Assignment I

ALGEBRA I
December 27, 2015

Group Members
Name
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Abener Tewodros
Hana Endiris . .
Miliyon Tilahun .
Sisai Bekele . . .
Shimekit Legese .

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ID No
GSR/1417/08
GSR/1419/08
GSR/1401/08
GSR/1426/08
GSR/1425/08

Show all the necessary steps

1. Write out an addition table for Z2 Z2 .
Solution. Z2 Z2 = {(a, b) : a, b Z2 } then
(0, 0)
(0, 1)
(1, 0)
(1, 1)

(0, 0)
(0, 0)
(0, 1)
(1, 0)
(1, 1)

(0, 1)
(0, 1)
(0, 0)
(1, 1)
(1, 0)

(1, 0)
(1, 0)
(1, 1)
(0, 0)
(0, 1)

(1, 1)
(1, 1)
(1, 0)
(0, 1)
(0, 0)

Table 1: Z2 Z2

2. If a2 = e for all elements of a group G, then G is abelian.

Solution. Since a2 = e, a G, every element is equal to its inverse. Thus for any a, b G
ab = (ab)1 = b1 a1 = ba
Therefore, G is abelian.
3. If f : G H is a homomorphism, a G and f (a) has a finite order then |a| is infinite or |f (a)| divides
|a|.
Solution. If |a| is infinite we are done. Otherwise, |a| is finite, say |a| = m. Then am = eG , and so
[f (a)]m = f (am ) = eH . Then |f (a)| is finite, say |f (a)| = n(i.e. n is minimum such that [f (a)]n = eH ).
The number gcd(m, n) can be expressed as an integer combination of m and n(gcd(m, n) = mq + nr).
So [f (a)]gcd(m,n) = eH . Notice that 0 < gcd(m, n) n. This forces gcd(m, n) = n by the minimality
of n. So |f (a)| = n divides |a| = m.
4. Let H, K, N be subgroups of a group G such that H K, H N = K N and HN = KN . Show
that H = K.
Solution. To show H = K we need to show that H K and K H. Since H K it follows H K.
To show K H: Let a K. Then a = ae KN = HN , so a = bn for some b H, n N . Thus
b1 a = n N and b1 a K (since a K and as H K, b H implies b K moreover b1 K
because K is a group). Hence b1 a K N = H N H, so b1 a H, which means a H as H is
a group i.e. K H. Consequently, H = K.
5. Let H G, then the set aHa1 is a subgroup for each a G and H
= aHa1 .
Solution. By definition aHa1 = {aha1 : h H}. aHa1 6= , e aHa1 since e = aea1 , e H.
Let , aHa1 . Then = ah1 a1 and = ah2 a1 , h1 , h2 H.
1
Thus 1 = (ah2 a1 )1 = ah1
. Now,
2 a
1
1 = (ah1 a1 )(ah1
)
2 a
1
= ah1 (a1 a)h1
2 a
1
= ah1 h1
2 a

(a1 a = e)
(h1 h1
2 H H is a group)

= ah3 a1 aHa1

(h3 = h1 h1
2 H)

Thus, , aHa1 1 aHa1 (i.e. aHa1 G).

Define : H aHa1 by (h) = aha1 . Claim: is an isomorphism. For h1 , h2 H
2

(Homomorphism): (h1 h2 ) = ah1 h2 a1 = ah1 a1 ah2 a1 = (ah1 a1 )(ah2 a1 ) = (h1 )(h2 ).

(One to one): Let (h1 ) = (h2 ), then
ah1 a1 = ah2 a1
h1 = h2

(right, left cancelation)

(Onto): Let y = aha1 aHa1 , then x H such that (x) = y. Let x = h H, then
(x) = axa1 = aha1 = y.
Therefore, is an isomorphism and hence
H
= aHa1

6. Let G be a finite group and H G of order n. If H is the only subgroup of G of order n, then H is
normal in G.
Solution. We know H
= aHa1 i.e. if the order of H is n so is the order of aHa1 but H is the only
subgroup of G of order n hence aHa1 = H. Therefore H is normal in G.
7. If f : G H is homomorphism with kernel N and K G, then prove that f 1 (f (K)) = KN . Hence
f 1 (f (K)) = K if and only if N K.
Proof.
f 1 (f (K)) = {g G|f (g) = f (k) for some k K}
= {g G|f (k 1 )f (g) = f (k 1 )f (k) for some k K}
= {g G|f (k 1 g) = eH for some k K}
= {g G|k

g N for some k K}

(f homo, f (eG ) = eH )
(ker f is N )

= {g G|g kN for some k K}

= KN

8. Prove that the symmetric group on n letters Sn has order n!.

Proof. Sn consists of permutations of n letters {1, 2, 3, . . . , n}. We enumerate all possible permutations
of them. There are n choices for 1 to be permuted; when 1 has been permuted, there are (n 1) choices
for 2 to be permuted; when 1 and 2 have been permuted, there are (n 2) choices for 3 to be permuted;
Repeating the process, we see that there are n + 1 i choices for i to be permuted and thus the number
of elements in Sn is then
|Sn | =

n
Y

(n + 1 i) = n(n 1) 2 1 = n!.

i=1