automorphism group of a cyclic group

rm50
2013-03-22 2:23:07

Theorem 1. The automorphism group of the cyclic group Z/nZ is (Z/nZ) ,

which is of order (n) (here is the Euler totient function).

Proof. Choose a generator x for Z/nZ. If Aut(Z/nZ), then (x) = xa for

some integer a (defined up to multiples of n); further, since x generates Z/nZ,
it is clear that a uniquely determines . Write a for this automorphism. Since
a is an automorphism, xa is also a generator, and thus a and n are relatively
prime1 . Clearly, then, every a relatively prime to n induces an automorphism.
We can therefore define a surjective map

: Aut(Z/nZ) (Z/nZ) : a 7 a (mod n)

is also obviously injective, so all that remains is to show that it is a group

homomorphism. But for every a, b (Z/nZ) , we have

(a b )(x) = a (xb ) = (xb )a = xab = ab (x)

and thus
(a b ) = (ab ) = ab (mod n) = (a )(b )

References
[1] Dummit, D., Foote, R.M., Abstract Algebra, Third Edition, Wiley, 2004.

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1 If they were not, say (a, n) = d, then (xa )n/d = (xa/d )n = 1 so that xa would not

generate.