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Math 207 First Midterm Solutions: December 12, 2006

This document provides solutions to problems on a math exam. It shows that: 1) The quotient group Z/(d) forms a commutative ring for any integer d; it is an integral domain if and only if d is prime. 2) Any finite integral domain is a field. 3) The product of two Cauchy sequences in Q is also Cauchy, and the quotient of convergent sequences converges to the quotient. 4) The set K = {a + b√2 | a,b ∈ Q} is an ordered subfield of R that lacks the least upper bound property.

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36 views3 pages

Math 207 First Midterm Solutions: December 12, 2006

This document provides solutions to problems on a math exam. It shows that: 1) The quotient group Z/(d) forms a commutative ring for any integer d; it is an integral domain if and only if d is prime. 2) Any finite integral domain is a field. 3) The product of two Cauchy sequences in Q is also Cauchy, and the quotient of convergent sequences converges to the quotient. 4) The set K = {a + b√2 | a,b ∈ Q} is an ordered subfield of R that lacks the least upper bound property.

Uploaded by

Esmeralda Gonzalez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Math 207 First Midterm Solutions

December 12, 2006

1. (a) Let d ∈ Z such that d > 1 and define a relation on Z by a ∼ b


if there exists k ∈ Z such that a − b = kd. Show that ∼ is an
equivalence relation, that addition and multiplication are well defined
on equivalence classes, and that the set of equivalence classes forms
a commutative ring with 1. We shall denote this ring as Z/(d).

Proof. First, we must show that ∼ is an equivalence relation.


i. (Reflexive) ∀a ∈ Z, a − a = 0 = 0 ∗ d so a ∼ a.
ii. (Symmetric) If a ∼ b, then a − b = kd ⇒ b − a = (−k)d.
iii. (Transitive) If a ∼ b and b ∼ c then a − b = k1 d and b − c = k2 d
so a − c = (a − b) + (b − c) = k1 d + k2 d = (k1 + k2 )d.
Next, we show that + and ∗ are well defined. Let a ∼ a0 , b ∼ b0 .
Then ∃k1 , k2 ∈ Z such that a = a0 + k1 d, b = b0 + k2 d. Thus we have

(a + b) − (a0 + b0 ) = ((a0 + k1 d) + (b0 + k2 d)) − (a0 + b0 )


= (k1 + k2 )d

and so (a + b) ∼ (a0 + b0 ). Similarly,

ab − a0 b0 = ((a0 + k1 d) ∗ (b0 + k2 d)) − (a0 b0 )


= (a0 b0 + a0 k2 d + k1 db + k1 k2 d2 ) − a0 b0
= (a0 k2 + k1 b + k1 k2 d)d

so ab ∼ a0 b0 . Thus multiplication is well defined. Let us denote the


class of a by [a] We have shown [a] + [b] = [a + b] and [a][b] = [ab]. We
inherit the properties of a ring from the corresponding properties of
Z. For example, [−a] + [a] = [−a + a] = [0], [1][a] = [1 ∗ a] = [a], and
[a]([b] + [c]) = [a][b + c] = [a(b + c)] = [ab + ac] = [a][b] + [a][c].

(b) For what values of d is Z/(d) an integral domain?

Proof. Z/(d) is an integral domain if and only if d is a prime. If


d is composite, then d = ab with 1 < a, b < d, a, b ∈ Z, and so
[a][b] = [d] = [0] = [0][b] but [a] 6= 0 and [b] 6= 0. Conversely, if d is

1
prime and [a][b] = [a][c], then [a(b − c)] = [0], so a(b − c) = dk for
some k ∈ Z Since d is prime, one of a and (b − c) must be a multiple
of d, and hence either [a] = 0 or [b] = [c].

(c) Show that Z/(d) can never be made into an ordered integral domain.

Proof. Assume that we could find some ordering < for Z/(d). As
proved in class, [0] < [1]. Therefore, [n] < [n + 1] for all n ∈ Z.
In particular, [0] < [1] < . . . < [d − 1] < [d], hence by transitivity,
[0] < [d] = [0]. This violates trichotomy, so no such ordering can
exist.

2. Show that any finite integral domain is a field.

Proof. Let R be a finite integral domain with elements {a1 , . . . , an }. If


ai 6= 0, consider the set ai R = {ai a1 , ai a2 , . . . ai an } = {ai r | r ∈ R}.
All n elements of this set are distinct elements of R because if ai b = ai c,
then b = c, so ai R = R. In particular, 1 ∈ ai R, so for some r ∈ R,
ai r = rai = 1. Thus, each ai has a multiplicative inverse, and R is a
field.

3. (a) Let (ai )i∈N and (bi )i∈N be Cauchy sequences with ai , bi ∈ Q. Define
ci = ai bi . Prove that (ci )i∈N is a Cauchy sequence.

Proof. First, we need a lemma.


Lemma 1. Every Cauchy sequence is bounded.

Proof. Let (ai ) be a Cauchy sequence. Then there exists N ∈ N such


that for all m, n > N , |am − an | < 1. By the triangle inequality,
|ai | ≤ max(|a1 | , . . . |aN | , |aN +1 | + 1) ∀i ∈ N.

Let M be a bound for both (ai ) and (bi ), so that |ai | < M and
|bi | < M for all i ∈ N. Let  > 0. Then there exist N1 , N2 ∈ N such
that |am − an | < /2M for all m, n > N1 and |bm − bn | < /2M for
all m, n > N2 . Let N > max(N1 , N2 ). If m, n > N , then

|am bm − an bn | = |am bm − am bn + am bn − an bn |
= |am (bm − bn ) + bn (am − an )|
≤ |am (bm − bn )| + |bn (am − an )|
= |am | |bm − bn | + |bn | |am − an |
< M (/2M ) + M (/2M ) = .

Thus, (ai bi ) is a Cauchy sequence.

2
(b) Let (ai )i∈N and (bi )i∈N be sequences with ai , bi ∈ Q, bi 6= 0. Suppose
that there exist a, b ∈ Q, b 6= 0 such that (ai ) converges to a and (bi )
converges to b. Define ci = abii . Prove that (ci ) converges to ab .

Proof. A similar calculation to the one in the previous solution shows that

− a ≤ |ai − a| |b| + |a| |b − bi | .
ai
bi b |bi | |b|

Let  > 0. Let N1 ∈ N such that |b − bn | < |b| /2 for all n > N1 , let
N2 ∈ N such that |a − an | <  |b| /4, and if |a| = 6 0, let N3 ∈ N such that
2
|b − bn | < (|b| / |a|)/4 for all n > N3 . Let N > max(N1 , N2 , N3 ). Note
that if n > N1 , then |bn | > |b| /2. Then for all n > N , we have that

an a |an − a| |b| + |a| |b − bn |
− ≤
bn b |bn | |b|
2
( |b| /4) |b| + |a| (|b| / |a|)/4
< 2
|b| /2
= 2(/4 + /4) = .

Thus, (ci ) converges to a/b.


√
4. Let K = {a + b 2 | a, b ∈ Q}. Show that K is an ordered subfield of R in
which the least upper bound property does not hold.
√ √
√ Let a, b, c, d ∈ √
Proof. Q. Then √ (a + b 2) + (c + d 2) = (a + √ c) + (b +
d) 2 ∈ K and (a + b 2)(c + d 2) = (ac + 2bd) + (ad + bc) 2 ∈ K so
K is closed under addition and multiplication. Since K ⊂ R, addition
and multiplication are associative, commutative, and distributive. Since
0, 1 ∈ √
Q, we have that √ 0, 1 ∈ K. If a, b ∈ Q, then −a, −b ∈ Q, and since
(a + b 2) + (−a + −b 2) = 0, K has additive inverses. Thus K√is a
commutative ring with 1. If a, b ∈ Q are not√both zero, then since √ 2 is
a −b a b
irrational, a2 −2b 2 , a2 −2b2 ∈ Q, and since (a+b 2)( a2 −2b 2 − a2 −2b2 2) = 1,
K has multiplicative inverses. Thus K is a field.
Since K is a field and a subset of R, K is a subfield of R, and since R
is ordered, we can restrict the ordering to K to turn K into an ordered
subfield. If a subset A ⊂ K has a least upper bound, then since K is dense
in R, A has the same least upper bound when viewed as a subset of R.
Thus, if we let A = {x ∈ K | x < π}, then sup(A) = π 6∈ K, and thus K
does not satisfy the least upper bound property.

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