MAS 5311: Modern Algebra

Fall 2018 – Week 1 Friday

Problem 1. Compute the order of each of the elements in the following groups:

(a) D6
(b) D8
(c) D10

The short answer is |D2n | = 2n.

Solution. The rotation r rotates the n-gon by 2π/n . For a triangle with vertices a, b, and c, it sends
a to b , b to c and c to a in the picture on the board.
The rotation r2 is rotating by 2π/n. Of course rotating three times, you end up rotating 6π/3 =
2π, which fixes the triangle. So r3 = 1. Let s be the simple reflection, which fixes one vertex and
swaps the other 2. Then s2 = 1.

D6 = {r, r2 , r3 = 1 = s2 , s, sr = r2 s, rs = sr2 }

D6 = hr, s|r3 = s2 = 1, rs = sr2 i

Problem 2. Use the presentation

D2n = hr, s | rn = s2 = 1, rs = sr−1 i

to show that if x is any element of D2n which is not a power of r, then rx = xr−1 .

Solution. Suppose that x has the form x = sra for some positive integer a. Then we calculate the
following

rs = sr−1 ⇐⇒ srs = r−1 (since s2 = 1)

⇐⇒ srs = r−1 (ra r−a ) (ra r−a = 1)
⇐⇒ srs = ra r−1 r−a (ra rb = rb ra )
⇐⇒ r−a srsra = r−1 (ra r−a = 1 = r−a ra )
⇐⇒ (sra )−1 rsra = r−1 (sra )−1 = r−a s)
⇐⇒ x−1 rx = r−1 (x = sra )
⇐⇒ rx = xr−1

Florida Gulf Coast University https://sites.google.com/site/erikinskosite/ einsko@fgcu.edu

Erik Insko Elementary Calculus Page 2 of 2

Problem 3. Use the presentation of D2n given in Problem 2 to show that every element of D2n
which is not a power of r has order 2. Deduce that D2n is generated by the two elements s and sr,
both of which have order 2.

Problem 4. Let G be the group of rigid motions in R3 of a tetrahedron. Show that |G| = 12. (Feel
free to construct a tetrahedron.)

Fall 2018 – Weekly Assignment Problems

Problem 1. Let G be the group of rigid motions of R3 of a cube. Show that |G| = 24.

Problem 2. Find a set of generators and relations for Z/nZ.

Florida Gulf Coast University https://sites.google.com/site/erikinskosite/ einsko@fgcu.edu