Math 444 Homework #4

(1.4) #1. Find the quotient and remainder, according to the division algorithm,
when n is divided by m.
n = 42, m = 9
Solution: The multiple of 9 that is just to the left of 42 on the number line is 36 = 4 9,
so q = 4. The remainder is r = 42 36 = 6.
(1.4) #2. Find the quotient and remainder, according to the division algorithm,
when n is divided by m.
n = 42, m = 9
Solution: The multiple of 9 that is just to the left of 42 on the number line is 45 =
5 9, so q = 5. The remainder is r = 42 (45) = 3.
(1.4) #14. Find the number of generators of a cyclic group having order 12.
Solution: In Z
12
, the generators are the numbers 0, . . . , 11 that are relatively prime to
12. These are 1, 5, 7, 11.
If we write the group multiplicatively, G = a) where the order of a is 12, then the
generators are those a
i
where i is relatively prime to 12. So the generators are a, a
5
, a
7
, a
11
.
(1.4) #15. Find the number of generators of a cyclic group having order 60.
Solution: In Z
60
, the generators are the numbers 0, . . . , 59 that are relatively prime to
12. These are 1, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 49, 53, 59.
Written multiplicatively, G = a) where the order of a is 60, the generators are
a, a
7
, a
11
, a
13
, a
17
, a
19
, a
23
, a
29
, a
31
, a
37
, a
41
, a
43
, a
47
, a
49
, a
53
, a
59
.
(1.4) #16. Find the number of elements in the cyclic subgroup of Z
30
generated by
25.
Solution: The hard way to do this is to actually list all the elements of 25) Z
30
.
This isnt actually dicult, since the subgroup is so small, 25) = 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 0. The
order of the subgroup is 6.
The clever way to nd the order is to use the theorem: In Z
n
,

i)

=
n
gcd(n, i)
. Hence,

25)

=
30
gcd(30, 25)
=
30
5
= 6.
(1.4) #19. Find the number of elements in the cyclic subgroup of C

generated by
1 + i

2
.
Solution: Lets list the cyclic subgroup. Call =
1 + i

2
. Then
=
1 + i

2
=
_
1 + i

2
_
2
= i

3
=
2
= i
_
1 + i

2
_
=
1 + i

4
= (
2
)
2
= i
2
= 1

5
=
4
= =
1 i

6
= (
2
)
3
= i
3
= i

7
=
6
=
i(1 + i)

2
=
1 i

8
= (
4
)
2
= (1)
2
= 1 Aha!
The smallest exponent n such that
n
= 1 is 8, so the order of the subgroup generated by
is 8.
(1.4) #20. Find the number of elements in the cyclic subgroup of C

generated by
1 + i.
Solution: If we consider the complex numbers to be a plane, so that the number a + bi
corresponds to the point (a, b), then the distance between a + bi and 0 is
_
a
2
+ b
2
. For
example, the distance from 1 + i to 0 is
_
1
1
+ 1
2
=

2. Lets denote this distance by
|a + bi| =
_
a
2
+ b
2
. Notice that |a + bi| =
_
(a + bi)(a bi). Hence,
|(a + bi)(c + di)| =
_
(a + bi)(c + di)(a bi)(c di)
=
_
(a + bi)(a bi)(c + di)(c di) = |a + bi| |c + di|
But then |(1 + i)
n
| = |1 + i|
n
=
_

2
_
n
for all n Z
+
. Hence, (1 + i)
n
,= 1 for all
n Z
+
, since |1| = 1 ,=
_

2
_
n
for n 1. That is, just half of the cyclic subgroup
generated by 1 + i contains an innite number of elements, so 1 + i) is innite.
(1.4) #21. Find all subgroups of Z
12
and draw the lattice diagram for the subgroups.
Solution: Since Z
12
is cyclic, all its subgroups are cyclic. Hence, its reasonably easy to
nd all the subgroups. From Exercise 14, we know that the generators are 1, 5, 7, 11, so
1) = 5) = 7) = 11) = Z
12
. We use the formula [a[ =
12
gcd(12, a)
to ll in the following
table:
a 2 3 4 6 8 9 10
[a[ 6 4 3 2 3 4 6
Now, 2) = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. Since 10 also generates a subgroup of order 6, we have
10) = 2).
Inside this subgroup, 4) = 0, 4, 8 2). Since 8 also has order 3, 4) = 8).
Next, look at 6) = 0, 6 2).
We still need to look at 3) = 0, 3, 6, 9. Since 9 also has order 4, 3) = 9). Notice also
that 6) 3).
The diagram is:
Z
12

3) 2)

6) 4)

0)
(1.4) #27. Find all orders of subgroups of Z
20
.
Solution: Since Z
20
is cyclic, its subgroups are all cyclic. In fact, we know that the
orders of subgroups are given by
20
gcd(20, i)
, where i = 0, 1, . . . , 19. These numbers turn
out to be: 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20.
(1.4) #30. List the elements of the subgroup of Z
12
generated by 4, 6.
Solution: Notice that 2 4 + 6 = 2 in Z
12
, so the subgroup contains 2, and hence 2).
We also see that well never get odd numbers (mod 12), so 2) = even numbers is
as big as the subgroup could be. That is, the subgroup of Z
12
generated by 4, 6 is
2) = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
(1.4) #36. Give an example of a nite group that is not cyclic, or explain why no
example exists.
Solution: The smallest example is V , the Klein 4-group. Call the elements of V =
e, a, b, c. The group table is:
e a b c
e e a b c
a a e c b
b b c e a
c c b a e
Notice that e) = e, a) = e, a, b) = e, b, c) = e, c. That is, V fails to be
generated by any of its elements. So V is not cyclic.
(1.4) #37. Give an example of an innite group that is not cyclic, or explain why
no example exists.
Solution: Most of the innite groups weve seen are not cyclic. For example, G = (R, +).
To see this, suppose G = a) for some a R

. But a) = na [ n Z is just the integer

multiples of a. This has cardinality
0
, which is too small to cover all of R. Or we can
notice that
a
2
/ a), since for
a
2
to be na for some n Z, we would need
1
2
Z, which
isnt true.
(1.4) #43. Find the primitive eighth roots of unity.
Solution: The primitive nth roots of unity are the generators of U
n
. Now
U
n
= z C [ z
n
= 1 =
_
cos
_
2k
n
_
+ i sin
_
2k
n
_
k = 0, 1, . . . , n 1
_
By DeMoivres formula, U
8
is cyclic and generated by = cos
_
2
8
_
+i sin
_
2
8
_
=
1 + i

2
.
The generators are those
i
with i relatively prime to 8. Hence, the generators of U
8
are
,
3
,
5
,
7
. These are the complex numbers
1 i

2
.
(1.4) #51. Let G be a group and suppose a G generates a cyclic subgroup of order
2 and is the unique such element. Show that ax = xa for all x G.
Proof: Let x G be any element and consider xax
1
. Then
_
xax
1
_
2
=
_
xax
1
_ _
xax
1
_
= xax
1
xax
1
= xaax
1
= xx
1
= e.
Since a generates a nontrivial subgroup, a ,= e. Hence, xax
1
,= xex
1
= e. So xax
1
generates a nontrivial subgroup of G. But
_
xax
1
_
2
= e, so this cyclic subgroup has order
2. The only element of G that generates a cyclic subgroup of order 2 is a, so it must be
that xax
1
= a. But then, xax
1
x = ax, so xa = ax. This works no matter what x is, so
xa = ax for all x G.