MSS 211 SEM 1 2016/2017 1

Mzumbe University
Faculty of Science and Technology
MSS 211:Abstract Algebra
Tutorial sheet 2

Groups and Binary Operation

1. Which of the following are associative binary operations?

i) (Z; ?), where x?y = (x + y ) (xy ) for all x; y 2 Z.

ii) (R; ?), where x?y = max(x; y ) for all x; y 2 R.
iii) (R; ?), where x?y = jx + y j for all x; y 2 R.
2. From question 1, which of the operations are commutative?

3. Which of the following are associative binary operations?

i) (N; ?), where x?y = xy for all x; y 2 N.

ii) (Z; ?), where x?y = x + y + 1 for all x; y 2 Z.
iii) (N; ?), where x?y = gcd(x; y ) for all x; y 2 N.
iv) (N; ?), where x?y = lcm(x; y ) for all x; y 2 N.
v) (R; ?), where x?y = min(x; y ) for all x; y 2 R.
vi) (R; ?), where x?y = jxj + jy j for all x; y 2 R.
4. From question 2, which of the operations are commutative?

5. From question 2, which mathematical systems have an identity?

6. Let (G ; ?) be a group.prove that

i) (a 1 ) 1 = a for all a 2 G.
ii) (a ? b) 1 = b 1 ? a 1 for all a; b 2 G.
iii) (Cancelation Law) For all a; b; c 2 G , if either a?c = b ? c or c ? a = c ? b, then a = b.
iv) For all a; b 2 G , the equations a?x = b and y ?a = b have unique solutions in G for x and y .

7. Prove that, for all g; h 2 G,

a) g
m gn = g m+n for all2Z m; n

b) (g m )n = mn for all
g 2Z m; n

c) (gh )n = ( 1 1 ) n for all 2 Z. Furthermore, if G is abelian, then (

h g n gh ) n = g n hn .

8. Let + and  be the usual binary operations of addition and multiplication on the set Z, and let H = fn2 jn 2 Z+ g.
Determine whether H is closed under
MSS 211 SEM 1 2016/2017 2

(a) addition and

(b) multiplication

9. Consider Z+ . Dene ? on Z+ by a?b = c where c > 5 + ab. Is ? a binary operation?

10. Consider and m; n 2 Z. Dene m ? n =

Z m n . Determine whether the binary operation ? dened is
commutative or whether associative.
11. Determine whether the binary operation ? dened is commutative or whether associative

a) ? dened on Z by letting a ? b = ab + 1
b) ?dened on Q by letting a ? b = ab
2
+
c) ? dened on Z by letting a ? b = ab

12. Determine whether the following denition of ? does give a binary operation on the set.

a) ? dened on Z by letting a ? b = ab + 1
b) ?dened on Q by letting a ? b = ab
2
+
c) ? dened on Z by letting a ? b = ab

!
13. Let H be the subset of M 2 (R) consisting of all matrices of the form
a b
for a; b 2 R. Is H closed under
b a

a) matrix addition?
b) matrix multiplication?

14. Prove that, a subgroup of a cyclic group is cyclic.

15. Prove that, a cyclic group with only one generator can have at most two elements.

16. Let H be a subset of a group G . Prove that, H is a subgroup of G if and only if H 6= ;, and whenever g; h 2H
then gh 1 2 H.

17. Let x be an element of a group G . Then the set of all elements of G that are of the form x
n for some integer n,
is a subgroup of G . Prove this statement.

18. Prove that, if H and K are subgroups of a group G , then H \ K is also a subgroup of G .
19. Let G be a group and a be any element in G . Then prove that, the set

h i=f
a a
k : k 2 Zg
is a subgroup of G .

20.