Solutions to Practice Exam 1

Modern Algebra Monday, September 26, 2011

In the following problems, you cannot assume that multiplication is commutative. 1. Complete the following sentences. Be sure to use whatever quantiers are needed (e.g. for all, for some, there exists). (a) A function : S T is not onto if. . . there exists some t T such that (s) = t for all s S . (b) A group G is abelian if. . . gh = hg for all g, h G. (c) A function : S T is one-to-one if. . . for all s1 , s2 S , if (s1 ) = (s2 ) then s1 = s2 . (d) An operation on a set S is associative if. . . (r s) t = r (s t) for all r, s, t S . (e) The functions and are equal if. . . they have the same domain and codomain, and (x) = (x) for all x in the domain. 2. Let S be a set with an associative and commutative operation . Let e be an identity element of S . Suppose a, b, c S , that c has an inverse, and that a b = c. Prove that a has an inverse too. Proof. Let d be the inverse of c, so that c d = e. Then a b = c (a b) d = c d a (b d) = e. Then (b d) a = e follows by commutativity, so b d is an inverse of a. 3. Give a specic example of sets S , T , and U , and mappings : S T and : T U , such that is onto, but is not onto. (A blob-and-arrow diagram is sucient.) Solution.

4. Perform the following computation in S7 . Write your answer as a product of disjoint cycles. (12537)(352)1 (17)(632) Solution. (12537)(352)1 (17)(632) = (12537)(325)(17)(632) = (1)(2657)(3) = (2657).

Practice Exam 1 Solutions

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Modern Algebra, Fall 2010

5. Suppose S9 such that = (175382649). Find . Solution. Since ((1)) = 7, we know that the cycle notation of begins (1?7 . . .; likewise ((7)) = 5, so it continues (1?7?5 . . .. Piecing it all together, we come up with = (127654398). 6. Suppose the following is the Cayley table of a group G. Fill in the blank entries.

e a b c d e e a b e b c d e c d a b d
(a) Since e e = e, we know e is the identity, so we can ll in the rst row and the rst column. e a b c d e e a b c d a a b e b b c d e c c d a b d d (b) Now we know that each row or column of a Cayley table contains all the elements in some order. By this Sudoku rule we can ll in that d a = e and b d = a and c b = e. e a b c d e e a b c d a a b e b b c d e a c c d e a b d d e (c) By the same rule, we now can ll in that d d = c. Moreover, a c must be either

Practice Exam 1 Solutions

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Modern Algebra, Fall 2010

c or d. But if a c = c, that would mean a = e, which is not true. Hence a c = d. e a b c d e e a b c d a a b c d e b c d b c d d e d e a e a b c

(d) Now the only thing left for a b is c, and we can also ll in the bottom two entries: d b = a and d c = b. We are done. e a b c d e e a b c d a a b c d e b b c d e a c c d e a b d d e a b c 7. Let G be a group under multiplication, and let a, b G. Let n Z. Prove that (aba1 )n = abn a1 . (Be careful! We do not know n N!) Proof. If n = 0, the statement is easy: e = e. Now suppose n > 0. Then (aba1 )n = (aba1 )(aba1 ) (aba1 ) = = = = n times ab(a a)b(a1 a)b (a1 a)ba1 abebeb eba1 a bb b a1 n times abn a1 .
1

Finally, suppose n < 0; write n = m where m > 0. Then (aba1 )n = (aba1 )m = ((aba1 )1 )m = (ab1 a1 )m = a(b1 )m a1 = abm a1 = abn a1 as desired. 8. Here is the Cayley table for D8 : R0 R90 R180 R270 H V D1 D2 R0 R90 R180 R270 H V D1 D2 R0 R90 R180 R270 H V D1 D2 R90 R180 R270 R0 D2 D1 H V R180 R270 R0 R90 V H D2 D1 R270 R0 R90 R180 D1 D2 V H H D1 V D2 R0 R180 R90 R270 V D2 H D1 R180 R0 R270 R90 D1 V D2 H R270 R90 R0 R180 D2 H D1 V R90 R270 R180 R0

Practice Exam 1 Solutions

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Modern Algebra, Fall 2010

(a) Find a subgroup of D8 which has order 4 and is abelian. (List all 4 elements.) Solution. There are three possible answers: {R0 , R90 , R180 , R270 }, {R0 , R180 , H, V }, and {R0 , R180 , D1 , D2 }. (b) Find another subgroup of D8 of order 4. (List all 4 elements.) Solution. (See above.) (c) Recall that the center of a group G is dened to be Z (G) = {x G : xa = ax for all a G}. Find Z (D8 ) and list all its elements. Solution. Z (D8 ) = {R0 , R180 }. 9. Let G be a nite group and let H be a subgroup of G. Let K = {x G : xhx1 H for all h H }. Prove that K is a subgroup of G. Proof. Since G is nite, we need only prove that K is nonempty and closed. (Inverses follow because G is nite; see problem E7.2.) Nonempty: Note that for all h H , ehe1 = h H . Thus e K , so K is nonempty. Closure: Let x, y K . Then for all h H , (xy )h(xy )1 = xyhy 1 x1 = x (yhy 1 ) x1 H,
H

so xy K . We conclude that K is a subgroup. 10. Let G be a group under multiplication, and suppose a2 = e for every a G. Prove that G is abelian. (Hint: Think about inverses.) Proof. For each x G, we know xx = e, so x = x1 . Now let a, b G. Then ab = (ab)1 = b1 a1 = ba, so G is abelian. XC. Let G be a nite group with identity e. Let X = {x G : x3 = e}. Prove that that X contains an odd number of elements. (Hint: Consider inverses.) Proof. For every x X , note that (x1 )3 = (x3 )1 = e1 = e so x1 X too. So the elements of X come in pairs, x and x1 . Could it ever happen that x = x1 ? If so, e = x3 = xxx = xx1 x = ex = x, so x = e. Thus all the elements of X come in pairs, except for the identity e. Hence the number of elements of X is odd.