Homework 6 Solutions

Enrique Trevi
no
October 22, 2014

Chapter 9

Problem 1. (Exercise 1)
Prove that Z
= nZ for n 6= 0.
Solution 1. If n 6= 0, then nZ is cyclic (generated by n) and it has infinitely many elements. Since any
infinite cyclic group is isomorphic to Z, then nZ is isomorphic to Z.
Problem 2. (Exercise 3)

Prove or disprove: Z
8 = Z4 .
Solution 2. Z4 is cyclic, yet Z
8 is not cyclic. Therefore they are not isomorphic.
Problem 3. (Exercise 5)

Show that Z
5 is isomorphic to Z10 , but Z12 is not.

Solution 3. h2i = {2, 4, 3, 1} = Z

5 , so Z5 is cyclic of order 4. Z10 = {1, 3, 7, 9} = {3, 9, 7, 1} = h3i is also
cyclic of order 4. Therefore they are both isomorphic to Z4 , so they are isomorphic to each other. Z
12 is not
cyclic since all of its non-identity elements have order 2

Alternative Solution: Let : Z

5 Z10 be defined by (1) = 1, (2) = 3, (4) = 9, (3) = 7. Then
is a bijection. We can then verify that (ab mod 5) = (a)(b) mod 10 by checking all 16 possible pairs
a, b {1, 2, 3, 4}.

An alternative proof that Z

12 is not isomorphic to Z5 is the following: Suppose that : Z5 Z12 is
2
3
4
2 3
an isomorphism. Let (2) = a. Then (4) = a , (3) = a and (1) = a = 1. Then a, a , a and 1 are all
different. Yet a2 = 1 for any a Z
12 . Therefore no isomorphism exists.

Problem 4. (Exercise 8)
Prove that Q is not isomorphic to Z.
Solution 4. Suppose they are isomorphic. Since Z is cyclic, then Q is cyclic. Let Q = hri for some r Q.
1
1
Since r Q, then there exist integers p and q > 0 such that r = pq . Now consider q+1
. Since q+1
Q and
Q = hri, then there exists an integer k such that
 
1
p
= kr = k
.
q+1
q
But then

Since

q
q+1

q
= kp Z.
q+1
6 Z, this contradicts our assumption. Therefore Q is not cyclic.

Problem 5. (Exercise 11)

Find five non-isomorphic groups of order 8 (prove that they are non-isomorphic).

Solution 5. Four easy groups to find are Z8 , Z4 Z2 , Z2 Z2 Z2 , D4 . D4 is non-abelian so it clearly is

different from the rest. Z8 is the only cyclic group so that makes it different from the rest. Z4 Z2 has an
element of order 4 since |(1, 0)| = 4, yet every nontrivial element of Z2 Z2 Z2 has order 2. Therefore they
are different.
The last group of order 8 is a special group that took Hamilton many years to find. The group is called
the quaternion group and it has the following representation:
Q = {1, i, j, k, i, j, k, 1},
with the operations i2 = j 2 = k 2 = ijk = 1 and (1)2 = 1. 1 is the identity and 1 commutes with all
elements.
With these operations we can deduce the rest of the operations. For example ijk = 1 and k 2 = 1
therefore ijk 2 = (1)(k), so ij = k, so ij = k. Also, (ij)(ji) = i(j 2 )i = i(i) = i2 = 1. So ji is the
inverse of ij. Since ij = k, then ji = k. We can also find ik. Indeed k = ij, so ik = i(ij) = j. With
similar reasoning we can find all of them and form the Cayley table:

1
i
j
k
i
j
k
1

1
1
i
j
k
i
j
k
1

i
i
1
k
j
1
k
j
i

j
j
k
1
i
k
1
i
j

k
k
j
i
1
j
i
1
k

i
1
1
k
j
1
k
j
i

j
j
k
1
i
k
1
i
j

k
k
j
i
1
j
i
1
k

1
1
i
j
k
i
j
k
1

Note that ij = k and ji = k, therefore Q is non-abelian. Therefore if its isomorphic to any of the others
it can only be isomorphic to D4 . It is not isomorphic to D4 because D4 only has 2 elements of order 4
(r and r3 ) where as Q has 6 elements of order 4(i, j, k, i, j, k). Indeed if we suppose an isomorphism
: D4 Q exists, then if a D4 has order n, then (a) Q has order n. The last statement is because
(ak ) = (a)k , so ak = id n|k and (ak ) = id ak = id n|k. Since (ak ) = (a)k , then a and (a)
have the same orders in their respective groups. In particular that implies that D4 has the same number
of elements of order 4 as Q. But this is not true. Therefore D4
6 Q. Therefore we have 5 non-isomorphic
=
groups of order 8.
Problem 6. (Exercise 16)
Find the order of each of the following elements.
(a) (3, 4) in Z4 Z6
(b) (6, 15, 4) in Z30 Z45 Z24
(c) (5, 10, 15) in Z25 Z25 Z25
(d) (8, 8, 8) in Z10 Z24 Z80
Solution 6.
(a) The order of 3 in Z4 is 4 and the order of 4 in Z6 is 3. Therefore the order of (3, 4) = lcm(4, 3) = 12.
(b) The orders of 6, 15, and 4 in Z30 , Z45 , and Z24 are 5, 3, 6, respectively. Therefore the order of
(6, 15, 4) = lcm(5, 3, 6) = 30.
(c) The orders of 5, 10 and 15 in Z25 are 5, 5 and 5 respectively. Therefore the order of (5, 10, 15) is
lcm(5, 5, 5) = 5.
(d) The orders of 8 in Z10 , Z24 , and Z80 are 5, 3, 10, respectively. Therefore the order of (8,8,8) is
lcm(5, 3, 10) = 30.
2

Problem 7. (Exercise 17)

Prove that D4 cannot be the internal direct product of two of its proper subgroups.
Solution 7. Recall that D4 = {id, r, r2 , r3 , s, rs, r2 s, r3 s} with r4 = id, s2 = id and srs = r3 . For the sake
of contradiction suppose D4
= H K where H and K are proper subgroups of D4 . Since |D4 | = 8, then
|H| |K| = 8. By Lagranges theorem |H||8 and |K||8 and so one of them has order 4 and the other has
order 2 (since H and K are proper subgroups). Without loss of generality, assume |H| = 4 and |K| = 2.
Since |K| = 2, then K = {e, k} with k 2 = e. Therefore k has five possibilities: k = r2 , k = s, k = rs,
k = r2 s, or k = r3 s. Lets do one case at a time:
Case 1 In this case k = r2 . Therefore we need H to be a subgroup of order 4 without r2 . So H cant contain r
or r3 (since r r = r2 = r3 r3 ). Therefore H consists of 3 of {s, rs, r2 s, r3 s} together with the identity.
Since s (rs) = r1 = r3 and r3 6 H, then we cant have both s and rs. Similarly we cant have s
and r3 s. Therefore either |H| < 4 or s 6 H. So then H is forced to be {id, rs, r2 s, r3 s}, but then
rs (r2 s) = r(sr2 s) = r(r2 ) = r1 = r3 6 H. So H is not a subgroup. Therefore the case k 6= r2
Case 2 Suppose k = s. One candidate for H is {id, r, r2 , r3 }. It satisfies HK = D4 , H K = {id} and H is
a subgroup. However, K and H dont commute. Indeed rs = sr3 so rs = sr implies r2 = id which
is false. Therefore H 6= {id, r, r2 , r3 }. But that means r 6 H and r3 6 H since either one would
force H to be {id, r, r2 , r3 } (since hri = hr3 i = {id, r, r2 , r3 }). So the elements we can have in H are
r2 , rs, r3 s, r2 s (besides the identity, of course). We cant have both r2 and r2 s since their product is
s which is not in H. If we have rs and r3 s then we have to have r2 (since rsr3 s = rr3 = r2 and
r3 srs = r3 r1 = r2 ). Therefore the only way we can pick three out of r2 , rs, r3 s and r2 s is by choosing
r2 , rsandr3 s. Then H = {id, r2 , rs, r3 s}. But then s and rs dont commute since srs = r3 and rss = r.
Therefore k 6= s.
Case 3 Suppose k = rs. As in case 2, one candidate for H = {id, r, r2 , r3 }, but rs doesnt commute with r so
H must be different. In a similar fashion as in Case 2 r, r3 6 H. So we have three of the following in
H: r2 , s, r2 s, r3 s. We cant have both r2 s and r3 s because that would imply we have r. We cant have
r2 and r3 s because that would imply we have rs which is in K. Therefore the only way this works is
if H = {r2 , s, r2 s, id}. But then rss = r while srs = r3 , so rs and s dont commute.
Case 4 Suppose k = r2 s. As in case 2, one candidate for H = {id, r, r2 , r3 }, but r2 s doesnt commute with r
so H must be different. In a similar fashion as in Case 2 r, r3 6 H. So we have three of the following
in H: r2 , s, rs, r3 s. We cant have both rs and s because that would imply we have r. We cant have
r2 and s because that would imply we have r2 s which is in K. Therefore the only way this works is if
H = {r2 , rs, r3 s, id}. But then r2 srs = r while rs(r2 s) = r3 , so r2 s and rs dont commute.
Case 5 Suppose k = r3 s. As in case 2, one candidate for H = {id, r, r2 , r3 }, but r3 s doesnt commute with r
so H must be different. In a similar fashion as in Case 2 r, r3 6 H. So we have three of the following in
H: r2 , s, rs, r2 s. We cant have both rs and r2 s because that would imply we have r3 . We cant have
r2 and rs because that would imply we have r3 s which is in K. Therefore the only way this works is
if H = {r2 , s, r2 s, id}. But then r3 ss = r3 while sr3 s = r, so r3 s and s dont commute.
In all five cases there is no H that works. Therefore D4 is not the internal product of two proper subgroups.
Problem 8. (Exercise 22)
Let G be a group of order 20. If G has subgroups H and K of orders 4 and 5 respectively such that hk = kh
for all h H and k K, prove that G is the internal direct product of H and K.
Solution 8. To be able to prove this statement we need to prove that G = HK and that H K = {e}.
Lets start by proving that H K = {e}. Suppose x H K. Then x H so x4 = e and x K so x5 = e.
Since x4 = e, then x5 = x4 x = x. Since x5 = e and x5 = x, then x = e. Therefore H K = {e}.
Now lets show that HK = G. H has 4 elements and K has 5 elements so there are 20 possible elements
of the form hk with h H and k K. Since H and K are subsets of G, all of these hk are elements
of G. Since G has 20 elements, if all of the hks are different, then HK = G. The only way we fail to

show HK = G is if we have h1 k1 = h2 k2 with either h1 6= h2 or k1 6= k2 . So suppose h1 k1 = h2 k2 . Then

h1
2 h1 k1 = k2 , so
1
h1
2 h1 = k2 k1 .
1
Therefore h21 h1 H K and k2 k11 H K. Since H K = {e}, then h1
2 h1 = e and k2 k1 = e. Therefore
h1 = h2 and k1 = k2 . That means that all of the hks are different so G = HK. Therefore G
= H K.

Problem 9. (Exercise 23)

Prove or disprove the following assertion. Let G, H, and K be groups. If G K
= H K, then G
= H.
Solution 9. It is not true. Let
K = Z Z Z ,
H = {0}, and G = Z. Then G K = K = H K, yet G
6 H.
=
Problem 10. (Exercise 33)
Write out the permutations associated with each element of S3 in the proof of Cayleys Theorem.
Solution 10. S3 = {(1), (12), (13), (23), (123), (132)}. Lets think of (1) as the first element, (12) as the
second one and so forth.

(1)
(12)
(13)
(23)
(123)
(132)

(1)
(1)
(12)
(13)
(23)
(123)
(132)

(12)
(12)
(1)
(123)
(132)
(13)
(23)

(13)
(13)
(132)
(1)
(123)
(23)
(12)

(23) (123) (132) Ordering Cycle decomposition in S6

(23) (123) (132) 123456
(1)
(123) (23) (13)
216543
(12)(36)(45)
(132) (12) (23)
351624
(13)(25)(46)
(1)
(13) (12)
465132
(14)(26)(35)
(12) (132) (1)
534261
(156)(234)
(13)
(1) (123) 642315
(165)(243)

Therefore S3
= {(1), (12)(36)(45), (13)(25)(46), (14)(26)(35), (156)(234), (165)(243)} S6 .