MATH 3005 FINAL SOLUTION

FALL 2014 - MOON

(1) Write the definition.

(a) (3 pts) The center of a group G.
Z(G) = {g G | gx = xg, x G}

(b) (3 pts) The permutation group Sn .

The permutation group Sn of order n is the set of all bijective functions
: {1, 2, , n} {1, 2, , n}. For , Sn , the binary operation is
defined by the composition .
Describing Sn as a set: 2 pts.
Defining its binary operation: 1 pt.

(c) (3 pts) A normal subgroup.

For a group G, a subgroup H G is normal if gH = Hg for every g G.

(d) (3 pts) For a G-action on X and x X, the orbit orbG (x).

orbG (x) := {g x X | g G}

(e) (3 pts) A group homomorphism.

For two groups G and G, a map : G G is a group homomorphism if
for every x, y G, (xy) = (x)(y).

(2) (6 pts) Let a, b Z. Show that ha, bi = hgcd(a, b)i.

Let d = gcd(a, b). Then d|a and d|b, so there are two integers m, n Z such
that a = md and b = nd. Therefore a, b hdi. Because ha, bi is the smallest
subgroup of Z containing both a and b, ha, bi hdi.
On the other hand, by Euclids algorithm, there are two integers s, t such that
d = sa + bt. Therefore d = sa + bt ha, bi. Again, hdi is the smallest subgroup
containing d. So hdi ha, bi. Thus ha, bi = hdi = hgcd(a, b)i.
Showing ha, bi hdi: 3 pts.
Proving hdi ha, bi: 3 pts.
Date: December 16, 2014.

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MATH 3005 Final Fall 2014 - Moon
(3) Let G = U (21) and H = h4i G.
(a) (2 pts) Find |G|.
|G| = |U (21)| = (21) = (3 7) = (3)(7) = (3 1)(7 1) = 12.

(b) (2 pts) Evaluate |2|.

22 = 4, 23 = 8, 24 = 16, 25 = 32 = 11, 26 = 22 = 1.
Therefore |2| = 1.
One has to find the smallest n such that 2n = 1.

(c) (2 pts) Compute 21 .

2 11 = 22 = 1 21 = 11.

(d) (3 pts) Find all left cosets of H in G.

H = {4, 42 , 43 } = {4, 16, 1} = {1, 4, 16}
Because |G : H| = |G|/|H| = 12/3 = 4, there are four distinct left cosets.
2H = {2 1, 2 4, 2 16} = {2, 8, 11}
5H = {5 1, 5 4, 5 16} = {5, 20, 17} = {5, 17, 20}
10H = {10 1, 10 4, 10 16} = {10, 19, 13} = {10, 13, 19}
Finding all elements of H: 1 pt.

(e) (5 pts) Compute the Cayley table of G/H.

H 2H 5H 10H
H H 2H 5H 10H
2H 2H H 10H 5H
5H 5H 10H H 2H
10H 10H 5H 2H H
If one uses the representatives of cosets in an inconsistent way, 2 pts.

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MATH 3005 Final Fall 2014 - Moon

(4) (a) (2 pts) Find S8 of order 15. Write as a product of disjoint cycles.
If is a product of disjoint 3 cycle and 5 cycle, then || = lcm(3, 5) = 15.
For example, = (123)(45678) is an order 15 cycle.

(b) (2 pts) Write 3 as a matrix form.

 
3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
= .
1 2 3 7 8 4 5 6

(c) (5 pts) Find the number of elements of order 15 in S8 .

All order 15 permutations are products of one 3 cycle and one

5 cycle. To
8
make a 3 cycle, we need to choose 3 elements. So there are 3 = 56 cases.
There are 3!/3 = 2 ways to make a 3 cycle using them. Also by using the
remaining 5 elements, we can make 5!/5 = 24 different 5 cycles. Therefore
there are 56 2 24 = 2688 elements of order 15.
Saying that every order 15 permutation is a product of one 3 cycle and one
5 cycle: 1 pt.

(5) (7 pts) Find four non-isomorphic Abelian groups of order 36 and explain why
they are not isomorphic to each other.
There are four Abelian groups of order 36:
Z36 , Z18 Z2 , Z12 Z3 , Z6 Z6 .
In Z36 , there is an order 36 element, but the other groups dont have such el-
ement. So Z36 is not isomorphic to the others. In Z12 Z3 , there is only one
element of order 2, namely, (6, 0). But in Z18 Z2 , (9, 0), (0, 1), (9, 1) have order
2 and in Z6 Z6 , (3, 0), (0, 3), (3, 3) have order 2. So Z12 Z3 is not isomorphic
to the other groups. Finally, in Z18 Z2 there is an element (1, 0) of order 18, but
every element in Z6 Z6 has order at most 6. Therefore these four groups are
not isomorphic to each other.
Finding k distinct Abelian groups of order 36: k pts.
Explaining why one of them is not isomorphic to the others: +1 pt.

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MATH 3005 Final Fall 2014 - Moon

(6) (5 pts) Compute the order of the rotation group of a cube.

The rotation group G of a cube permutes 8 vertices of the cube. So if we
denote by V the set of vertices, then G acts on V . For any two vertices v, w V ,
by using a rotation, v can be moved to w. In other words, orbG (v) = V . On the
other hand, including the identity rotation, there are exactly 3 rotations fixing v,
namely, the rotations across the diagonal line passing through v.
By the orbit-stabilizer theorem,
|G| = |orbG (v)| |stabG (v)| = 8 3 = 24.
Computing the size of the orbit: 2 pts.
Finding the size of the stabilizer: 3 pts.

(7) (6 pts) Let G be a group of order 150. Suppose that H is a subgroup of G of

order 75 and K is a subgroup of G of order 25. Show that K H.
Take H K. Because H K K, by Lagranges theorem, |H K| | |K| = 25.
So |H K| = 1, 5, 25. On the other hand,
|H||K|
150 = |G| |HK| = = 75 25/|H K| = 1875/|H K|,
|H K|
so |H K| 1875/150 = 12.5. Therefore |H K| = 25 = |K|. This implies that
K H.
By using Lagranges theorem, getting all possible cases of |H K|: 3 pts.
By using |HK| = |H||K|/|H K|, obtaining the lower bound of |H K|: 3
pts.

(8) (6 pts) Let G1 H1 and G2 H2 . Show that G1 G2 H1 H2 .

Because G1 H1 and G2 H2 , there are two isomorphisms 1 : G1 H1
and 2 : G2 H2 . Define : G1 G2 H1 H2 as (a, b) = (1 (a), 2 (b)).
If (a, b) = (a0 , b0 ), then (1 (a), 2 (b)) = (1 (a0 ), 2 (b0 )). So we have 1 (a) =
1 (a0 ) and 2 (b) = 2 (b0 ). Because both 1 and 2 are injective, a = a0 and b = b0 .
Therefore (a, b) = (a0 , b0 ) and is injective.
For (a, b) H1 H2 , there are c G1 and d G2 such that 1 (c) = a and
2 (d) = b. Then (c, d) = (1 (c), 2 (d)) = (a, b). Thus is surjective.
Finally, (a, b)(a0 , b0 ) = (1 (a), 2 (b))(1 (a0 ), 2 (b0 )) = (1 (a)1 (a0 ), 2 (b)2 (b0 )) =
(1 (aa0 ), 2 (bb0 )) = (aa0 , bb0 ) = ((a, b)(a0 , b0 )). Therefore is an isomorphism
and G1 G2 H1 H2 .
Define an isomorphism : G1 G2 H1 H2 : +2 pts.
Showing that is one-to-one: +1 pt.
Proving that is onto: +1 pt.
Checking that has the operation preserving property: + 2 pts.

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MATH 3005 Final Fall 2014 - Moon

(9) (a) (6 pts) Suppose that a group G acts on a set X. Define a relation on X as
x y g G, g x = y. Show that this is an equivalent relation.
First of all, e x = x, so for every x X, x x. If x y, then there is g G
such that g x = y. Then g 1 y = g 1 (g x) = e x = x, so y x. Finally,
if x y and y z, then there are g, h G such that g x = y and h y = z.
Then hg x = h (g x) = h y = z. Therefore x z. Thus is an equivalent
relation.
Showing x x: 2 pts.
Proving x y y x: 2 pts.
Obtaining x y, y z x z: 2 pts.

(b) (4 pts) Now suppose that GL(2, R) acts on R2 by the matrix multiplication
GL(2, R) R2 R2
(A, ~v ) 7 A~v .
Find all orbits of this action.
We claim that there are only two orbits. First of all,
       
0 0 0
orbGL(2,R) ( )= A | A GL(2, R) = .
0 0 0
   
a a 0
Suppose that is nonzero vector. If a 6= 0, then A :=
b b 1
     
1 a a 1
GL(2, R) and A = . If b 6= 0, then B := GL(2, R)
0 b b 0
       
1 a a 1
and B = . In any cases, orbGL(2,R) ( ).
0 b b 0
Therefore there are two distinct orbits,
      
0 a 2 0
, | a 6= 0 or b 6= 0 = R .
0 b 0
Finding one orbit correctly: 2 pts.

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MATH 3005 Final Fall 2014 - Moon

(10) Let : G G be a group homomorphism. Suppose that G is cyclic.

(a) (6 pts) Show that Im is also cyclic.
Because G is cyclic, G = hai for some a G. We claim that Im G = h(a)i.
If x Im , then there is b G such that (b) = x. But b G = hai so
b = an for some n Z. Therefore x = (b) = (an ) = ((a))n h(a)i. So
Im h(a)i. Now (a) Im , so h(a)i Im . Therefore Im = h(a)i
and it is cyclic.
Finding a generator (a) of Im : 3 pts.
Showing that Im = h(a)i: 6 pts.

(b) (4 pts) Give an example of a homomorphism : G G such that Im is

cyclic but G is not cyclic.
Define : Z2 Z2 Z2 as (a, b) = a. Then it is a homomorphism, but the
domain Z2 Z2 is not cyclic.

(11) (a) (8 pts) By using the first isomorphism theorem, show that Z Z/h(1, 5)i
Z.
Define : Z Z Z by (a, b) = 5a b. Then is a homomorphism,
because
((a, b) + (c, d)) = (a + c, b + d) = 5(a + c) (b + d)
= 5a b + 5c d = (a, b) + (c, d).
If (a, b) ker , then 5a b = (a, b) = 0, so b = 5a. Therefore
ker = {(a, 5a) Z Z | a Z} = h(1, 5)i.
Also for any c Z, (0, c) = 5 0 (c) = c. So is onto and Im = Z.
By the first isomorphism theorem,
Z Z/h(1, 5)i = Z Z/ ker Im = Z.
Defining an appropriate homomorphism and check that is a ho-
momorphism: 4 pts.
Finding the kernel: 2 pts.
Showing that is onto: 2 pts.

(b) (4 pts) Explain why Z Z/h(2, 4)i is not isomorphic to Z.

Consider (1, 2) + h(2, 4)i Z Z/h(2, 4)i. Then 2 ((1, 2) + h(2, 4)i) = (2, 4) +
h(2, 4)i = h(2, 4)i. So |(1, 2) + h(2, 4)i| = 2. On the other hand, in Z there is
no order 2 element. Therefore Z Z/h(2, 4)i 6 Z.