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Exam on Permutation Groups and Subgroups

This document is the take-home exam for a graduate level abstract algebra course. It consists of 5 questions testing fundamental concepts in group theory including properties of orthogonal matrices, generation of symmetric and alternating groups by transpositions and 3-cycles, properties of subgroups, and the definition and properties of centralizers. Students are instructed to work independently, show their reasoning, and the exam is due in one week.

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Sony Moore
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274 views2 pages

Exam on Permutation Groups and Subgroups

This document is the take-home exam for a graduate level abstract algebra course. It consists of 5 questions testing fundamental concepts in group theory including properties of orthogonal matrices, generation of symmetric and alternating groups by transpositions and 3-cycles, properties of subgroups, and the definition and properties of centralizers. Students are instructed to work independently, show their reasoning, and the exam is due in one week.

Uploaded by

Sony Moore
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Math 5285H: Fundamental

Structures of Algebra I
Take Home Exam 1, (Due in class, October 12th, 2011)

This is an open book, open notes take-home exam. You are not allowed to collaborate, use the internet, or
use electronic devices, other than the course website, an e-book of Artin, or a basic calculator. The instructor
is the only human source you are allowed to consult. Give reasoning for all of your answers. Good luck!

1) a) (5 points) A matrix M is known as orthogonal if MM T equals the identity matrix. Prove that On , the
set of n-by-n orthogonal matrices (with real entries), is a subgroup of GLn (R).
b) (5 points) Prove that if M is orthogonal, then det M = 1.
 
cos sin
c) (5 points) Pick a positive integer m and fix = 2/m. Consider the matrices =
  sin cos
1 0
and r = . Prove that and r generate a subgroup of O2 .
0 1
d) (5 points) What is the order of this subgroup (in terms of m)? Explain your answer.

2) a) (10 points) Recall that a transposition is a permutation that switches exactly two numbers. Using an
adaptation of row reduction, or otherwise, prove that the transpositions generate the symmetric group Sn .
b) (10 points) Prove that, for n 3, the three-cycles generate the alternating group An .

3) a) (5 points) Let G be a group of order 26. Let x, y be elements of G such that x 6= 1 and y is not a power
of x. Prove that the subgroup generated by x and y is the entire group G.
b) (5 points) Let G be a group of order 55. Does G contain an element of order 5? Of order 11? Explain
your answers.
c) (10 points) Let G be a group of order 49. Prove that G has at least one subgroup of order 7, and that
if it contains only one subgroup of order 7, then G is a cyclic group.

4) a) (5 points) Let g be an element of a group G. Prove that if the set {1, g} is a normal subgroup of G,
then g is in the center of G.
b) (5 points) Let G be a group such that for every g 6= 1, g has order 2. Prove that G is abelian.
(TURN ME OVER)

1
c) (10 points) Classify groups of order 6, i.e. describe all possible groups of order 6 up to isomorphism.
Prove your answer. A hint can be found on page 75 of Artin.
(Bonus): Classify groups of order 8.
Hint: Q8 denotes the quaternion group (see page 47 of Artin), the group of complex-valued matrices
               
1 0 i 0 0 1 0 i 1 0 i 0 0 1 0 i
, , , , , , , .
0 1 0 i 1 0 i 0 0 1 0 i 1 0 i 0

5 ) Given a group G, an element g in G, the centralizer of g in G, denoted as Z(g) is defined as the set

Z(g) = {h G s.t. hgh1 = g}.

a) (10 points) Prove that the centralizer of g in G is a subgroup of G.


b) (5 points) If G is abelian, and g G, what is Z(g)?
c) (5 points) Is Z(g) a normal subgroup of G? Explain your answer.

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