Math 360, Fall 2013, Assignment 4
No doubt many people feel that the inclusion of mathematics among the arts is unwarranted. The strongest objection is that mathematics has no emotional import. Of course this argument discounts the feelings of dislike and revulsion that mathematics induces....
- - Morris Kline, Mathematics in Western Culture
Carefully define the following terms, then give one example and one non-example of each:
- Subgroup.
- Improper subgroup.
- Trivial subgroup.
- Cyclic subgroup (generated by a particular element).
- Cyclic group.
- Generator (of a cyclic group).
- Order (of a group).
- Order (of an element of a group).
- GCD (of two integers).
- Relatively prime.
Carefully state the following theorems (you need not prove them):
- Theorem concerning integer division (Theorem 6.3 in the text).
- Classification of cyclic groups (Theorem 6.10).
- Classification of subgroups of \(\mathbb{Z}\) (Corollary 6.7).
- Classification of subgroups of \(\mathbb{Z}_n\) (Theorem 6.14).
Do the following problems:
- Section 5, problems 7, 9, 22, 23, and 42.
- Section 6, problems 1, 3, 5, 9, 23, 27, and 30.
Questions:
1. Can someone please recap me again what does " aleph_0" mean again? I found it in the example for the order of a group?
aleph_0 (\(\aleph_0\), (pronounced aleph-naught), is the cardinality of the positive integers (and the even integers, the odd integers, and the integers, the rational numbers, etc.) It's the largest cardinality where you can still count the elements of the underlying set. You can count the positive integers by going 1,2,3... etc., and you are guaranteed to eventually reach any arbitrary integer. You can do the same for any set of cardinality \(\aleph_0\). But for larger sets (the real numbers) you can't count the elements. There is no sequence of real numbers where you're guaranteed to eventually reach any arbitrary real number.
Solutions:
Definitions
- Subgroup.
Definition:
Let \(H\) be a subset of a group \((G,*)\) \(H\) is also a subgroup of \(G\) if it is closed under \(*\), and it is a group under \(*\).
Example:
The integers under addition are a subgroup of the real numbers under addition.
Non-Example:
The positive integers are not a subgroup of the integers under addition, because the positive integers lack an identity and inverses.
- Improper Subgroup.
Definition:
If we have a group \(G\), \(G\) is the improper subgroup of itself.
Example:
The integers with addition are the improper subgroup of the integers with addition.
Non-Example:
The even integers with addition are not the improper subgroup of the integers with additon.
- Trivial Subgroup.
Definition:
If we have a group \(G\), then the trivial subgroup of \(G\) is the subgroup consisting of only the identity element.
Example:
The group \((0,+)\) is the trivial subgroup of the integers with addition.
Non-Example:
The even integers are not the trivial subgroup of the integers with addition.
- Cyclic Subgroup.
Definition:
The cyclic subgroup of a group \(G\) generated by \(a\in G\) is the subgroup \(< a>\) of \(G\) such that \(< a > = \{a^n | n\ in \mathbb{Z}\}\)
Example:
The even integers are a cyclic subgroup of the integers, generated by 2 (or -2).
Non-Example:
- Generator of a Cyclic Group.
Definition:
A generator of a group \(G\) is an element \(a\in G\) such that every element of \(G\) is a power of \(a\), i.e. \(\forall b\in G: \exists n\in \mathbb{Z}: b = a^n\)
Example:
1 is a generator of the integers under addition.
Non-Example:
2 is not a generator of the integers under addition.
- Order of a Group.
Definition:
The order of a group is just the cardinality of the underlying set.
Example:
The order of the integers is \(\aleph_0\).
Non-Example:
The order of \(\mathbb{Z}/0\) is not 0.
- GCD of Two Integers.
Definition:
The GCD of two integers is the greatest common divisor of the integers. For integers \(a,b\) their GCD is the greatest integer \(g\) such that \(a=ng\) and \(b=mg\) (i.e. \(g\) is the biggest integer that goes into both of the other integers evenly.
Example:
The GCD of 10 and 15 is 5.
Non-Example:
The GCD of 10 and 16 is not 5.
- Relatively Prime.
Definition:
Two integers are relatively prime if their greatest common divisor is 1.
Example:
6 and 55 are relatively prime.
Non-Example:
6 and 9 are not relatively prime.
Theorems
- Theorem Concerning Integer Division
For any integers \(a\) and \(b\), there are integers \(q\) and \(r\), such that \(0 \leq r < b\), and \(a=bq+r\).
- Classification of Cyclic Groups
Every cyclic group is isomorphic either to \(\mathbb{Z}\), or two \(\mathbb{Z}_n\). Specifically, infinite cyclic groups are isomorphic to \(\mathbb{Z}\), and groups of order \(n\) are isomorphic to \(\mathbb{Z}_n\).
- Classification of Subgroups of \(\mathbb{Z}\)
The subgroups of \(\mathbb{Z}\) under addition are the subgroups \(n\mathbb{Z}\), i.e. the subgroups of \(\mathbb{Z}\) are the cyclic subgroups generated by the elements of \(\mathbb{Z}\). (So the even integers, the multiples of 3, and 4, and 5, etc.)
