MAT2200, SPRING 2009

SOLUTIONS TO THE MANDATORY ASSIGNMENT

Problem 1
(a) Consider the integers Z as a subgroup of the additive group Q of rational num-
bers. Show that every element of Q/Z has finite order, and that Q/Z has exactly
one subgroup Hn isomorphic to Zn for each natural number n.
Using additive notation for the group operation, the elements of Q/Z have the
m m
form + Z, where m and n are integers, n 6= 0. Then n( + Z) = m + Z = Z,
n n
which represents the identity element in Q/Z.
1 1 1
The element + Z has order n, since n ∈ Z and k ∈ / Z for 1 6 k < n. Hence
n n n
1
the cyclic subgroup Hn =< + Z > is isomorphic to Zn .
n
a
Any cyclic subgroup of Q/Z has the form K =< + Z >, where we can choose
b
a and b to be positive integers that are relatively prime. If K ' Zn , we must have
a a an/b
n ∈ Z, hence b |n, and + Z = + Z ∈ Hn . Thus K ⊆ Hn , and since both
b b n
groups have n elements, K = Hn .

(b) Show that the formula φn (x + Z) = nx + Z defines a surjective homomorphism

φn : Q/Z → Q/Z. What is the kernel of φn ?
φn is a homomorphism since
φn (a + Z) + φn (b + Z)) = (na + Z) + (na + Z) = (na + nb) + Z = φn ((a + b) + Z) .
a a
Since every element a + Z ∈ Q/Z can be written n + Z = φn ( ), φn is surjective.
n n
a na a k
+ Z ∈ ker φn ⇐⇒ ∈ Z ⇐⇒ = , for some k ∈ Z. Hence
b b b n
k
ker φn = { | k ∈ Z} = Hn .
n

(c) Show that there is no nontrivial homomorphism from Q/Z to a finite group.
Then show that there is no nontrivial homomorphism from Q/Z to any finitely
generated abelian group. (Hint: If G has order m, then am = e for every a ∈ G.)
Let ψ : Q/Z → G be a homomorphism from Q/Z to a finite group of order n.
Then ψ(a)n = e for all a ∈ Q/Z. (e is the identity element in G.) But since ψ is a
homomorphism, ψ(a)n = ψ(na). Therefore ψ maps every element of the form na
to e ∈ G, but we have just seen that every element of Q/Z can be written in this
way.
If G is finitely generated abelian, the fundamental theorem (11.12 in the text
book) says that it can be written as a product F × T , where F ' Z × · · · × Z and
T is finite. Then we can write ψ(a) as (ψF (a), ψT (a)), where ψF : Q/Z → F and
ψT : Q/Z → T are homomorphisms. We have just seen that ψT is trivial. To prove
that ψF is also trivial, let a be an arbitrary element of Q/Z. Then a has some
finite order n, hence nψF (a) = ψF (na) = 0 ∈ F . But F has no nontrivial element
of finite order, so ψF (a) = 0.
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Problem 2
(a) Show that a group of order 1225 must be abelian.
1225 = 52 72 , hence a group G of order 1225 has Sylow 5–subgroup of order 25
and Sylow 7–subgroup of order 49.
The number of Sylow 5–subgroups has the form 1 + 5k and divides 49, and the
only possibility is 1. Hence there is only one such group H, and it must normal. In
exactly the same way we see that there is a unique normal Sylow 7–subgroup K,
of order 49.
Any group of order p2 for p prime is abelian (Theorem 37.6), and the product
of abelian groups is again abelian. Therefore, by Lemma 37.4, we know that G is
abelian if we can prove that H ∩ K = (e) and H ∨ K = G.
But Lagrange’s theorem says that the order of H ∩ K divides both |H| = 25 and
|K| = 49, hence |K ∩ H| = 1. Moreover, both |H| and |K| divide |H ∨ K|, which
in turn divides |G|. The only possibility is H ∨ K = G.

(b) Find all groups of order 1225 and write each of them as a product of as few
cyclic factors as possible.
If p is a prime, there are two groups of order p2 : Zp2 and Zp × Zp . Hence, by
what we did in (a) (or by the fundamental theorem of finitely generated abelian
groups), there are four possibilities: Z25 × Z49 , Z5 × Z5 × Z49 , Z25 × Z7 × Z7 , and
Z5 × Z5 × Z7 × Z7 . Since Zp × Zq ' Zpq when p and q are relatively prime, these
groups can be written Z1225 , Z5 × Z245 , Z175 × Z7 and Z35 × Z35 , respectively.

Problem 3
Let G be a group and H a subgroup of G. Let G/H be the set of left cosets of
H, and let S(G/H) be the group of permutations of G/H.
(a) Define the map ψ : G → S(G/H) by ψ(g)(kH) = gkH. Show that ψ is a
homomorphism, and show that
\
ker ψ = gHg −1 .
g∈G

Explain why this is the largest subgroup of H which is normal in G.

That ψ is a homomorphism follows from the identities
ψ(g1 )ψ(g2 )(kH) = (g1 g2 )kH = g1 (g2 k)H = ψ(g1 )ψ(g2 )(kH)
a ∈ ker ψ if and only if ψ(a)(gH) = gH for every g ∈ G, i. e.
g −1 ag ∈ H for every g ∈ G
−1
⇐⇒ a ∈ gHg for every g ∈ G
⇐⇒ a ∈ g∈G gHg −1
T

The kernel of a homomorphism is always normal, and it is clear that a ∈ g∈G gHg −1 ⊆
T

eHe−1 = H. Suppose now that a subgroup N ⊆ H is normal in G. Then for every

g ∈ G N = gN g −1 ⊆ gHg −1 .
(b) Show that if G is a simple, finite group, then the order |G| of G divides the
number (G : H)! for every proper subgroup H of G.
If H is a proper subgroup of G, then ker ψ ⊆ H is a proper, normal subgroup
of G, hence trivial if G is simple. Therefore ψ is an isomorphism between G and a
subgroup of S(G/H). But the order of S(G/H) is (G : H)!, and this number must
be divisible by |G|, by Lagrange’s theorem.
(c) Recall that the alternating group A5 is simple. Prove that every subgroup of A5
has order 6 12. Give an example of a subgroup of A5 of order 12.
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The order of A5 is 60, so if H ⊂ A5 has order > 12, we must have (A5 : H) <
(60/12) = 5. But then it would follow from (b) that |A5 | 6 4! = 24, which is a
contradiction.
An example of a subgroup of order 12 is A4 .
(d) Show that a group of order 392 cannot be simple, and that it must have an
abelian normal subgroup.
Let G be a group of order 392. Since 392 = 8 · 49, G has a Sylow 7–subgroup
H of order 49 and index (G : H) = 8. But 49 does not divide 8!, so G cannot be
normal, by (b). In fact, ker ψ is normal subgroup contained in H, and since every
group of order 72 is abelian, ker ψ is also abelian.

Problem 4
Each of the edges of a square is to be colored with one of n different colors. In
how many distinguishable ways can this be done?
Two colorings are undistinguishable if they can be mapped to each other by a
symmetry of the square, i.e. by an element of the dihedral group D4 . Burnside’s
formula then says that the number of different colorings is given as
1 X
r= Ng ,
|D4 |
g∈D4

where Ng is the number of colorings left fixed by the element g ∈ D4 . Using the
notation on page 80 in Fraleigh’s book for the 8 elements of D4 , we get:
ρ0 makes no identification, so Nρ = n4 .
ρ1 and ρ3 fix a coloring only if all sides are equal, hence Nρ1 = Nρ3 = n.
ρ2 identifies opposite sides, so we get N2 = n2 .
δ1 and δ2 both identify pairs of neighboring sides, so Nδ1 = Nδ2 = n2 .
µ1 and µ2 each identify one pair of opposite sides, hence Nµ1 = Nµ2 = n3 .
n4 + 2n3 + 3n2 + 2n
Burnside’s formula then gives r = .
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