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Groups_Sheet_0

The document is an introductory sheet for a group theory exercise, outlining questions related to group axioms, examples of groups, and properties of matrix multiplication. It encourages students to research concepts and provides specific tasks to demonstrate understanding of group theory. Additional optional questions are included for further exploration of the topic.

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derekdereklch
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3 views

Groups_Sheet_0

The document is an introductory sheet for a group theory exercise, outlining questions related to group axioms, examples of groups, and properties of matrix multiplication. It encourages students to research concepts and provides specific tasks to demonstrate understanding of group theory. Additional optional questions are included for further exploration of the topic.

Uploaded by

derekdereklch
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Mich. 2022 GROUPS – INTRODUCTORY SHEET G.

Taylor

Please attempt questions 1–9.


Since you might not have studied groups yet, this sheet doesn’t rely on much theory. If you haven’t
encountered groups at all then it will require some research on your part – find out the definition of
a group, and look up any unfamiliar words below (e.g., ‘abelian’, ‘proper’, ‘binary operation’, . . . ).
You are welcome to mail me for help ([email protected]), but you should tell me what you’ve tried.

1. Write down the group axioms clearly, and also what it means for a group to be abelian.

2. For each of the examples below, determine (giving reasons) which of the group axioms hold
and which do not, and whether the operation is commutative. For those examples that are
groups, write down two distinct, proper, non-trivial subgroups.

(i) the integers Z under subtraction


(ii) the rationals Q under addition
(iii) the real numbers R under multiplication
√
(iv) the complex numbers C under the operation a ∗ b = a + b + i, where i = −1
(v) the set of non-zero vectors in R3 under the vector (‘cross’) product
(vi) the set of 2 × 2 real matrices with non-zero determinant under matrix multiplication
(vii) the set {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5} under the operation a ∗ b = |a − b|
(viii) the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} under multiplication modulo 6
(ix) the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} under multiplication modulo 7

3. Let G be a group with operation ∗. The associativity axiom says that for all a, b, c in G, we
have (a ∗ b) ∗ c = a ∗ (b ∗ c). This allows us to write a ∗ b ∗ c without ambiguity, as both ways
of bracketing the terms give equal expressions.
Show that there are five different ways of bracketing terms in a ∗ b ∗ c ∗ d. Using the rule of
associativity for three terms, show carefully that all five ways give equal expressions.
How many different ways of bracketing a ∗ b ∗ c ∗ d ∗ e are there?
   
1 1 2 0
4. (a) Let A = and B = . Show explicitly that AB 6= BA and (AB)2 6= A2 B 2 .
0 1 0 1
(b) Let G be a group, and let a, b ∈ G. Prove that if a, b commute then (ab)n = an bn for all
n ∈ N. Also prove the converse: if (ab)n = an bn for all n ∈ N, then a, b commute.
(c) Find 2 × 2 matrices C, D which do not commute but with (CD)n = C n Dn for all n ∈ N.
Why does this not contradict (b)?
  
t 0
5. Show that the set : t ∈ R, t 6= 0 forms a group under matrix multiplication.
0 0
More generally, show that if a set of matrices forms a group under multiplication, then either
all matrices in the set have non-zero determinant, or all have zero determinant.

6. Show that, for each integer n > 0, the set nZ = {nk : k ∈ Z} is a subgroup of Z under addition.
Does Z have any other subgroups? For m, n > 0, show that the intersection mZ ∩ nZ is a
subgroup of Z. When is the union mZ ∪ nZ a subgroup of Z?

1
7. (a) For a matrix A, we write Aij for the entry in the ith row and j th column. Convince (or
remind) yourself that for an m × n matrix
PnA and an n × p matrix B, the standard rule
for multiplying matrices gives (AB)ij = k=1 Aik Bkj , for all 1 6 i 6 m and 1 6 j 6 p.
Use this to prove that matrix multiplication is always associative: if A, B, C are matrices
of compatible sizes, then (AB)C = A(BC).
(b) Let S be a set. For functions f, g : S → S, we define the composition f ◦ g : S → S by
setting (f ◦ g)(x) = f (g(x)) for all x ∈ S.
Prove that composition of functions is associative: if f, g, h : S → S are functions, then
the functions (f ◦ g) ◦ h and f ◦ (g ◦ h) are the same.
Give an example to show that composition of functions need not be commutative.

8. A Latin square is an array of symbols such that each row and column contains the same
set of symbols, and no row or column contains a duplicated entry. For example, a correctly
completed Sudoku puzzle forms a Latin square.

(a) Explain why the multiplication table (officially, ‘Cayley table’) of a finite group forms a
Latin square. Explain how the table can be used to find what the identity is and what
the inverse of each element is, and to tell whether the group is abelian.
(b) Is the following Latin square the Cayley table of a group?

∗ e a b c d
e e a b c d
a a e c d b
b b d e a c
c c b d e a
d d c a b e

(c) Let S be a non-empty finite set, and let ∗ be an associative binary operation on S whose
multiplication table forms a Latin square. Prove that (S, ∗) is a group.

9. Let S be a set, and let ◦ and ∗ be two binary operations on S, each with its own identity
element, and suppose that for all a, b, c, d ∈ S, we have (a ◦ b) ∗ (c ◦ d) = (a ∗ c) ◦ (b ∗ d) .
Show that ◦ and ∗ are in fact the same operation with the same identity element, and that
this operation is associative and commutative.

Additional questions

These are optional. Attempt them if they interest you, but not at the expense of other work.

10. Construct an operation that makes N = {1, 2, 3, . . .} into a group.

11. Show that, in a non-abelian finite group, at most 5/8 of the pairs of elements commute.

12. Let S be a non-empty set with an associative binary operation, such that for every x ∈ S
there is a unique x0 such that xx0 x = x. Prove that S is a group.

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