MATH 103A Homework 5 - Solutions

Due February 15, 2013

Version February 4, 2013

Assigned reading: Chapters 4, 6,7 of Gallian.

Recommended practice questions: Chapter 4 of Gallian, exercises
Chapter 6 of Gallian, exercises
2, 6, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18
Chapter 7 of Gallian, exercises
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15, 17, 26, 33
Assigned questions to hand in:
(1) (Gallian Chapter 6 # 10) Let G be a group. Prove that the mapping g
 g
1 for all
g  G is an automorphism if and only if G is Abelian.
Solutions: Suppose is an automorphism. Let x, y  G. We want to show that xy
Applying the property of automorphism to xy

1 :
xy

1

definition of

xy

1

1

yx.

xy,

but also

autom.
xy

1
 y
1x
1
 y
1
x
1
 y
1

1 x
1

1

yx.

Thus, xy  yx. Conversely, suppose G is abelian. To prove that is an automorphism,

we need two facts:
(1) WTS is a bijection. It is sucient to exhibit an inverse for . In fact, we will show
that is its own inverse. Let x  G, then
x

 x
1
 x
1

1

x.

Thus,   identity and has an inverse so is a bijection.

(2) WTS preserves the operation. Let x, y  G. Then
xy
 xy

1

y
1x
1

abelian

x
1 y
1

x
y
,

as required.
(2) (Gallian Chapter 6 # 22) Let be an automorphism of a group G. Prove that H
G : x
 x is a subgroup of G.

 x 

Solution: We use the one-step subgroup test.

 Nonempty? Consider e  G. By Theorem 6.2.1, e
 e so e  H. Thus, H  .
 Closed? Let a, b  H. WTS that ab
1  H. By denition of H, a
 a and
b
 b.
6.2.2
ab
1
 a
b
1
 a
b

1  ab
1 .
Thus, ab
1 satises the condition for membership in H.

(3) (Gallian Chapter 6 # 27) Let r  U n
. Prove that the mapping : Zn
s
 sr mod n for all s  Zn is an automorphism of Zn .

Zn dened by

Solution: Fix n and r. By question 3 on homework 1 (Ch 0 # 11), there is x such that
rx mod n  1; in fact, x mod n  r
1 in U n
.
(1) Bijection? We will prove that the function s
 sr
1 mod n (for r
1  U n
) is
the inverse of . Note that the domain and codomain of and is Zn , as required.
Let s  Zn .

s

 sr
1

mod n
 sr
1

mod n  s r
1 r

mod n  s,

mod n
r

by associativity of multiplication mod n.

s

 sr

mod n
 sr

mod n
r
1

mod n  s rr
1

mod n  s,

by associativity of multiplication mod n. Thus, and are inverse functions and

are bijections.
(2) Preserves operation? Let s, t  Zn . Then
s  t
 s  t
r

mod n  sr

mod n  tr

mod n  s
 t
,

by distributivity of multiplication mod n over addition mod n.

(4) (Gallian Chapter 6 # 28) The group

group? What if Z is replaced by R?

1 a
0 1

:aZ

is isomorphic to what familiar

Solution: It is isomorphic

 to Z or R under addition (respectively). To prove this, consider
1 a
the function

 a.
0 1


1 a
works.
(1) Bijection? The inverse a


0 1

1 a
1 b
and
be given. Then
(2) Preserves operation? Let
0 1
0 1



1 a
0 1

1 b
0 1

Matrix Mult

1 ba
0
1



baab

1 a
0 1

1 b
0 1

.

(5) (Gallian Chapter 6 # 34) Prove or disprove that U 20
and U 24
are isomorphic.
Solution: These groups are not isomorphic. We prove this by demonstrating that every
element in U 24
has order 1 or 2 whereas there is an element of U 20
with order 4.
U 24
 1, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23.
To prove that x 2 for x  U 24
, it is sucient to show that x2
12
72
13

19





49

1,

52

25 mod 24  1,
112

mod 24  1,

169 mod 24  1,
361 mod 24  1,
2

121 mod 24  1,

17

289 mod 24  1,

23

529 mod 24  1.

1 for each x  U 24
.

On the other hand,

U 20
 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17, 19
and
3  1, 3, 9, 7

so
3  4  2.
By Theorem 6.2.7, two nite isomorphic groups have exactly the same number of elements
of every order. Since this condition fails for U 20
and U 24
, they cannot be isomorphic.
and let
(6) (Gallian Chapter 6 # 48) Let be an isomorphism from a group G to a group G
a  G. Prove that C a

 C a

.
Solution: Fix G and a. We prove subset inclusion in two directions.
 Let y  C a

. Then there is x  C a
such that y  x
. WTS that y
namely that y commutes with a
:
Because x

y a
 x
a
 xa



 C a

C a

,

ax
 a
x
 a
y,

as required.
Let y  C a

. Then y a
 a
y. WTS that y  C a

, namely that there
is x  C a
with y  a
. Since is an isomorphism, it has an inverse and
1 y

exists. We claim that
1 y
 C a
. Recall that by Theorem 6.3.1,
1 is an
isomorphism. So:

 C a
1
a
y

1 a


1 y
 a
1 y
,
as required. Thus,
1 y
 C a
and
1 y

 y so y  C a

.

1 y
a 
1 y

1 a


1 y a

Because y

(7) (Gallian Chapter 7 # 8) Suppose that a has order 15. Find all the left cosets of a5  in a.
Solution: The subgroup
H

 a   e, a
5

, a5
2 , a5
3 , . . .  e, a5 , a10 .

The left cosets of H are of the form xH for x  G, namely

ak a5 
since each x  G is ak for some k
eH
a2 H

 e, a

 a

Z. In particular,

,a

10

,

aH

 a, a

, a11 

, a7 , a12 ,
a3 H  a3 , a8 , a13 
a4 H  a4 , a8 , a14 

but
a5 H  a5 , a10 , a15   a5 , a10 , e  eH.
Thus, there are 5 distinct left cosets of this subgroup.
(8) (Gallian Chapter 7 # 24) Suppose that H and K are subgroups of G and there are elements a, b  G such that aH  bK. Prove that H  K.
Solution: Let a, b  G such that aH  bK. In particular, since H is a subgroup of G, e  G
and a  ae  bK so there is k  K such that a  bk. Note that a
1  bk

1  k
1 b
1
and that k
1  K (since K is a subgroup of G).
3

Suppose x  H. We will show that x  K. By denition ax

ax  bK. Namely, there is y  K such that ax  by.
x  a
1 a
x  a
1 ax
 a
1 by
 k
1 b
1 by

k
1 y

aH so by assumption,


since k
1 , y  K and K is a subgroup of G so is closed under the operation.

(9) (Gallian Chapter 7 # 26) Suppose that G is a group with more than one element and
G has no proper, nontrivial subgroups. Prove that G is prime. (Do not assume at the
outset that G is nite.) Note that by Corollary 3 to Lagranges theorem, this exercise
proves that G is cyclic.
Solution: G contains at least the elements e, x for x some non-identity element. We have
proved that x G. Since x  e, x  e. By assumption that G contains no proper
nontrivial subgroups, it must be the case that x  G. We consider two cases.
 Case 1: x  . By Theorem 4.1, for each i, j  Z, xi  xj i i  j. In particular,
e  x2n : n  Z  xn : n  Z. But, x2n : n  Z  x2  is a subgroup of
G. In this case, we have a proper nontrivial subgroup of G, which contradicts the
assumption on G.
 Case 2: x  . By the Fundamental Theorem of Cyclic Groups (Theorem 4.3),
each positive divisor of x corresponds to a subgroup of G  x of that order.
To guarantee that G has no proper nontrivial subgroups, x can have no positive
divisors other than 1 and x. That is, x is prime. But, x  x  G so we have
shown that G is prime.