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Cyclic Group

The document discusses cyclic groups. A cyclic group G is generated by a single element a such that G = {an | n is an integer}. The cyclic subgroup generated by a is denoted 〈a〉. If 〈a〉 is finite, the order of a is the size of 〈a〉. Cyclic groups are abelian. Subgroups of cyclic groups are also cyclic, with the generators related to the greatest common divisor of integers. Finite cyclic groups are isomorphic to Zn under addition.

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547 views38 pages

Cyclic Group

The document discusses cyclic groups. A cyclic group G is generated by a single element a such that G = {an | n is an integer}. The cyclic subgroup generated by a is denoted 〈a〉. If 〈a〉 is finite, the order of a is the size of 〈a〉. Cyclic groups are abelian. Subgroups of cyclic groups are also cyclic, with the generators related to the greatest common divisor of integers. Finite cyclic groups are isomorphic to Zn under addition.

Uploaded by

Erica Canon
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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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CYCLIC GROUP

Cyclic Groups
Recall: If G is a group and a∈G, then H={an|n ∈Z} is a
subgroup of G. This group is the cyclic subgroup 〈 a 〉
of G generated by a.

Also, given a group G and an element a in G, if G ={an|n


∈Z} , then a is a generator of G and the group G=
〈 a 〉 is cyclic

Let a be an element of a group G. If the cyclic subgroup


〈 a 〉 is finite, then the order of a is the order | 〈 a 〉
| of this cyclic subgroup. Otherwise, we say that a is of
infinite order.
Elementary Properties of Cyclic Groups
Theorem
Every cyclic group is abelian.

Proof: Let G be a cyclic group and let a be a


generator of G so that
G = 〈 a 〉 ={an|n ∈Z}.
If g1 and g2 are any two elements of G, there exists
integers r and s such that g1=ar and g2=as. Then
g1g2= aras = ar+s = as+r = asar = g2g1,
So G is abelian.
Division Algorithm for Z
Division Algorithm for Z
If m is a positive integer and n is any integer, then there
exist unique integers q and r such that
n = m q + r and 0 ≤ r < m

Here we regard q as the quotient and r as the nonnegative


remainder when n is divided by m.
Example:
Find the quotient q and remainder r when 38 is divided by
7.
q=5, r=3

Find the quotient q and remainder r when -38 is divided by


7. q=-6, r=4
Theorem

Theorem
A subgroup of a cyclic group is cyclic.
Proof: by the division algorithm.

Corollary
The subgroups of Z under addition are
precisely the groups nZ under addition for
n∈Z.
Greatest common divisor
Let r and s be two positive integers. The positive generator
d of the cyclic group
H={ nr + ms |n, m ∈Z}
Under addition is the greatest common divisor (gcd) of r
and s. W write d = gcd (r, s).

Note that d=nr+ms for some integers n and m. Every


integer dividing both r and s divides the right-hand side
of the equation, and hence must be a divisor of d also.
Thus d must be the largest number dividing both r and s.

Example: Find the gcd of 42 andf 72. 6


Relatively Prime

Two positive integers are relatively prime if


their gcd is 1.

Fact
If r and s are relatively prime and if r divides
sm, then r must divide m.
The structure of Cyclic Groups

We can now describe all cyclic groups, up to


an isomorphism.

Theorem
Let G be a cyclic group with generator a. If
the order of G is infinite, then G is
isomorphic to 〈 Z, + 〉 . If G has finite
order n, then G is isomorphic to 〈 Zn,
+n 〉 .
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 gcd (s, n) = gcd (t, n).

Example: using additive notation, consider in Z12, with the generator


a=1.
• 3 = 3⋅1, gcd(3, 12)=3, so 〈 3 〉 has 12/3=4 elements. 〈 3 〉
={0, 3, 6, 9}
Furthermore, 〈 3 〉 = 〈 9 〉 since gcd(3, 12)=gcd(9, 12).
• 8= 8⋅1, gcd (8, 12)=4, so 〈 8 〉 has 12/4=3 elements. 〈 8 〉
={0, 4, 8}
• 5= 5⋅1, gcd (5, 12)=12, so 〈 5 〉 has 12 elements. 〈 5 〉 =Z12.
Subgroup Diagram of Z18
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.

Example: Find all subgroups of Z18 and give their subgroup diagram.
• All subgroups are cyclic
• By Corollary, 1 is the generator of Z18, so is 5, 7, 11, 13, and 17.
• 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, so is 12
• 〈 9 〉 ={0, 9} is of order 2
Subgroup diagram of Z18

〈1〉

〈2〉 〈3〉

〈6〉
〈9〉
〈0〉
• To show H is cyclic, it will be needed to
produce a generator for H. What is a
generator? It is an element whose
• powers make up the group. A thing should
be smaller than things which are “built from”
it — for example,
• a brick is smaller than a brick building. Since
elements of the subgroup are “built from” the
generator, the generator should be the
“smallest” thing in the subgroup.

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