Modern Algebra

Tutorial 2

1 Groups
1. Which of the following are groups under the given operations?
 ! 
a a
 
(a) Let G = : a ̸= 0, a ∈ R under matrix multiplication.
 a a 

(b) For a fixed point (a, b) in R2 , define T(a,b) : R2 −→ R2 by T(a,b) (x, y) = (x + a, y + b). Let
G = {T(a,b) : a, b ∈ R} under function composition.

(c) The set of all 2 × 2 matrices with entries from R and determinant 1 under matrix multiplication.
 ! 
a b
 
(d) Let G = : |a| + |b| ̸= 0, a, b ∈ R under matrix multiplication.
 −b a 

(e) For all integers n ≥ 1, the set of complex nth roots of unity
n ◦ ◦
o
cos k.360
n + i sin k.360
n
: k = 0, 1, . . . , n − 1

under usual multiplication.

az+b
3. Show that the set of all transformations of the type z 7→ cz+d , ad − bc ̸= 0 of complex numbers is
a group for the operation of composite transformations. (This group is called Mobius transformation
group.)

4. Find the order of the group GLn (Fp ) where Fp = Z/pZ the field of integers modulo a prime number
p.

5. Let |x| denote order of an element x in a group G. Show that |x| = |x−1 | = |gxg −1 | for any g ∈ G.
Deduce that |ab| = |ba| for any a, b ∈ G.

1
 6. Prove that a group G is Abelian if and only if (ab)−1 = a−1 b−1 for all a and b in G.

7. Prove that if x2 = 1 for all x ∈ G, then G is abelian.

8. Show that G is abelian group if and only if (ab)2 = a2 b2 .

9. Prove that any finite group of even order contains an element of order 2.

10. Show that every σ ∈ Sn can be expressed as a product of disjoint cycles.

11. Prove that every σ ∈ Sn can be expressed as a product of transpositions.

12. List all the elements of order 2 in S4 . How many elements of Sn have order 2?

13. Write elements as permutation in S6 of the dihedral group symmetries of a regular hexagon inscribed
in a unit circle with one vertex on the x-axis.

14. Let F be a field. Prove that the set of all 3 × 3 matrices with entries from F of the following form
forms a group under matrix multiplication:
  
 1
 a b 

H(F) =  0 1 c  a, b, c ∈ F
:
 
 0

0 1



This group is called the Heinsenberg group. Further:

(a) Find formulas for the products and inverses of elements in H(F ).

(b) Show that H(F) is a non-Abelian group.

(c) Prove that every non-identity element of H(R) has infinite order.

(d) Let F be a finite field with q elements. Show that |H(F)| = q 3 .

(e) Find orders of elements of H(F2 ).

15. Prove that the set {1, 2, . . . , n − 1} is a group under multiplication modulo n if and only if n is prime.

2 Subgroups
 ! 
a b
 
1. Let G = : a, b, c, d ∈ Z be the group under matrix addition. Is
 c d 
 ! 
a b
 
H= ∈ G : a + b + c + d = 0 a subgroup of G?
 c d 

2
 2. Let K be a subgroup of R under addition. Is H = {2a : a ∈ K} a subgroup of R∗ under multiplica-
tion?

3. Prove that the set An of all even permutations forms a subgroup of Sn of order n!/2.

4. Let H = {a + ib : a, b ∈ R, ab ≥ 0}. Is H a subgroup of C under addition?

5. Let G be an Abelian group. Prove that the set t(G) = {g ∈ G : |g| < ∞} is a subgroup of G (called
the torsion subgroup of G). Give an example to show that t(G) is not a subgroup when G is not
Abelian.

6. Let H and K be subgroups of a group G. Then HK = {hk|h ∈ H, k ∈ K} is a subgroup of G if

7. Show that a group can not be the union of two proper subgroups.

8. Find all subgroups of S3 and D4 .

9. Let H be a subgroup of G and a ∈ G. Show that a ∈ H if and only if aH = H.

10. Show that every subgroup of a cyclic group is cyclic.

11. Let G =< a > and |a| = n. Find |ar | where r ∈ [n]. Find all r ∈ [n] such that G =< ar >.

12. Let G be a group and x, y ∈ G have finite orders m and n respectively. Prove that |xy| divides [m, n]
if xy = yx. Give an example of x and y so that |xy| < [m, n]. What can you say if xy ̸= yx.

13. Give an example of a group which is not cyclic group but every proper subgroup of which is cyclic.

14. Show that a cyclic group with just one generator has at most two elements.

15. Prove that an infinite cyclic group has exactly two generators.