2 Problems

[K]6. Let a = (1, 3, −2)T and b = (0, 4, 2)T . Evaluate all of the following expressions that
make sense and find those which are equal:

ab, aT b, abT , aT bT , bT a, baT .

7. Show by constructing an example that, in general, AT A ̸= AAT , even if A is square.

[K]8. Evaluate the determinants of the following 2 × 2 matrices and hence determine
whether or not they are invertible.
         
2 7 −4 7 5 2 8 9 11 13
(a) , (b) , (c) , (d) , (e) .
1 4 3 −5 10 4 3 4 12 14

Write down the inverses where they exist.

[K]9. Evaluate the determinants for the following matrices by reducing to row echelon form.
     
−1 1 2 1 −2 4 1 0 4
(a)  2 4 −1 , (b)  3 1 −2 , (c)  3 1 −2 .
0 −1 1 1 5 −10 1 5 −10
Find the inverses where they exist.

1 Groups and Fields

[K]10. Let n be an integer larger than 1 and write Zn = {0, 1, . . . , n − 1}. For x, y ∈ Zn , let
x ∗ y be the (least non–negative) remainder when xy is divided by n. (That is, ∗ is
multiplication modulo n.)

(a) Prove that ∗ is a well-defined binary operation on Zn . Deduce from standard

properties of arithmetic in Z that ∗ is commutative and associative.
(b) Let p ∈ Z be prime. Show that Up = Zp \ {0} is a group under ∗. (Bezout’s
identity will help: if x and y are relatively prime then there exist a, b ∈ Z such
that ax + by = 1.)

11. Let (G, ∗) be a group with identity e. Prove carefully, quoting the axioms as you use
them, properties b), c) and e) of Lemma 1.1 of the lecture notes.

12. Suppose that G is a group and that a2 = e for all a in G. Show that G is Abelian.

[K]13. Show that if m1 , m2 are integers and m1 | m2 , then m2 Z is a subgroup of m1 Z. (The

operation on both groups is addition.)

14. (a) Show that the set of matrices

  
a b
G= : a, b ∈ R, a ̸= 0
0 1

is a subgroup of GL(2, R), the group of 2 × 2 invertible matrices with entries in

R under matrix multiplication.
 MATH2601 Practice Problems, 2024 3

(b) Show that the set of matrices

  
a a
H= : a ∈ R, a ̸= 0
a a

is a group under matrix multiplication. Why is it not a subgroup of GL(2, R)?

15. Recall that the order of a group G, denoted |G|, is the number of elements in the
group. Let x be an element of G.

(a) If xi = xj with i ̸= j show that there is a least positive integer n such that
xn = e. If n is the smallest power of x such that xn = e then n is the order of x.
(b) If G is a group of finite order and x is in G then show that the order of x is
finite.
(c) Show that if ϕ : G → H is an isomorphism between G and another group H,
then the order of every g in G is the same as the order of ϕ(g) in H.

[K]16. Let H be the smallest subgroup of GL(2, R) containing both

   
0 1 0 1
A= and B = .
−1 0 1 0

Show that H has eight elements.

(We call H the group generated by A and B and write H = ⟨A, B⟩.)
   
0 1 0 i
17. Let Q be the subgroup of GL(2, C) generated by A = and B = .
−1 0 i 0
Show that Q is a group with 8 elements: it is a linear representation on C2 of the
quaternion group.

18. Using Q15(c), or otherwise, show that H of Q16 and Q from Q17 are not isomor-
phic, and neither are isomorphic to C8 , the cyclic group of order 8.

19. (a) Let G be the group of symmetries of a cube. Show that |G| = 24. Describe the
elements of G and classify them by their order. (See Q15 for the definition of
the order of an element.)
(b) Repeat (a) for the group of symmetries of the dodecahedron. In this case the
order of the group is 60.

20. Prove parts a), b) and c) of Lemma 1.3 of the lecture notes.

[K]21. Which of the following are fields? For the ones which are not fields, say which axiom
fails.

(a) M2,2 (R) under the usual addition and multiplication of matrices.
(b) G = {x + iy ∈ C : x, y ∈ Q} under the usual addition and multiplication in C.
√
(c) S = {x + y 3 2 ∈ R : x, y ∈ Q}, with operations from R.
(d) Z109 . (e) Z110 .
 4 Problems

22. For each of the following, say whether the statement is true or false and give a brief
reason.

(a) The function ϕ : (Z, +) → (Z, +) with ϕ(n) = 2n is a group homomorphism.

(b) The function ϕ : (R, +) → (R, +) with ϕ(x) = 2x is a group homomorphism.
(c) The function ϕ : (R, +) → (R, +) with ϕ(x) = 2x − 1 is a group homomorphism.
(d) The function ϕ : (R+ , ×) → (R, +) with ϕ(x) = log x is a group homomorphism.

23. For each function in Q22 which is a homomorphism, which are isomorphisms?

24. Prove Lemma 1.6 b) and c) and the second half of Lemma 1.7 from the lecture notes.

2 Vector Spaces
[K]25. For each of the following, say whether the statement is true or false and give a brief
reason.

(a) The set {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 : x + y + z = 0} is a vector space.

(b) The set {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 : xyz = 0} is a vector space.
(c) The set {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 : sin(x + y + z) = 0} is a vector space.
(d) The set {Ax : x ∈ R4 } is a vector space, where A is a fixed 3 × 4 real matrix.

26. Let V be the set of all sequences {αn } = {α0 , α1 , . . . , αn , . . .} of elements of R.

Define addition of sequences by: {αn } + {βn } = {αn + βn } and scalar multiplication
by λ{αn } = {λαn }. Prove that V is a vector space over R.

27. Let V = C([−1, 1]), the vector space of all continuous real valued functions defined
on [−1, 1]. Which of the following are subspaces of V ? Justify your answers.

(a) {f ∈ V : f (t) = f (−t) for all t}, (b) {f ∈ V : f (t) ≥ 0 for all t},
R1 R1
(c) {f ∈ V : −1 f (t) dt = 0}. (d) {f ∈ V : −1 f (t) dt = 1}.

[K]28. Are the following sets subspaces of R3 ? Give reasons for your answers:

(a) S1 = {x : x21 = x32 };

(b) S2 = {x : 2x1 − 3x2 + 3x3 = 13};
(c) S3 = {x : 2x1 − 3x2 + 3x3 = 0};
(d) S4 = {x : x = t1 u1 + t2 u2 , t1 , t2 ∈ R} for some fixed vectors u1 , u2 in R3 .

Find a basis for those that are subspaces.

[K]29. Determine which of the following subsets of P3 (R) are subspaces.

(a) {p ∈ P3 (R) : p′′ (x) = 0 for all x ∈ R},

(b) {p ∈ P3 (R) : p′ (x) + x + 1 = 0 for all x ∈ R}.