Chapter 2: Subroups

G5 {6 n | n } under multiplication

10.

11.

G6 {a b 2 | a, b } under addition
Find the order of the subgroup of the multiplicative group G of invertible
4 4 matrices generated by
0 0 0 1
0 0 1 0

1 0 0 0

0 1 0 0
Study the structure of the table for the group 4 in the following.
4 :

a.
b.

+
0
1
2
3

0
0
1
2
3

1
1
2
3
0

2
2
3
0
1

3
3
0
1
2

By analogy, complete Table 4.1 to give a cyclic group 6 of 6

elements. (You need not prove the associative law.)
Compute the subgroups 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 of the
group 6 given in part (a).

c.
d.

Which elements are generators for the group 6 of part (a)?

Give the lattice diagram for the part (b) subgroups of 6 . (We will
see later that these are all the subgroups of 6 .)
6 :

+
0
1
2
3
4
5

0
0
1
2
3
4
5

1
1
2

2
2
3

3
3
4

4
4
5

5
5
0

Table 4.1
12.

Show that if H and K are subgroups of an abelian group G, then

{hk | h H and k K }
is a subgroup of G.

13.

Prove that if G is an abelian group with identity e, then all elements x of G

satisfying the equation x 2 e form a subgroup H of G.

* Group Theory 1 *
23

Chapter 2: Subroups

14.

Let G be a group and let a be one fixed element of G. Show that

H a {x G | xa ax}
is a subgroup of G.

15.

For sets H and K, we define the intersection H K by

H K {x | x H and x K }.
Show that if H G and K G , then H K G.

16.

Prove that every cyclic group is abelian.

17

For each group in the following list, find the order of the group and the
order of each element in the group. In each case, how are the orders of the
elements of the group related to the order of the group?
12 ,
D4 .
U(10),
U(12),
U(20),

18.

Prove that in any group, an element and its inverse have the same order.

19.

Without actually computing the orders, explain why the two elements in
each of the following pairs of elements from 30 must have the same
order: {2, 28}, {8, 22}. Do the same for the following pairs of elements
from U(15): {2, 8}, {7, 13}.

20.

Let x belong to a group. If x 2 e and x 6 e, prove that x 4 e and x 5 e.

What can we say about the order of x?

21.

Show that U (14) 3 5 . [Hence, U (14) is cyclic.] Is U (14) 11 ?

22.

Show that 10 3 7 9 . Is 10 2 ?

23.

Let G be a group, and let a G. Prove that C (a ) C (a 1 ).

24.

Suppose G is the group defined by the following Cayley table.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

2
2
1
4
3
6
5
8
7

3
3
8
5
2
7
4
1
6

4
4
7
6
1
8
3
2
5

5
5
6
7
8
1
2
3
4

6
6
5
8
7
2
1
4
3

7
7
4
1
6
3
8
5
2

8
8
3
2
5
4
7
6
1

* Group Theory 1 *
24

Chapter 2: Subroups

a.
b.
c.

Find the centralizer of each member of G.

Find Z(G).
Find the order of each element of G. How are these orders
arithmetically related to the order of the group?

25.

If H is a subgroup of G, then by the centralizer C(H) of H we mean that the

set {x G | xh hx for all h H }. Prove that C(H) is a subgroup of G.

26.

Let G be an Abelian group with identity e and let n be some integer. Prove
that the set of all elements of G that satisfy the equation x n e is a
subgroup of G. Give an example of a group G in which the set of all
elements of G that satisfy the equation x 2 e does not form a subgroup of
G.

27.

0 1
0 1
Consider the elements A
and B

from SL (2, ).
1 0
1 1
Find A , B , and AB . Does your answer surprise you?

28.

U(15) has six cyclic subgroups. List them.

29.

Let

30.

Let G GL(2, ). Let H { A G | det A is a power of 2}. Show that H is a

subgroup of G.

31.

32.

a b

G
| a, b, c, d
under
addition.
Let
H

c d

a b

| a b c d 0 . Prove that H is a subgroup of G. What if 0 is

c d

replaced by 1?

a 0

Let G GL (2, ) and H

| a and b are nonzero integers . Prove

0 b

or disprove that H is a subgroup of G.

Let G GL(2, ).
a.
b.
c.

1
Find C
0
0
Find C
1
Find Z(G).

0
.
0

1
.
0

* Group Theory 1 *
25