MODERN ALGEBRA AND GEOMETRY

SMA6014
SEM 1 SESSION 2015/2016
ASSIGNMENT 1
Instructions:
Make a group of four. Discuss the following questions and write a report on the
questions.
Each group needs to make a presentation in class on all questions on week 7.
Assignment submitted: Week 1
DUE: By Friday, Week 6.
Questions
1.

Discuss on how Abstract Algebra (material up to Chapter 2) relates to high

school mathematics.
Discover the importance of Abstract Algebra in life/ other fields.
(20 marks)

2.

The set

under multiplication mod n,

is a

group. Some of the group Un are cyclic and some are not.
The software available at http://www.d.umn.edu/~jgallian
- http://www.d.umn.edu/%7Ejgallian/msproject06/project_xukai7.html
(for Chapter 4 Exe. 1) determines if Un is cyclic.

Run the program for the following choices of n :

(i)

1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128,

3, 9, 27, 81, 243, 729,
5, 25, 125,
15, 225, 3375,

(ii)

6, 18, 54, 162,

10, 50, 250,

Based on the above outputs, determine what n for Un to be cyclic.

(30 marks)

3.

Let Zm and Zn be two groups of integer mod m and n respectively. Define

Z m Z n by
Z m Z n = {(a,b) a Z m ,b Z n }.

with the operation + defined on Z m Z n by

(a,b) + (c,d) = ((a + c) mod m,(b + d)modn),

Zn .
where (a,b),(c,d) Z m

We say that Z m Z n is the external direct sum of Zm and Zn .

a.

Prove that this algebraic structure Z m Z n gives us a group.

b.

i)
ii)
iii)

c.

Let each pair m and n of the following: (3,2), (4,4), (3,4) and (6,2)

List all the elements of Z 2 Z 2 ,

Show whether Z 2 Z 2 is cyclic or not?
at http://www.d.umn.edu/~jgallian
The software available
- http://www.d.umn.edu/

%7Ejgallian/msproject06/chap4.html#chap4ex2
(for Chapter 4
Exe.
2) can be used to check whether or not Z m Z n is cyclic.
Run the program
for the following choices m and n: ( 2,2), (2,3), (2,4), (2,5), (3,4),
(3,5), (3,6), (3,7), (3,8), (3,9) and (4,6). On the basis of this output,
guess how m and n must be related for Z m
Z n to be cyclic.

i)

Zm Zn .
Write out all the elements of

ii)

Make a conjecture about the order of Z m Z n . Prove your conjecture.

Good Luck.

(50 marks)

OVERALL SCHEMA
1.
2.
3.

Content
Presentation
ICT Tools:

:
100
:
30
i) Blend space - 10
ii) Video - 10
2