Comparative table that summarizes the key properties of Semigroup, Monoid, Group, Subgroup, Abelian

Group, Cyclic Group, and Ring

Structure Binary Identity Inverse Element Closur Associativity Commutativity Special Property
Operation Element e
Semigroup Yes Not Not necessary Yes Yes Not necessary Generalization
necessary of associative
structure
Monoid Yes Required Not necessary Yes Yes Not necessary Semigroup +
Identity
Group Yes Required Required Yes Yes Not necessary Monoid +
Inverses
Subgroup Yes (inherited) Same as Same as Group Yes Yes Depends Subset of a
Group group that is
itself a group
Abelian Yes Required Required Yes Yes Required Group +
Group Commutativity
Cyclic Yes Required Required Yes Yes Depends Generated by a
Group single element
Ring Two (Addition Additive Additive Inverse Yes Addition: Addition must be Distributive
& Identity required; associative & commutative; property: a(b+c)
Multiplication) (0) Multiplicative commutative; Multiplication may = ab + ac
inverse not Multiplication: or may not be
required associative

“mod” vs “addition mod”.

1. Modulo (mod)
The mod operation just means:
a mod n=the remainder when a is divided by n
Example:
(17 \bmod 5 = 2) (since (17 = 3×5 + 2)).
(23 \bmod 7 = 2).
So mod is about finding remainders.
2. Addition modulo ( + mod n )
Addition mod n means: first add two numbers, then take remainder mod n.
It’s a binary operation defined on the set ({0,1,2,…,n-1}).
Example with (n=6):
(4 +_{6} 5 = (4+5) \bmod 6 = 9 \bmod 6 = 3).
(2 +_{6} 3 = (2+3) \bmod 6 = 5).
(5 +_{6} 5 = (5+5) \bmod 6 = 10 \bmod 6 = 4).
So “addition mod 6” keeps us inside the set {0,1,2,3,4,5}.
Key Difference
mod: single number operation → gives remainder.
addition mod: binary operation → add two numbers, then apply mod.
Analogy:
mod is like checking the position of a clock hand after many hours. (e.g., 17 hours → 5 o’clock →
remainder 5 mod 12).
addition mod is like moving the clock forward: if it’s 4 o’clock and you move 5 hours forward → 9 o’clock.
That’s ((4+5) mod 12).

Numerical:

Consider the set S={0,1,2} with binary operation ∗ defined as

Q1. Semigroup

a∗b=(a+b) mod 3 for all a,b∈S.

Construct the operation table for (S,∗).
Verify whether (S,∗)forms a semigroup.

Scenario: Traffic Signal System

Suppose we have a traffic light with 3 states: S = {0,1,2}
(0 =) Red,
(1 =) Yellow,
(2 =) Green.
Each time the signal changes, it moves forward by the number of steps given (modulo 3, since after Green it
cycles back to Red).
Define operation:a*b = (a+b) mod 3
meaning: start at state (a), move forward by (b) steps.
Interpretation of the Table
(*) Red (0) Yellow (1) Green
(2)
Red (0) Red Yellow Green
Yellow (1) Yellow Green Red
Green (2) Green Red Yellow
Example uses:
(1 * 2 = (1+2) mod 3 = 0).
Starting at Yellow, move 2 steps → you reach Red.
(2 * 1 = (2+1) mod 3 = 0).
Starting at Green, move 1 step → you reach Red.
Semigroup Justification
Closure: Always lands on a valid light (Red, Yellow, or Green).
Associativity: Moving in steps can be grouped any way:
(ab)c = a(bc)
For example: starting at Red (0), move 1 then 2 = moving 3 steps total = same as moving (1+2) steps at
once.
So, the traffic light system forms a semigroup under this operation.

Q2. Monoid
Consider a computer system where files are merged into one big file.
Each file has a size in MB.
When we merge two files, their sizes add up.
Check if this system forms a Monoid under the operation “merge = addition of file sizes.”
Solution:
Set (M = {0, 1, 2, 3, …}) (non-negative integers, representing file sizes in MB).
Binary operation: (a * b = a + b).
Suppose we have three files with sizes:
File A = 2 MB
File B = 5 MB
File C = 7 MB
Operation = addition of sizes.
Closure:
A + B = 2 + 5 = 7 MB (still in (M)).
Always true since sum of non-negative integers is non-negative integer.
Associativity:
((A+B)+C = (2+5)+7 = 7+7 = 14).
(A+(B+C) = 2+(5+7) = 2+12 = 14).
((A+B)+C = A+(B+C)).
Identity element:
Identity = 0 (file of size 0 MB).
(A+0 = 2+0 = 2), (0+A = 0+2 = 2).
So ((M, +)) is a Monoid.
The system of file sizes with merging operation (addition) forms a Monoid because:
Closure holds (sum of file sizes is still a file size).
Associativity holds (order of merging doesn’t matter).
Identity is 0 MB (merging with empty file doesn’t change size).
Q3. Group
A robot is moving on a square floor (like a chessboard square) and can rotate in multiples of 90°.
The robot’s orientation can be North (N), East (E), South (S), West (W).
Operation = rotation.
Question: Do these orientations with rotation form a Group?
Solution:
Set (G = {0°, 90°, 180°, 270°}) (rotations).
Operation: addition modulo 360.
Suppose the robot starts facing North (0°).
Closure
Rotate 90° + Rotate 180° = 270° (W).
Still in set (G).
Associativity
((90° + 180°) + 270° = 270° + 270° = 540° ≡ 180° (mod 360)).
(90° + (180° + 270°) = 90° + 450° = 540° ≡ 180° (mod 360)).
Both same → Associative.
Identity element
0° rotation does nothing.
(90° + 0° = 90°), (270° + 0° = 270°).
Inverse element
Inverse of 90° is 270° (since (90°+270°=360° ≡ 0°)).
Inverse of 180° is 180° (since (180°+180°=360° ≡ 0°)).
Every element has an inverse.
The set of robot orientations under rotation ({0°, 90°, 180°, 270°}, +¿ 360 ¿) forms a Group because it satisfies
closure, associativity, identity (0° rotation), and every rotation has an inverse.

Q4. Subgroup
Consider a clock with 12 hours (like a wall clock).
Group: (G, +¿ 12 ¿), where G = {0,1,2,3,…,11}.
Operation: addition modulo 12 (hours on a clock).
Subgroup Candidate
Take (H = {0, 3, 6, 9}).
This represents times shown when the clock strikes every 3 hours.
Verify Subgroup Properties
Non-empty: (H) has elements (0, 3, 6, 9).
Closure (addition mod 12):
(3+6 = 9 H).
(6+9 = 15 ≡ 3(mod 12)∈ H ).
(9+9 = 18 ≡ 6 (mod 12) ∈ H).
Always in (H).
Identity: Identity in (G) is 0. Since (0 ∈H), identity is included.
Inverses:
Inverse of 3 is 9 ((3+9 = 12 ≡ 0)).
Inverse of 6 is 6 ((6+6 = 12 ≡ 0)).
Inverse of 9 is 3 ((9+3 = 12 ≡ 0)).
All inverses are in (H).
The set of times ({0,3,6,9}) under addition mod 12 forms a subgroup of the clock group¿

Q5. Abelian group

Money transactions in a digital wallet
Suppose we have amounts measured in whole numbers of rupees.
Operation = addition of money.
Set (G = Z) (all integers, including positive = deposit, negative = withdrawal).
Verify Group Properties with Example
Take transactions:
(a = +500) (deposit ₹500)
(b = -200) (withdraw ₹200)
(c = +300) (deposit ₹300)
Closure
a+b = 500 + (-200) = 300 ∈ Z
Always an integer.
Associativity
((a+b)+c = (500-200)+300 = 600).
(a+(b+c) = 500+((-200)+300) = 500+100 = 600).
Identity element
0 is the identity (no transaction).
500+0 = 500.
Inverse element
Inverse of (+500) is (-500).
Inverse of (-200) is (+200).
Each transaction has an opposite.
Commutativity (Abelian property)
a+b = 500+(-200) = 300.
b+a = -200+500 = 300.
Order doesn’t matter.
The set of all money transactions (Z, +) is an Abelian group since addition of integers is associative, has
identity (0), inverses, closure, and is commutative.

Q6. Cyclic group

Days of the Week under “next day” operation.
There are 7 days:
(G = {0,1,2,3,4,5,6})
where 0 = Sunday, 1 = Monday, …, 6 = Saturday.
Operation = addition modulo 7.
Take Monday (1) as a generator.
Start at Monday = 1.
Add modulo 7 repeatedly:

After 7 steps, we come back to Monday.

All 7 days are covered, so Monday generates the group.
Thus Z7 , +¿ 7 ¿ is a Cyclic Group.
The set of days of the week under “next day” operation forms a cyclic group ( Z7 , +¿ 7 ¿ ). Starting from
Monday (generator), we can generate all days of the week by repeatedly adding 1 (mod 7).

Q7. Bus Schedule

Imagine a city bus that runs every hour on a 12-hour schedule.
Set (R): Hours on the clock = {0,1,2,…,11}.
Operation 1 (Addition mod 12): Adding hours means moving forward in time.
Operation 2 (Multiplication mod 12): Multiplying hours means repeating the trip by groups of passengers.
Show that ( R ,+12 ,× 12 ) forms a Ring.
R, +12) is an Abelian Group
• Closure: If x, y ∈ R then (x+y) mod 12 ∈ R.
• Associativity: (x+y)+z = x+(y+z). Mod 12 preserves equality.
• Identity: 0 is identity since (x+0) mod 12 = x.
• Inverse: For each x, additive inverse is (12−x) mod 12.
• Commutativity: x+y = y+x (mod 12).
Thus, (R,+12) is an abelian group.

Closure: (x·y) mod 12 ∈ R.

2. (R, ×12) is a Semigroup

Associativity: (x·y)·z = x·(y·z), preserved under mod 12.

Identity: 1 acts as multiplicative identity (1·x mod 12 = x).
So, (R, ×12) is a semigroup (in fact, with identity).
3. Distributive Laws
We must show: x ×12 (y+12 z) = (x ×12 y) +12 (x ×12 z).
Since integer multiplication distributes over addition, reducing mod 12 preserves equality. Thus distributive
laws hold.
All ring axioms are satisfied: (R,+12) is an abelian group, (R,×12) is associative and closed, and distributive
laws hold. Therefore, (R,+12,×12) is a ring (specifically, the ring of integers modulo 12, Z12).