LANGUAGE OF BINARY OPERATIONS

Objectives:
 Familiarize the concepts on
language of binary operations
 Determine whether a set is a
group or not.
Introduction
The study of algebraic
structures focuses on investigating
sets associated by by single
operation that satisfy certain
reasonable axioms; that is to define
an operation on a set in a way that
will generalize such familiar
structures as the integers together
with the single operation of addition,
or inertible 2x2 matrices together
with the single operation of matrix

We define first what BINARY OPERATION is. Let G be a set. A binary

operation on G is a function that assigns each ordered pair of element of G.
Symbolically, a * b = G, for all a, b, c ∈ G.
A group is a set of elements, with one operation, that satisfies the
following properties:
i. the set is closed with respect to the operation
ii. the operation satisfies the associative property
iii. there is an identity element
iv. each element has an inverse
In other word, a group is an ordered (G, *) where G is a set and * is a
binary operation on G satisfying the four properties.
1. Closure Property. If any two elements are combined using the
operation, the result must be an element of the set.
a * b = c ∈ G, for all a, b, c ∈ G

2. Associative Property. (a * b) * c = a * (b * c) for all a, b, c ∈ G

 3. Identity Property. There exists an element e in G, such that for all
a ∈ G, a * e = e * a

4. Inverse Property. For each a ∈ G, there is an element a-1 of G, such

that a * a-1 = a-1 * a = e
Example:
Determine whether the set of all non-negative integers is a group.
Solution:
We will apply the foor properties to test the set of all non-negative integers
under addtion is a group.
Step 1: To test for closure property, we choose any two positive integers, for
example
8 + 4 = 12 and 10 + 5 = 5
Notice that the sum of the two numbers of the set, the result is always a
number of the set. Thus, it is closed.

Step 2: To test for associative property, we choose three positive integers, for
example
3 + (2 + 4) = 3 + 6 = 9
(3 + 2) + 4 = 5 + 4 = 9
Thus, it also satisfies the associative property.
Step 3: To test for identity property, we choose any positive integer, for
example
8+0=8 15 + 0 = 15
Thus, it satisfies the identity property.

Step 4: To test for inverse property, we choose any positive integerc for
example
4 + (-4) = 0 10 + (-10) = 0
 Thus, it also satisfies the inverse property.
Therefore, the set of all non-negative integers under addition is a group since it
satisfies all the four properties.

Activity:
Show whether the following sets are group or not.
1. The set of integers under addition.

2. The set of prime numbers under multiplication.

3. The set of whole numbers under addition.

4. The set of all rational numbers under multiplication.

5. Let a * b be an operation defined on positive integer by x * y = ǀx - yǀ