x), q(x) ∈ Q[x].

(a). Show that the greatest common divisor gcd(p(x), q(x)) = d(x) is x − 3.

(b). If d(x) = gcd(p(x), q(x)), find two polynomials a(x) and b(x) such that
a(x)p(x) + b(x)q(x) = d(x).

3. Given a(x) = x4 + ix2 + 1 and b(x) = ix2 + 1, both in C

I [x].

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 (a). Use the division algorithm to find q(x) and r(x) such that
a(x) = q(x)b(x) + r(x) with degr(x) < degb(x).

(b). Show that q(x) and r(x) satisfies a(x) = q(x)b(x) + r(x) with
degr(x) < degb(x).

4. Let a(x) = x5 − x3 + x2 + 4x + 1 and b(x) = x3 − 3x + 2.

(a). State without proof, the Polynomial Divisor Algorithm.

(b). Compute d(x) = gcd(a(x), b(x)). Let a(x) = x5 −x4 −x3 +x and b(x) = x4 −x.

5. State the following theorems without proves:

a. Remainder theorem.

b. Polynomial division algorithm theorem .

c. Polynomial greatest common divisor theorem.

d. First isomorphism theorem.

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