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Algebra Qualifying Exam Solutions: Thomas Goller September 4, 2011
Algebra Qualifying Exam Solutions: Thomas Goller September 4, 2011
Thomas Goller
September 4, 2011
Contents
1 Spring 2011
2 Fall 2010
3 Spring 2010
13
4 Fall 2009
17
5 Spring 2009
21
6 Fall 2008
25
Chapter 1
Spring 2011
1.
The claim as stated is false. The identity element is a problem, since
1 = (12)(12) is a product of commuting 2-cycles, but has order 1. The statement
is correct if we exclude the identity:
Proposition 1. Let p be prime. An element 1 6= Sn has order p if and
only if is the product of (at least one) commuting p-cycles.
Proof. Suppose has order p. Let Sn have (disjoint) cyclic decomposition
= C1 . . . Cr . The order of is the least common multiple of the sizes of the
Ci , namely
p = || = lcm{|Ci |},
whence |Ci | = p for each i. Thus r 1 and the Ci are disjoint, hence they
commute.
Conversely, suppose = C1 . . . Cr is a decomposition into (not necessarily
disjoint) commuting p-cycles, with r 1. Then by commutativity,
p = C1p . . . Crp = 1,
so has order dividing p. Since 6= 1, this proves that has order p.
If p is not prime, then the theorem fails. For instance, (12)(345) S5 has
order lcm{2, 3} = 6, but is not the product of commuting 6-cycles.
2. First we compute the order of G = GL2 (Fp ). For the first row of the
matrix, there are p2 1 possibilities, since we cannot have both entries be 0.
For the second row, there are p2 p possibilities, since anything but a multiple
of the first row ensures a nonzero determinant. Thus
|GL2 (Fp )| = (p2 1)(p2 p) = p(p + 1)(p 1)2 .
By Sylows theorem, the number np of Sylow-p subgroups of G satisfies
np |(p + 1)(p 1)2
and np 1
2
(mod p).
r
X
(G : CG (gi )).
i=1
Since |G| = |CG (gi )| (G : CG (gi )), each summand is divisible by p, so |Z(G)|
must be divisible by p and therefore nontrivial.
(b) Now, we prove by induction on k that G has normal subgroup of order
pb for each 1 j k 1 (the cases j = 0, k are trivial). Since |Z(G)| is divisible
by p, |Z(G)| contains an element of order p by Cauchys theorem, whence Z(G)
contains an (abelian) subgroup Z or order p, which is normal in G since Z
is contained in the center of G. Then G0 := G/Z has order pk1 , whence G0
1, . . . , H
k2 of orders p1 , . . . , pk2 , plus the identity
has normal subgroups H
0 := 1.
subgroup H
/
G0 denote the natural surjection, we claim that the subLetting G
1
groups Hj := (Hj ) for 0 j k 2 are of order pj+1 and normal in G. The
order statement is clear, since cosets of Z in G have cardinality p. Now for any
j , so that since is a homomorphism,
x Hj and g G, we have gx
g1 H
1
1
4. We have
1 0
A = 0 0
0 1
0
2
3
and wish to compute the rational and Jordan canonical forms (over Q and C,
respectively). The characteristic polynomial is f = (x 1)2 (x 2) and the
minimal polynomial is p = (x 1)(x 2), which is proved by showing that
3
0 2 0
A 1 3 0
0 0 1
To confirm this, we note that
1
1
0
0
A 0 = 0 ,
A 1 = 0 ,
0
0
0
1
0
0
A2 1 = 2 ,
0
3
0
1
0
The associated change of basis matrix (expressing the new basis in terms of the
old basis just load in the vectors of the basis as the columns) is
0 1 0
0 0 1
with P 1 = 0 0 1 ,
P = 1 0 0 ,
1 0 0
0 1 0
whence
0
P 1 AP = 1
0
2
3
0
0
0 .
1
(Since Bold vold = Bnew vnew and Bnew = Bold P , we see that vold = P vnew , namely
P takes the old basis to the new basis, but takes vectors with coordinates in the
new basis to vectors with coordinates in the old basis. The new matrix should
act on vectors expressed in the new basis. So take such a vector, convert to the
old basis using P , then apply A, then use P 1 to take the result back to the
new basis.)
Now for the Jordan form. We have two Jordan blocks, one of size 2 associated
with the eigenvalue 1 and the other of size 1 for the eigenvalue 2. Since the
minimal polynomial has linear powers, each block is diagonalizable, so the result
is
1 0 0
A 0 1 0 .
0 0 2
= (p + qi) + ,
In Q[i], we have
= r + si, with r, s Q. Let p be an integer closest to r
and q an integer closest to s, so that |r p| and |s q| are 21 . Then setting
= (r p) + (s q)i and = , we have = (p + qi) + , so that Z[i].
Moreover, using the norm of Q[i] that is the natural extension of the norm of
Z[i], we have
N ()
N () = N ()N ()
,
2
whence 6= 0 implies N () < N () since N () is an integer.
6. Skip.
/ Z/dZ maps
It is Z-bilinear, and the induced linear map Z/mZ Z Z/nZ
8. Skip.
4
4
4
4
5, 5, 2 5, 3 5,
5
/ Z/dZ
where = i is a primitive
fourth root of unity. Thus the splitting field of E of
4
4
5 7 ik 5,
i 7 i,
all of which are automorphisms of E. Letting
4
4
: 5 7 i 5,
i 7 i
and
:
5 7
2
5,
i 7 i,
h 2 i
h 2 i
h i
h 2 , i
hi
h 2 , i
h i
h 3 i
h, i
The corresponding lattice of fixed fields is
Q( 4 5, i)
Q( 4 5)
Q(i 4 5)
Q( 5, i)
Q((1 + i) 4 5)
Q( 5)
Q(i)
Q(i 5)
Q((1 i) 4 5)
(c) The Galois group of Q( 4 5) over Q(i) is hi, isomorphic to Z4 .
Q. We claim that
3
/ Q( 2). For suppose (a + b 2)2 = 3 with a, b Q.
2
2
Then a + 2b + 2ab 2 =3, whence a or b is 0, but
3 is
not thesquare of a
3)/Q
is
of
degree
2,
so
is
Q(
2,
3)/Q( 2), whence
rational
number.
Since
Q(
Q( 2, 3)/Q
is
of
degree
4,
with
basis
{1,
2,
3,
6}.
Since Q( 2, 3) is the smallest extension of Q containing 2, 3, it is
the splitting field of the separable polynomial (x2 2)(x2 3), hence a Galois
extension of Q.
Automorphisms of Q( 2, 3) fixing Q must map
2 7 2,
3 7 3.
Since there are four such maps, and the degree of the extension is 4, each of
these maps is an automorphism. Let
3 7 3
: 2 7 2,
: 2 7 2,
3 7 3.
Then G = Gal(Q( 2, 3)/Q) = h, i. Since 2 = 2 = 1 and = , G is
isomorphic to Z2 Z2 .
11. Recall that for polynomials f, g F[x, y], where F is a field, we have
deg(f g) = deg f + deg g. Suppose x2 + y 2 1 is reducible, factoring into the
non-units f, g. Then f, g must each be of degree 1, so we get an expression
(ax + by + c)(a0 x + b0 y + c0 ) = x2 + y 2 1.
This implies aa0 = bb0 = cc0 = 1, so all the coefficients are nonzero. Moreover,
we deduce ab0 = a0 b, ac0 = a0 c, and bc0 = b0 c, whence b0 = a0 b/a and
a0 c/a = c0 = b0 c/b. But the latter equalities imply a0 /a = b0 /b, contradicting
the former equality. So there is no such factorization, in either Q[x, y] or C[x, y].
Chapter 2
Fall 2010
1. We begin by computing the order of G := SL2 (F5 ). The order of H :=
GL2 (F5 ) is (52 1)(52 5), since the first row of a matrix can be anything except
0, and then the second row can be anything except a linear multiple of the first.
To modify this counting system for G, note simply that once the second row is
chosen for an element of H, there are 4 multiples of that row that yield elements
of H, but only one that gives an element of G. Thus
|G| =
(52 1)(52 5)
= 4 5 6 = 120.
4
and n5 1
(mod 5).
So n5 = 1 or n5 = 6. But
1
0
1
1
and
1
1
0
1
derived series
1 = G(2) / G(1) / G(0) = G
shows that G is solvable.
5. Hermitian matrices are normal, hence diagonalizable by unitary matrices, and all their eigenvalues are real. In other words, if A is 5 5 Hermitian,
then there exists a 5 5 unitary matrix U such that U 1 AU is diagonal with
real entries. Conversely, every real diagonal matrix is Hermitian, and real diagonal matrices with different multiplicities of eigenvalues are not conjugate (by
the uniqueness of the Jordan form up to reordering of Jordan blocks). Since A
satisfies A5 + 2A3 + 3A 6I = 0 if and only if U 1 AU does as well, it suffices
to classify real diagonal matrices A with eigenvalues in increasing order that
satisfy A5 + 2A3 + 3A 6I = 0. Since A is diagonal, each entry on the diagonal
must be a zero of the polynomial f (x) = x5 + 2x3 + 3x 6. One such zero is
x = 1, but we have f 0 (x) = 5x4 + 6x2 + 3, which is strictly positive in the real
numbers. Thus f is monotonic increasing on the reals, so the only real zero of
f is x = 1. Thus the only possibility for A is I, so the unique conjugacy class is
{I}.
Minimal Polynomial
Characteristic Polynomials
x4
x1
(x 1)4
(x 1)2
x(x 1)
(x 1)4
x3 (x 1),
1
1
Jordan Forms
0
0
1
1
1
1 1
1
,
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
x2 (x 1)2
1
1
x(x 1)3
1
1
x(x 1)2
x2 (x 1)2 ,
x(x 1)3
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
7. Note that = 71/6 . The field extensions Q(3 )/Q and Q(2 )/Q have
degrees 2 and 3 respectively (x2 7 and x3 7 are irreducible over Q since they
are of degree 3 and have no roots in Q), so both 2 and 3 divide the degree
of the extensions Q()/Q, whence this extension must have degree 6. Thus
1, , . . . , 5 are linearly independent over Q, hence also over Z, and x6 7 is
10
8. (i) Let denote the positive real number = 31/6 . By the argument
in the previous problem (or Eisenstein), Q()/Q is an extension of degree 6.
Over C, the polynomial x6 3 factors as
x6 3 = (x3 31/2 )(x3 + 31/2 ) = (x )(x2 + x + 2 )(x + )(x2 x + 2 ),
so that using the quadratic formula, we see that the roots are
3
,
.
2
Thus
the splitting field of x6 3 is Q( 3, ). Since Q()
/ Q(), so
R, 3
Q(, 3)/Q() is an extension
of
degree
2.
Thus
Q(,
3)/Q
is
an
extension
Actually, a much easier method is to note that the element 3 has degree
2 over Q(), and to use the multiplicativity of extension degrees over Q.
(ii) The first step is to show x6 3 is irreducible... ? I dont know very
much about finite fields.
9. Skip.
p
p
p
2, 2, . . . , p1 2,
11
p
p
p
Q(, 2). Since x 2 is irreducible, Q( 2) is a degree p extension of Q. Since
is a root of the irreducible polynomial (xp 1)/(x1) = xp1 +xp2 + +1 (one
proves irreducibility by substituting x + 1 for x and then applying Eisenstein on
the prime p, or by showing that the cyclotomic polynomials are all irreducible),
Q() is a degree p 1 extension of Q. Since p and p 1are relatively prime, we
see immediately that the degree of the extension Q(, p 2) over Q is p(p 1).
The Galois group has order p(p 1), so each of the p(p 1) elements of the
form
p
p
: 2 7 n 2, 7 m ,
where 0 n p 1 and 1 m p 1, is an automorphism. If p = 2 then the
Galois group is clearly abelian, so suppose p > 2. Setting
p
p
: 2 7 2, 7
p
p
: 2 7 2, 7 2 ,
we see that
but
p
p
( )( 2) = 2,
p
p
p
( )( 2) = ( 2) = 2 2,
12
Chapter 3
Spring 2010
1. For An , let
= C1 . . . Cr
be the (disjoint) cyclic decomposition. Suppose has order 2. Then
2 = || = lcm{|Ci |}
implies that each Ci is a 2-cycle. Since is an even permutation, r is even.
The product (ab)(cd) of two disjoint 2-cycles are the square of the 4-cycle
(acbd). Thus grouping the Ci into pairs and taking the corresponding 4-cycles
gives an element Sn of order 4 whose square is .
2. We may assume |G| = pk for k 2. We first prove the result when G is
not abelian. Consider the homomorphism
G
/ Aut(G) ,
g 7 g ;
where
g := x 7 gxg 1 ,
x G.
k1 1
+1
(pk1 1 +1)
7 x1
(pk1 1 +1)
7 7 x1
=1
(mod q)
and nq | p2 ,
we must have nq = p2 . But these results imply that G has q (p2 1) elements
of order p or p2 and p2 (q 1) elements of order q, which is a contradiction since
if we also count the identity, then
1 + q(p2 1) + p2 (q 1) = 1 + p2 q q + p2 q p2 1 + p2 q = 1 + |G|.
Another method of proof is to use the second application of Sylows theorem
to deduce that q | p2 1, whence q | p 1 or q | p + 1 since q is prime. But
the first application of Sylows theorem implies q = 1 + kp with k 1, so the
only possibility is q = p + 1, so that p = 2 and q = 3 is forced since there are no
other consecutive primes. Now one uses the classification of groups of order 12
to get the result.
1
1
1
1 1
1 1
1
1
1
1
,
,
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
These Jordan forms fix subspaces of dimensions 5, 4, and 3, respectively. (If the
new basis is {e1 , . . . , e5 }, then the respective fixed subspaces are V , he2 , e3 , e4 , e5 i,
and he2 , e4 , e5 i.) Since the dimension of a subspace is not changed by conjugation (change of basis), we get the desired result.
7. If R is a field, then R-modules are vector spaces over R, which are free.
Conversely, suppose R is not a field. Choose x R not a unit, so that Rx R.
Then R/Rx is a non-trivial R-module that is not free since multiplication by x
kills every element.
8. Im assuming Z7 denotes the finite field with 7 elements, not the 7-adic
numbers. Polynomials of degree 2 or 3 over a field are reducible if and only if
they have roots in the field, so we need to find the number of degree 3 polynomials without any roots in Z7 . Now it seems difficult to proceed...
15
9. Let denote the primitive nth root of unity contained in F and let
be an nth root of a. Then E = F () contains all the nth roots of a, namely
{, , . . . , n1 },
so E is the splitting field of the separable polynomial xn a, whence E/F is
Galois.
Any automorphism of E fixing F must be a homomorphism of the form
7 r ,
0 r n 1.
10.
Theorem 1 (Hilberts basis theorem). If A is a Noetherian ring (commutative,
with identity), then A[x] is Noetherian.
Proof. We prove the result by showing any ideal a / A[x] is finitely generated.
Let I / A be the ideal of leading coefficients of elements of a, which is finitely
generated by some elements a1 , . . . , an A since A is Noetherian. Choose
elements f1 , . . . , fn a so that each fi has leading coefficient ai . Let ri denote
the degree of fi and set r := maxi {ri }. Then if f a has degree r and leading
coefficient a I, choose ui A such that a = u1 a1 + + un an . It follows that
by multiplying ui fi by appropriate powers of x and taking the sum, we can kill
off the leading term of f . Thus
a = (a M ) + (f1 , . . . , fm ),
where M is the A-module generated by 1, x, . . . , xr1 . Since M is finitely generated and A is Noetherian, M is Noetherian, hence a M M is finitely
generated. Combining the generators with the fi gives a finite generating set
for a.
16
Chapter 4
Fall 2009
1. Every element of S7 has a unique (up to reordering) disjoint cycle decomposition, and the order of the element is the lcm of the lengths of the cycles.
Thus the only elements of order 4 are the 4-cycles, and the
combinations of
4-cycles with disjoint 2-cycles. The number of 4-cycles is 74 3! = 7 6 5, and
the number of possibilities for 2-cycles using the remaining 3 indices is 32 = 3.
Thus the total number of elements of order 4 is
7 6 5(1 + 3) = 840.
r
X
(G : CG (gi )),
i=1
() = ( p )a ( n )b () = ,
contradiction.
4.
If 0 6= m
n Q/Z is reduced, by which we mean 0 < m < n and
m
gcd{m, n} = 1, then m
n has order n in Q/Z. Thus h n i contains n elements, so
1
that in particular we see that h m
i
=
h
i.
n
n
Given n11 , n12 Q/Z with n1 , n2 2, let n = lcm{n1 , n2 }. We claim that
1
n
whence
1 1
,
n1 n2
1 1
,
n1 n2
,
1
=
n
since the inclusion is obvious. For the claim, we use the Euclidean algorithm
on n1 and n2 to find a, b Z such that
an1 + bn2 = gcd{n1 , n2 },
and then divide both sides by n1 n2 to get
b
1
1
+a
= lcm{n1 , n2 } = n.
n1
n2
(mod 13)
18
and
n13 | 23 5
/ R0 ,
r 7
r
,
1
since the preimage of a prime ideal under a ring homomorphism is a prime ideal.
An ideal a of R that is maximal among ideals not meeting S thus corresponds
to a maximal ideal a0 of R0 , so a0 is prime, hence a = 1 (a0 ) is prime as well.
8. Skip.
a 7 (n 7 na ).
10. We state and prove the Eisenstein criterion for irreducibility of polynomials.
Proposition 2 (Eisenstein criterion). Let R be an integral domain, p a prime
ideal of R, and p(x) = xn + an1 xn1 + + a0 R[x] a monic polynomial
such that each ai p, but a0
/ p2 . Then p is irreducible in R[x].
Proof. Suppose for contradiction that p(x) = a(x)b(x) in R[x], where a, b are
non-constant polynomials (i.e. non-units, since the only constants that divide
1 are units). Reducing modulo p, we see that xn a(x) b(x) in R/p[x], which
is an integral domain since R/p is an integral domain. Thus both a
and b must
have 0 constant term (otherwise the non-zero lowest degree terms of a
and b,
which exist since neither a
nor b can be 0 due to our equation, multiply to
something nonzero of degree < n), i.e. the constant terms of both a and b are
in p. But then the constant term of p is in p2 , contradiction.
20
Chapter 5
Spring 2009
1. Elements of Sn with the same cycle type are conjugate to each other. There
are (p 1)! p-cycles in Sp , so the order of the orbit of under conjugation is
(p 1)!. Thus |C| = |SP |/(p 1)! = p, so C = hi, which is abelian.
Now let Sp act on the set of its subgroups by conjugation. Since there are
(p 1)! p-cycles in Sp , there are (p 1)!/(p 1) = (p 2)! distinct subgroups of
order p, all of which are in the orbit of hi since is conjugate to every other
p-cycle. So the order of N is p!/(p 2)! = p(p 1). To see that N is not abelian,
let N be an element satisfying
1 = 2 .
Then 1 1 = 6= 1.
2.
The derived subgroup G(1) of G consists of the p upper-triangular
matrices of the form
1 a
,
a Z/pZ.
0 1
A simple computation shows that every commutator is of this form, and we
have
1 0
1 a
1 a
1 0
1 a
1 a
1 a
=
=
,
0 1
0 2
0 1
0 2
0 1
0 12
0 21
and elements of this form do not generate any new elements. Note that G(1) is
abelian, so that G(2) , the subgroup of commutators of G(1) , is trivial. Thus the
derived series
1 = G(2) / G(1) / G(0) = G
shows that G is solvable.
21
4. Skip.
b
x 5x + 6x 2
2x2 8x + 4
3
q
x+1
1
1
2x 2
r
2x 8x + 4
0
2
Thus the
is 2x2 8x+4, so the ideal a is (x2 4x+2) =
gcd of the polynomials
((x 2 + 2)(x 2 2)). It follows that a is principal, but not prime, and
hence also not maximal.
7. Skip.
8. Skip.
22
of Fall 2009, Q()/Q has Galois group G ' (Z/8Z) ' Z2 Z2 , generated by
: 7 3
and : 7 5 .
hi
h i
h i
h, i
with corresponding lattice of fixed fields
Q()
Q( + 3 )
Q( + 7 )
Q( 2 )
Q
where the latter cannot be Q( + 5 ) since + 5 = 0! This is much clearer if
we take a different approach.
Write = 12 (1 + i). Then 2 = i and the remaining powers are easily
2 7 2,
i 7 i,
23
and since there are only 4 such possibilities, they must all be automorphisms.
Let
: 2 7 2, i 7 i
: 2 7 2, i 7 i
be generators of the Galois group, where we have chosen them to correspond to
, above. The lattice of fixed fields is then
Q()
Q(i 2)
Q( 2)
Q(i)
24
Chapter 6
Fall 2008
1. By Sylows theorem,
n5 1
(mod 5)
and
n5 |72 ;
n7 1
(mod 7)
and
n7 |52 .
25