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Unit 2 Subgroups

A subgroup of a group G is a subset H that is closed under the binary operation of G, contains the identity element, and includes the inverses of its elements. Every group has at least two subgroups: itself and the trivial subgroup containing only the identity element. Cyclic groups are generated by a single element and are always abelian, with every subgroup of a cyclic group also being cyclic.

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Pauline Trixia Mariano
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7 views11 pages

Unit 2 Subgroups

A subgroup of a group G is a subset H that is closed under the binary operation of G, contains the identity element, and includes the inverses of its elements. Every group has at least two subgroups: itself and the trivial subgroup containing only the identity element. Cyclic groups are generated by a single element and are always abelian, with every subgroup of a cyclic group also being cyclic.

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Pauline Trixia Mariano
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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UNIT 2

SUBGROUPS
If 𝐺 is a group, then the order 𝐺 of 𝐺
is the number of elements in 𝐺.
If a subset 𝐻 of a group 𝐺 is closed under the
binary operation of 𝐺 and if 𝐻 with the
induced operation from 𝐺 is itself a group, then
𝐻 is a subgroup of 𝐺.

We shall let 𝐻 ≤ 𝐺 or G ≥ 𝐻 to denote that 𝐻


is a subgroup of G, and 𝐻 < 𝐺 or G > 𝐻 shall
mean 𝐻 ≤ 𝐺 but 𝐻 ≠ 𝐺.
A subset 𝐻 of a group 𝐺 is a subgroup of 𝐺
if and only if :
1. 𝐻 is closed under the binary operation
of 𝐺;
2. The identity element 𝑒 of 𝐺 is in 𝐻; and
−1
3. For all 𝑎 ∈ 𝐻, 𝑎 ∈ 𝐻.
EXAMPLES:

• ℤ, + < ℝ, +
• +
ℚ ,∙ 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 𝑜𝑓 ℝ, +
• ∗
ℝ ,+ 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 𝑜𝑓 ℝ, +
• 3ℤ, + < ℤ, +
Every group 𝐺 has subgroups 𝐺
itself and 𝑒 ,where 𝑒 is the identity
element of 𝐺
If 𝐺 is a group, then the subgroup
consisting of 𝐺 itself is the improper
subgroup of 𝐺. All other subgroups are
proper subgroups. The subgroup 𝑒 is
the trivial subgroup of 𝐺. All other
subgroups are nontrivial.
An element 𝑎 of a group 𝐺 generates 𝐺
and is a generator for 𝐺 if 𝑎 = 𝐺. A
group 𝐺 is cyclic if there is some
element 𝑎 in 𝐺 that generates 𝐺.
Elementary Properties of Cyclic
Groups

• Every cyclic group is abelian


• A subgroup of a cyclic group is
cyclic.
In ℤ𝑛 , if 𝑛 is prime, then all of its
elements generate ℤ𝑛 .
If an element 𝑎 of ℤ𝑛 is relatively prime
to 𝑛, then it generates ℤ𝑛 .

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