Mathematics 541

Homework
October 25, 2000
Chapter 6, Problem 4. Show that U(8) is not isomorphic to U(10).
Answer: We know that U(8) = {1, 3, 5, 7} and U(10) = {1, 3, 7, 9}. In U(8), some compu-
tation shows that 3, 5, and 7 all have order 2, while in U(10), 3 and 7 have order 4 and
9 has order 2. Since there are diering numbers of elements of order 2, we see that U(8)
cannot be isomorphic to U(10).
If you prefer, you can observe that U(10) is cyclic (generated either by 3 or 7), while
U(8) is not cyclic, so the groups cannot be isomorphic.
Chapter 6, Problem 5. Show that U(8) is isomorphic to U(12).
Answer: There doesnt seem to be any easy way to do this problem other than by trial and
error. In fact, any 1-1 map from U(8) to U(12) that sends 1 to 1 will be an isomorphism. To
take a specic example, let : U(8) U(12) be dened by (1) = 1, (3) = 5, (5) = 7,
and (7) = 11. Then writing out the Cayley tables shows that this is an isomorphism:
1 3 5 7
1 1 3 5 7
3 3 1 7 5
5 5 7 1 3
7 7 5 3 1
1 5 7 11
1 1 5 7 11
5 5 1 11 7
7 7 11 1 5
11 11 7 5 1
Chapter 6, Problem 11. Find two groups G and H such that G H, but Aut(G)
Aut(H).
Answer: The simplest answer here is to take G = Z
3
and H = Z
4
. Then we know that
G H (because Z
3
and Z
4
have dierent numbers of elements), but Aut(Z
3
) U(3) and
Aut(Z
4
) U(4). Since U(3) and U(4) both have two elements, both groups are isomorphic
to a cyclic group with 2 elements.
In view of the answer to problem 6.5 above, another answer would be Z
8
and Z
12
,
which are clearly not isomorphic. We know that Aut(Z
8
) U(8), and Aut(Z
12
) U(12).
Chapter 6, Problem 21. Prove or disprove that U(20) and U(24) are isomorphic.
Answer: Both U(20) and U(24) contain 8 elements, so there is no obvious reason why
they cant be isomorphic. But if we compute orders of elements, we nd that the orders
of elements in U(20) looks like this:
n 1 3 7 9 11 13 17 19
o(n) 1 4 4 2 2 4 4 2
The orders of elements in U(24) looks like this:
n 1 5 7 11 13 17 19 23
o(n) 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Therefore, the groups cannot be isomorphic.
Chapter 6, Problem 27. Let C be the complex numbers, and
M =

a b
b a

a, b R

.
Prove that C and M are isomorphic under addition and that C and M, the nonzero
elements of M, are isomorphic under multiplication.
Answer: Dene a function (a + bi) =

a b
b a

. You can check that this map is a

bijection. To check that we have have an isomorphism under addition, we compute
((a +bi) + (c +di)) = ((a +c) + (b +d)i) =

a +c (b +d)
b +d a +c

a b
b a

c d
d c

= (a +bi) +(c +di).

To check that we have an isomorphism under multiplication, we compute
((a +bi)(c +di)) = (ac bd + (ad +bc)i) =

ac bd (ad +bc)
ad +bc ac bd

a b
b a

c d
d c

= (a +bi)(c +di).
Chapter 6, Problem 30. Suppose that G is a nite abelian group and G has no element
of order 2. Show that the mapping g g
2
is an automorphism of G. Show, by example,
that if G is innite, the mapping need not be an automorphism.
Answer: Dene (g) = g
2
. We see trivially that (ab) = (ab)
2
= a
2
b
2
= (a)(b), using
the fact that G is an abelian group.
To show that is 1-1, suppose that (a) = (b). Then a
2
= b
2
, or a
2
(b
1
)
2
= e, or
(ab
1
)
2
= e. Since G contains no elements of order 2, we can conclude that ab
1
= e, or
a = b.
Because G is a nite group, we know that any 1-1 map from G to G is automatically
a surjection, and therefore is a bijection. That makes an automorphism.
If G is innite, the picture changes. The function is still 1-1, but need not be onto.
One example is the group Q
+
, the positive rational numbers with the group operation of
multiplication. The function (x) = x
2
satises (xy) = (x)(y), and the function is 1-1,
but clearly not onto.
Chapter 6, Problem 35. Let a belong to a group G and let o(a) be nite. Let
a
be the
automorphism of G given by
a
(x) = axa
1
. Show that o(
a
) divides o(a). Exhibit an
element a from a group for which 1 < o(
a
) < o(a).
Answer: Because we know that
gh
=
g

h
, we can conclude by induction that
a
k =
(
a
)
k
. Suppose now that o(a) = n. Then (
a
)
n
=
a
n =
e
, which is the identity
permutation. Therefore, o(
a
)|n.
In the group D
4
, consider the permutation
R
90
. We compute (
R
90
)
2
=
R
2
90
=
R
180
,
which is the identity permutation (as shown previously). Since
R
90
is not the identity
permutation, we know that o(
R
90
) = 2. On the other hand, o(R
90
) = 4.
Chapter 7, Problem 1. Let H = {(1), (12)(34), (13)(24), (14)(23)}. Find the left cosets of
H in A
4
.
Answer: We have
eH = {(1), (12)(34), (13)(24), (14)(23)} = (12)(34)H = (13)(24)H = (14)(23)H
(123)H = {(123), (134), (243), (142)} = (134)H = (243)H = (142)H
(132)H = {(132), (234), (124), (143)} = (234)H = (124)H = (143)H
Chapter 7, Problem 7. Find all of the left cosets of {1, 11} in U(30).
Answer: The elements of U(30) are {1, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29}. Let H = {1, 11}. Then we
have
1H = {1, 11} = 11H
7H = {7, 17} = 17H
13H = {13, 23} = 23H
19H = {19, 29} = 29H
Chapter 7, Problem 18. Use Corollary 1 of Lagranges Theorem to prove that the order
of U(n) is even when n > 2.
Answer: The element n1 is always in U(n), and when n > 2, we can see that n1 = 1.
On the other hand, (n 1)
2
= n
2
2n + 1, which is equal to 1 in U(n). Therefore, n 1
has order 2 in U(n). Since U(n) has an element of order 2, we can conclude that it must
have even order.