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1999 Paper 3 Q7
D: 1680.5 B: 1516.0

Let \(a\) be a non-zero real number and define a binary operation on the set of real numbers by $$ x*y = x+y+axy \,. $$ Show that the operation \(*\) is associative. Show that \((G,*)\) is a group, where \(G\) is the set of all real numbers except for one number which you should identify. Find a subgroup of \((G,*)\) which has exactly 2 elements.


Solution: Claim: \(*\) is associative. Proof: Then \(x*(y*z) = x*(y+z+ayz) = x + (y+z+ayz) + ax(y+z+ayz) = x + y + z + a(yz + xy + zx) + a^2xyz\) and \((x*y)*z = (x+y+axy)*z = (x+y+axy) + z+ a(x+y+axy)z = x + y + z + a(yz + xy + zx) + a^2xyz\) so \(x*(y*z) = (x*y)*z\) and we are done. Let \(G = \mathbb{R} \setminus \{-\frac1{a} \}\) In order to show that \((G, *)\) is a group we need to check:

  1. closure \(x*y = x + y + axy\) is a real number
  2. associativity we have already checked
  3. identity \(x*0 = x + 0 + 0 = x = 0*x\), so \(0\) is an identity
  4. inverses \(x*\left ( \frac{-x}{1+ax} \right ) = x - \frac{x}{1+ax} + ax \frac{-x}{1+ax} = \frac{x +ax^2 - x - ax^2}{1+ax} = 0\) so \(x\) has an identity, assuming \(1+ax \neq 0\) which is true for everything in our set
Consider the set \(\{0, \frac{-2}{a} \}\). Then \(\frac{-2}{a} * \frac{-2}{a} = \frac{-4}{a} + a \frac{4}{a^2} = 0\), so this is a group of order \(2\)

1994 Paper 3 Q7
D: 1679.5 B: 1503.1

Let \(S_{3}\) be the group of permutations of three objects and \(Z_{6}\) be the group of integers under addition modulo 6. List all the elements of each group, stating the order of each element. State, with reasons, whether \(S_{3}\) is isomorphic with \(Z_{6}.\) Let \(C_{6}\) be the group of 6th roots of unity. That is, \(C_{6}=\{1,\alpha,\alpha^{2},\alpha^{3},\alpha^{4},\alpha^{5}\}\) where \(\alpha=\mathrm{e}^{\mathrm{i}\pi/3}\) and the group operation is complex multiplication. Prove that \(C_{6}\) is isomorphic with \(Z_{6}.\) Is there any (multiplicative or additive) subgroup of the complex numbers which is isomorphic with \(S_{3}\)? Give a reason for your answer.


Solution: \(S_3 \) $\begin{array}{c | c |c |c |c |c |c |} \text{elements} & e & (12) & (13) & (23) & (123) & (132) \\ \text{order} & 1 & 2 & 2 & 2 & 3 & 3 \\ \end{array}$ \(\mathbb{Z}_6\) $\begin{array}{c | c |c |c |c |c |c |} \text{elements} & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ \text{order} & 1 & 6 & 3 & 2 & 3 & 6 \\ \end{array}$ \(S_3\) is not isomorphic to \(\mathbb{Z}_6\) since \(\mathbb{Z}_6\) has two elements of order \(6\) but \(S_3\) has none. Consider the map \(f : \mathbb{Z}_6 \to C_6\) with \(i \mapsto \alpha^i\). This is an isomorphism, since \(i + j \mapsto \alpha^{i+j} = \alpha^i\alpha^j\) \(S_3\) is non-abelian, since \((12)(123) = (23) \neq (13) = (123)(12)\) but multiplication and addition of complex numbers is commutative.

1993 Paper 3 Q5
D: 1730.5 B: 1466.6

The set \(S\) consists of ordered pairs of complex numbers \((z_1,z_2)\) and a binary operation \(\circ\) on \(S\) is defined by $$ (z_1,z_2)\circ(w_1,w_2)= (z_1w_1-z_2w^*_2, \; z_1w_2+z_2w^*_1). $$ Show that the operation \(\circ\) is associative and determine whether it is commutative. Evaluate \((z,0)\circ(w,0)\), \((z,0)\circ(0,w)\), \((0,z)\circ(w,0)\) and \((0,z)\circ(0,w)\). The set \(S_1\) is the subset of \(S\) consisting of \(A\), \(B\), \(\ldots\,\), \(H\), where \(A=(1,0)\), \(B=(0,1)\), \(C=(i,0)\), \(D=(0,i)\), \(E=(-1,0)\), \(F=(0,-1)\), \(G=(-i,0)\) and \(H=(0,-i)\). Show that \(S_1\) is closed under \(\circ\) and that it has an identity element. Determine the inverse and order of each element of \(S_1\). Show that \(S_1\) is a group under \(\circ\). \hfil\break [You are not required to compute the multiplication table in full.] Show that \(\{A,B,E,F\}\) is a subgroup of \(S_1\) and determine whether it is isomorphic to the group generated by the \(2\times2\) matrix $\begin{pmatrix}0 & 1\\ -1 & 0 \end{pmatrix}$ under matrix multiplication.

1987 Paper 3 Q9
D: 1500.0 B: 1500.0

Let \((G,*)\) and \((H,\circ)\) be two groups and \(G\times H\) be the set of ordered pairs \((g,h)\) with \(g\in G\) and \(h\in H.\) A multiplication on \(G\times H\) is defined by \[ (g_{1},h_{1})(g_{2},h_{2})=(g_{1}*g_{2},h_{1}\circ h_{2}) \] for all \(g_{1},g_{2}\in G\) and \(h_{1},h_{2}\in H\). Show that, with this multiplication, \(G\times H\) is a group. State whether the following are true or false and prove your answers.

  1. \(G\times H\) is abelian if and only if both \(G\) and \(H\) are abelian.
  2. \(G\times H\) contains a subgroup isomorphic to \(G\).
  3. \(\mathbb{Z}_{2}\times\mathbb{Z}_{2}\) is isomorphic to \(\mathbb{Z}_{4}.\)
  4. \(S_{2}\times S_{3}\) is isomorphic to \(S_{6}.\)
{[}\(\mathbb{Z}_{n}\) is the cyclic group of order \(n\), and \(S_{n}\) is the permutation group on \(n\) objects.{]}


Solution: Claim: \(G \times H\) is a group. (Called the product group). Proof: Checking the group axioms:

  1. (Closure) is inherited from \(G\) and \(H\), since \(g_1 * g_2 \in G\) and \(h_1 \circ h_2 \in H\)
  2. (Associativity) \begin{align*} (g_1, h_1)\l (g_2, h_2)(g_3,h_3)\r &= (g_1, h_1)(g_2 *g_3, h_2 \circ h_3) \\ &= (g_1*(g_2 *g_3), h_1 \circ (h_2 \circ h_3)) \\ &= ((g_1*g_2) *g_3), (h_1 \circ h_2) \circ h_3) \\ &= (g_1*g_2, h_1 \circ h_2)(g_3, h_3) \\ &= \l(g_1, h_1)(g_2, h_2) \r(g_3,h_3) \end{align*}
  3. (Identity) Consider \((e_G, e_H)\), then \((e_G, e_H)(g,h) = (g,h) = (g,h)(e_G, e_H)\)
  4. (Inverses) If \((g,h) \in G \times H\) then consider \((g^{-1}, h^{-1})\) and we have \((g^{-1}, h^{-1})(g,h) = (e_G,e_H) = (g,h)(g^{-1}, h^{-1})\)
  • Claim: \(G \times H\) is abelian iff \(G\) and \(H\) are. Proof: \(\Rightarrow\) Suppose \(g_1, g_2 \in G\) and \(h_1, h_2 \in H\) then \((g_1, g_2)(h_1,h_2) = (g_1 * g_2, h_1 \circ h_2) = (h_1,h_2)(g_1, g_2) = (g_2 * g_1, h_2 \circ h_1)\) so \(g_1*g_2 = g_2*g_1\) and \(h_1 \circ h_2 = h_2 \circ h_1\), therefore \(G\) and \(H\) are commutative. \(\Leftarrow\) If \(H\) and \(G\) are commutative then: \((g_1, g_2)(h_1,h_2) = (g_1 * g_2, h_1 \circ h_2) = (g_2 * g_1, h_2 \circ h_1) = (h_1,h_2)(g_1, g_2)\) so \(G \times H\) is commutative.
  • Claim: \(G\times H\) contains a subgroup isomorphic to \(G\). Consider the subset \(S = \{(g,e_H) : g \in G \}\). Then this is a subgroup isomorphic to \(G\) with isomorphism given by \(\phi : S \to G\) by \(\phi((g,e_H)) = g\)
  • If \(x \in \mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2\) then \(x^2 = e\), but \(1\) does not have order 2 in \(\mathbb{Z}_4\)
  • \(S_2 \times S_3\) has order \(2 \times 6 = 12\). \(S_6\) has order \(6! \neq 12\)