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Algebra 1A Group Theory Problems

This document contains problems from an Algebra 1A course focused on group theory, including topics such as centralizers, conjugacy relations, homomorphisms, automorphisms, and the structure of specific groups like D8. Students are required to prove various properties and relationships within groups and submit their work by a specified deadline. The document also includes a challenge problem related to unique subgroups of a certain size.

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hollis.chung93
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3 views2 pages

Algebra 1A Group Theory Problems

This document contains problems from an Algebra 1A course focused on group theory, including topics such as centralizers, conjugacy relations, homomorphisms, automorphisms, and the structure of specific groups like D8. Students are required to prove various properties and relationships within groups and submit their work by a specified deadline. The document also includes a challenge problem related to unique subgroups of a certain size.

Uploaded by

hollis.chung93
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

MA10209 Algebra 1A

Sheet 9 Problems: GCS

25-xi-13

The course website is [Link]

Hand in work to your tutor by 17:15, Monday Dec 2.

1. Suppose that G is a group. Suppose that H ≤ G and xH = Hx for all x ∈ G.


Prove that, for all y, z ∈ G, we have H(yz) = {ab | a ∈ Hy, b ∈ Hz}.

2. Suppose that G is a group.

(a) Choose any x ∈ G. Let CG (x) = {g | g ∈ G, gx = xg}. Prove that CG (x)


is a subgroup of G. The subgroup CG (x) is called the centralizer in G of
x.
(b) Let G = D8

= {id, (1234), (13)(24), (1432), (14)(23), (12)(34), (13), (24)}

be the group of rigid symmetries of a square (with vertices labelled 1, 2, 3, 4


anticlockwise). For each x ∈ G, calculate the group CG (x).

3. Suppose that G is a group.

(a) Define a relation ∼ on G by x ∼ y iff there is z ∈ G such that zxz −1 = y.


Prove that ∼ is an equivalence relation on G. We say that x, y ∈ G are
conjugate if x ∼ y.
(b) Calculate the equivalence classes of ∼ (i.e. the conjugacy classes) if G is
the group D8 of Question 2(b).

4. Suppose that G, H are groups and that α : G −→ H is a homomorphism.

(a) Suppose that U is a subgroup G. Consider that set {α(u) | u ∈ U }. Must


this set be a subgroup of H?
(b) Suppose that V is a subgroup of H. Consider that set {x | x ∈ G, α(x) ∈
V }. Must this set be a subgroup of G?
(c) Suppose that x ∈ G and o(x) = m is finite. Prove that the α(x) has finite
order, and that o(α(x)) divides o(x).

5. Suppose that G, H are groups and that α : G −→ H is a homomorphism.

(a) Suppose that x, y ∈ G are conjugate elements in G (see problem 3(a)).


Prove that α(x) and α(y) are conjugate elements of H.
(b) Is it possible that x and y are not conjugate elements of G, but α(x) and
α(y) are conjugate elements of H?

6. Suppose that G, H and K are groups and that α: G −→ H and β : H −→ K


are homomorphisms. Prove that β ◦ α is a homomorphism.

7. Suppose that G is a group. A map α: G −→ G which is both a homomorphism


and a bijection is called an automorphism of G.

(a) Suppose that β is an automorphism of G. Prove that β −1 : G −→ G (the


map obtained by reversing the arrows) is also an automorphism of G.
(b) Let Aut G be the set of automorphisms of G. Prove that Aut G is a group
under composition of maps.

8. Suppose that G is a group. For each x ∈ G, consider the map cx : G −→ G


defined by cx (y) = xyx−1 for each y ∈ G.

(a) Show that each cx is an automorphism of G.


(b) Define a map θ : G −→ Aut G by θ(x) = cx for each x ∈ G. Prove that θ
is a homomorphism. Here Aut G was defined in Problem 7.

9. Suppose that R is a ring, and U denotes the multiplicative group of units of R


(the set of divisors of 1). Prove that the set of 2 × 2 matrices
 
a b
c d

where a, b, c, d ∈ R and ad − bc ∈ U forms a group under matrix multiplication.

10. (Challenge) Suppose that p is a prime number. Find a group G which has a
unique subgroup of size pn for every positive integer n, and no other subgroups
apart from itself and the trivial subgroup 1.

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