Assignment 2 Worksheet Version

The following is a worksheet version of Assignment 2, designed to (1) help you get started on the
problems and (2) understand what sort of solutions will get full credit. You can turn in either your own
solutions or this completed worksheet. If you choose to use this worksheet, make sure you include a
separate sheet of paper containing your answer to Question 5.
1. Let and be elements of an abstract group , and let
a) Prove: If

, then

(i.e.

and commute)
Reasons:

=
=
=
b) Prove: If

(i.e.

and commute), then

.
Reasons:

=
=
=
2. a) Given

Show

.
Reasons:
Multiplication by on the right.

=
=
=
=

b) Given

and

, show
Reasons:
Multiplication by on the right.
=
=
=
=

c) Without providing a rigorous proof (which requires mathematical induction), explain why
holds for all positive numbers .

3. Let
be a group isomorphism. Prove that the inverse
is also an isomorphism.
First, let's unpack what you need to prove using the definition of group isomorphism
Given:

Prove:

is a group isomorphism i.e.

1. There is a bijective correspondence
.
2. For all elements
of ,

is a group isomorphism i.e.

A. There is a bijective correspondence
.
B. For all elements
of ,

A.) If
is a bijective correspondence and
respectively, then:

for a and x, elements of G and H

= _____

Explain why

B.) Let

be elements of
Prove

defined this way is a bijective correspondence:

. Let

be elements of G such that

. (Note: You will have to use

.
)

Reasons:

=
=
=

4. a). Let
not?

be the set of nonzero real numbers with multiplication. Is

a group? Why or why

Write down the definition of a group:

Does

have an identity element? If so, what real number is it?

What property must an identity element satisfy? Verify that it is an identity element.

If is a nonzero real number, what is its inverse? Why is the inverse in the group, i.e. why is
the inverse a nonzero real number as well?

Is

a group? Why or why not?

b) Is the subset of positive real numbers a subgroup? Why or why not?

Write down the definition of a subgroup:
Is the product of two positive real numbers a positive real number?
Does the subgroup contain an identity element?
If is a nonzero positive real number, is its inverse also a nonzero positive real number? Why?
Is the subset of positive real numbers a subgroup? Why or why not?