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Cyclic - Group - partIII

The document discusses cyclic groups and their subgroups. It defines a cyclic group and proves a theorem about subgroups generated by elements of a cyclic group. It also provides examples of finding subgroups of specific cyclic groups like Z7 and Z12.

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suvamgoswami03082001
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113 views12 pages

Cyclic - Group - partIII

The document discusses cyclic groups and their subgroups. It defines a cyclic group and proves a theorem about subgroups generated by elements of a cyclic group. It also provides examples of finding subgroups of specific cyclic groups like Z7 and Z12.

Uploaded by

suvamgoswami03082001
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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Cyclic Group:

Part III
Dr. Srikumar Panda
Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics
Vidyasagar College, Kolkata, 700006
Email : [email protected]
Theorem (*):
Let G be a cyclic group of n elements generated
by a. Let b ∈ G and b = as, and d = gcd(n, s).
Then
<b> = { a 0 = e, ad , a2d , . . . , a n−d }.

Proof:
We have ar ∈ <b> ⇔ ar = bk = aks for some integer
k. Since n is the smallest positive integer such
that an = e (using theorem proved in the 5th slide
(page-4) of Cyclic Group : Part II), ar = aks if and
only if r = ks + An for some integer A. That is,
ar ∈ <b> ⇔ r = ks + An for some integers k and A.
As k and A run over all integers, r runs over
all multiples of d = gcd(n, s). Therefore,
<b> = {e, ad , a2d , . . . , an−d }.
Hence, the proof is complete.
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Corollary:
Let G be a cyclic group of n elements generated by a.
Then the number of subgroups of G is equal to the
number of divisors of n. They are
{e, ad , a2d , . . . , an−d },
where d runs over all divisors of n.

Remark:
The results described above are stated in terms of
multiplicative groups. In terms of additive groups,
such as ℤn, Theorem(*) says that the subgroup of ℤn
generated by 𝑠 is
{ 0, 𝑑, 2𝑑, . . . , 𝑛 − 𝑑 },
where d = gcd(n, s).

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Example: Find all subgroups of ℤ7.
Solution:
By using the previous theorem (refer page 7 of
the slide Cyclic Group : Part I), the subgroups of
ℤ7 are <0>, <1>, . . ., <6>. Now, gcd(7, 1) = gcd(7,
2) = · · · = gcd(7, 6) = 1. Thus,
<1> = <2> = · · · = <6> = { 0, 1, . . . , 6} = ℤ7.
Also, gcd(7, 0) = 7. Thus, <0> = {0}.
Therefore, there are two subgroups {0} and ℤ7.

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Subgroups of Finite Cyclic Groups
Theorem(**):
Let G be a cyclic group with n elements and
generated by a. Let bG and let b=as. Then b
generates a cyclic subgroup H of G containing n/d
elements, where d = gcd (n, s).
Also  as =  ar  if and only if gcd (s, n) = gcd (t, n).

Proof:
Refer page 64 of the book “A first course in
Abstract Algebra” authored by J. B. Fraleigh.

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Subgroups of Finite Cyclic Groups
Example: [Related to the above theorem(**)]
For an example using additive notation, consider
in ℤ12, with the generator a =1. Since the gcd of 3
and 12 is 3, therefore 3 = 31 generates a
subgroup of 12/3=4 elements, namely
 3 ={0, 3, 6, 9}.
Furthermore,  3 =  9  since gcd(3, 12)=gcd(9, 12).
Now the gcd (8, 12)=4, so 8 generates a subgroup of
12/4=3 elements, namely
 8 ={0, 4, 8}.
Since the gcd (5, 12)=1, so 5 generates a subgroup of
12/1=12 elements, namely  5 = ℤ12.

5
Subgroup Diagram of ℤ18

The following corollary follows immediately from


the above Theorem(**).

Corollary:
If a is a generator of a finite cyclic group G of
order n, then the other generators of G are the
elements of the form ar, where r is relatively
prime to n.

6
Subgroup Diagram of ℤ18
Example: (Related to the above Corollary)
Find all subgroups of ℤ18 and give their subgroup
diagram.
Solution: All subgroups are cyclic. Applying above
Corollary, the elements 1, 5, 7,11,13 and 17 are all
generators of ℤ18.
 Starting with 2, 2 ={0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 } is
of order 9, and gcd(2, 18)=2=gcd(k, 18) where k is 2,
4, 8, 10, 14, and 16. Thus 2, 4, 8, 10, 14, and 16
are all generators of 2.
 3={0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15} is of order 6, and gcd(3,
18)=3=gcd(k, 18) where k=15.
 6={0, 6, 12} is of order 3, and gcd(6, 18)=6=gcd(k,
18) where k=12.
 9={0, 9} is of order 2.
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Subgroup diagram of ℤ18
1

2 3

6 9

0

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Assignment/Homework
1. What is wrong with the statement “an element a
of a group G has order n ∈ ℤ+ if and only if an =
e”?
2. Find all the generators of ℤ6.
3. Determine the number of subgroups of ℤ36.
4. Draw the subgroup diagram of ℤ12.
5. Problems 44, 45, 47, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54 and 55
of Exercise 6 (page number 67-68) of the book
“A first course in Abstract Algebra” by J. B.
Fraleigh.

9
Thank you
Having any question/doubt,
contact me

10
References

[1]. J. B. Fraleigh, A first course in Abstract Algebra,


Pearson, 2002.
[2]. M. Artin, Algebra, Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-
Hall, 1991.
[3]. S. Lang, Algebra, Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley,
1965.
[4]. S. K. Mapa, Higher Algebra: Abstract and Linear,
Sarat Book House, 2003.

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