MATHEMATICS 301 Section B

Exam 1, sample, solution

For problems 1,2, and 5, only answers are provided. Please make sure that you work
out the details by yourself.
1.
| e a a2 b ab a2 b
e | e a a2 b ab a2 b
a | a a 2 e ab a2 b b
a2 | a2 e a a2 b b ab
b | b a b ab2 e a2 a
ab | ab b a2 b a e a2
a2 b | a2 b ab b a2 a e

Remark: You can also write down the group elements as e, a, a2 , b, ba, ba2 and calculate the
Cayley table accordingly.
Z(G) = {e} and C(a) = {e, a, a2 }.
2. 1. {90, 270, 630, 910} 2. {1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17, 19} 20 pt
√
3. Let G = {a + b 2}, where a and b are rational numbers not both 0. Prove that G is a group
under ordinary multiplication. 20 pt
Proof ×
√ 1 The set of √ all nonzero real numbers √ R under multiplication
√ is a group. Let x√= x1 +
y1 −y2
x2 2, y = y1 +y2 2 ∈ G. Since y1 +y2 2 6= 0, then (y1 +y2 2)−1 = y2 +2y 2 + y 2 +2y 2 2 ∈ G.
1 2 1 2
Now
√ √ √ y1 −y2 √
(x1 + x2 2)(y1 + y2 2)−1 = (x1 + x2 2)( 2 2 + 2 2)
y1 + 2y2 y1 + 2y22
x1 y1 − 2x2 y2 x2 y1 − x1 y2 √
= + 2
y12 + 2y22 y12 + 2y22
√ √ √ √
Since x1 +x2 2 and (y1 +y2 2)−1 are not zero, hence the product √ (x1 +x2√ 2)(y1 +y2 2)−1 6=
0. It is clear that x1yy12 −2x 2 y2
+2y 2
−x1 y2
, x2yy21+2y 2 ∈ Q, hence (x1 + x2 2)(y1 + y2 2)−1 ∈ G. By the
1 2 1 2
one-step-subgroup test, G is a subgroup of R× . Hence G is a group.
Proof 2 We can check:
• G is closed under the ordinary multiplication;
√ √ √
(x1 + x2 2)(y1 + y2 2) = (x1 y1 + 2x2 y2 ) + (x1 y2 + x2 y1 ) 2 ∈ G

• The ordinary multiplication is associative;

• The identity e = 1;
√ √
y1
• (y1 + y2 2)−1 = y2 +2y + y2−y 2
+2y
2 ∈ G.
1 2 1 2

4. Proof:If G is not cyclic, pick an element of G which is different from e, called a, then
there exists another element of G say, b which is not in < a >. Then S1 = {a, a2 , ..., an = e}
and S1 = {ab, a2 b, ..., an b = b} are disjoint. Otherwise ai = aj b indicates b ∈< a >. Hence
2 < |S1 ∪ S2 | = 2|S1 | < 5. So |S1 | = 2. Suppose c ∈ / S1 ∪ S2 , then ac, which is different
from c (as the order of a is 2), is not in S1 . Otherwise, ai = ac, then c ∈< a >. Similarly, if
ac = ai b, then c ∈ S2 . Hence ac is outside of S1 ∪ S2 which is different from c. So G has at
least 6 elements, which contradicts the assumption that G has 5 elements.
5. α = (12)(356)(4), β = (16432)(5). Hence |α| = 6 and |β| = 5.
 
1 2 3 4 5 6
αβ = = (13)(2)(456), |αβ| = 6.
3 2 1 5 6 4
The parity of βα =: 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5mod2 = 1. Hence it is an odd permutation.