Group Theory

Binary Operations
Binary Operations

 Let S be a set and

a, b  S .
Binary Operations

 Let S be a set and

a, b  S .
 A binary operation 
on S is a rule which
assigns to any ordered
pair (a, b) an element
a b  S.
Binary Operations

Examples
 For S  , , , , ,
a b  a  b
Binary Operations

Examples
 For S  , , , , ,
a b  a  b
 For S  , , , , ,
a  b  ab

Binary Operations

Examples
 For S  , , , , ,
a b  a  b
 For S  , , , , ,
a  b  ab
 For S , , , ,
a b  a  b
Binary Operations

Examples
 For S  , , , , ,
a b  a  b
 For S  , , , , ,
a  b  ab
 For S  , , , ,
a b  a  b
 For S  , , , ,
a  b  min(a, b)
Binary Operations

Examples
 For S  1, 2,3
a b  b
Binary Operations

Examples
 For S  1, 2,3
a b  b
 For example
1  2  2,
1 1  1,
2  3  3.
 Binary Operations

Examples
 For S  , a  b  a / b is not everywhere
defined since no rational number is assigned by
this rule to the pair (3, 0).
 Binary Operations

Examples
 For S  , a  b  a / b is not everywhere
defined since no rational number is assigned by
this rule to the pair (3, 0).
 For S   , a  b  a / b is not a binary operation
on  since  is not closed under .
Binary Operations

Definition
 A binary operation 
on a set S is
commutative if and
only if a  b  b  a
for all a, b  S .
Binary Operations

Definition
 A binary operation 
on a set S is
associative if
(a  b)  c  a  (b  c)
for all a, b, c  S .
 Binary Operations

Examples
 The binary operation  defined by
a b  a  b
is commutative and associative in .
 Binary Operations

Examples
 The binary operation  defined by
a b  a  b
is commutative and associative in .
 The binary operation  defined by
a  b  ab
is commutative and associative in .
 Binary Operations

 The binary operation defined by a  b  a  b

is not commutative in .
 Binary Operations

 The binary operation defined by a  b  a  b

is not commutative in .
 The binary operation given by a  b  a  b is
not associative in .
 Binary Operations

 The binary operation defined by a  b  a  b

is not commutative in .
 The binary operation given by a  b  a  b is
not associative in .
 For instance,
(a  b)  c  (4  7)  2  5
but
a  (b  c)  4  (7  2)  1.