3.7 J.A.

Beachy 1
3.7 Homomorphisms
from A Study Guide for Beginners by J.A.Beachy,
a supplement to Abstract Algebra by Beachy / Blair
21. Find all group homomorphisms from Z
4
into Z
10
.
Solution: As noted in Example 3.7.7, any group homomorphism fromZ
n
into Z
k
must
have the form ([x]
n
) = [mx]
k
, for all [x]
n
Z
n
. Under any group homomorphism
: Z
4
Z
10
, the order of ([1]
4
) must be a divisor of 4 and of 10, so the only
possibilities are o(([1]
4
) = 1 or o(([1]
4
) = 2. Thus ([1]
4
) = [0]
10
, which denes the
zero function, or else ([1]
4
) = [5]
10
, which leads to the formula ([x]
4
) = [5x]
10
, for
all [x]
4
Z
4
.
22. (a) Find the formulas for all group homomorphisms from Z
18
into Z
30
.
Solution: As noted in Example 3.7.7, any group homomorphism from Z
18
into Z
30
must have the form ([x]
18
) = [mx]
30
, for all [x]
18
Z
18
. Since gcd(18, 30) = 6, the
possible orders of [m]
30
= ([1]
18
) are 1, 2, 3, 6. The corresponding choices for [m]
30
are [0]
30
(order 1), [15]
30
(order 2), [10]
30
and [20]
30
(order 3), and [5]
30
and [25]
30
(order 6).
(b) Choose one of the nonzero formulas in part (a), and name it . Find (Z
18
) and
ker(), and show how elements of (Z
18
) correspond to equivalence classes of

.
Solution: For example, consider ([x]
18
) = [5x]
30
. The image of consists of the
multiples of 5 in Z
30
, which are 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. We have ker() = {0, 6, 12}, and
using Proposition 3.7.9 to nd the equivalence classes of

, we add 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,
respectively, to the kernel. We have the following correspondence:
{[0]
18
, [6]
18
, [12]
18
} ([0]
18
) = [0]
30
, {[3]
18
, [9]
18
, [15]
18
} ([3]
18
) = [15]
30
,
{[1]
18
, [7]
18
, [13]
18
} ([1]
18
) = [5]
30
, {[4]
18
, [10]
18
, [16]
18
} ([4]
18
)=[20]
30
,
{[2]
18
, [8]
18
, [14]
18
} ([2]
18
)=[10]
30
, {[5]
18
, [11]
18
, [17]
18
} ([5]
18
)=[25]
30
.
23. (a) Show that Z

11
is cyclic, with generator [2]
11
.
Solution: An element of Z

11
can have order 1, 2, 5, or 10. Since 2
2
4 1 and
2
5
10 1, it follows that [2]
11
cannot have order 2 or 5, so it must have order 10.
(b) Show that Z

19
is cyclic, with generator [2]
19
.
Solution: Since Z

19
has order 18, the order of [2] is 2, 3, 6, or 18. The element [2]
19
is a generator for Z

19
because it has order 18, since 2
2
= 4 1, 2
3
= 8 1, and
2
6
(2
3
)
2
7 1.
(c) Completely determine all group homomorphisms from Z

19
into Z

11
.
Solution: Any group homomorphism : Z

19
Z

11
is determined by its value on
the generator [2]
19
, and the order of ([2]
19
) must be a common divisor of 18 and
10. Thus the only possible order of ([2]
19
) is 1 or 2, so either ([2]
19
) = [1]
11
or
([2]
19
) = [10]
11
= [1]
11
. In the rst case, ([x]
19
) = [1]
11
for all [x]
19
Z

19
, and in
the second case ([2]
n
19
) = [1]
n
11
, for all [x]
19
= [2]
n
19
Z

19
.
3.7 J.A.Beachy 2
24. Dene : Z
4
Z
6
Z
4
Z
3
by ([x]
4
, [y]
6
) = ([x + 2y]
4
, [y]
3
).
(a) Show that is a well-dened group homomorphism.
Solution: If y
1
y
2
(mod 6), then 2y
1
2y
2
is divisible by 12, so 2y
1
2y
2
(mod 4),
and then it follows quickly that is a well-dened function. It is also easy to check
that preserves addition.
(b) Find the kernel and image of , and apply Theorem 3.7.8.
Solution: If ([x]
4
, [y]
6
) belongs to ker(), then y 0 (mod 3), so y = 0 or y = 3. If
y = 0, then x = 0, and if y = 3, then x = 2. Thus the elements of the kernel K are
([0]
4
, [0]
6
) and ([2]
4
, [3]
6
).
It follows that there are 24/2 = 12 equivalence classes determined by . These are in
one-to-one correspondence with the elements of the image, so must map Z
4
Z
6
onto Z
4
Z
3
. Thus (Z
4
Z
6
)/

= Z
4
Z
3
.
25. Let n and m be positive integers, such that m is a divisor of n. Show that : Z

n
Z

m
dened by ([x]
n
) = [x]
m
, for all [x]
n
Z

n
, is a well-dened group homomorphism.
Solution: First, note that is a well-dened function, since if [x
1
]
n
= [x
2
]
n
in Z

n
,
then n | (x
1
x
2
), and this implies that m | (x
1
x
2
), since m | n. Thus [x
1
]
m
= [x
2
]
m
,
and so ([x
1
]
n
) = ([x
2
]
n
).
Next, is a homomorphism since for [a]
n
, [b]
n
Z

n
, we have ([a]
n
[b]
n
) = ([ab]
n
) =
[ab]
m
= [a]
m
[b]
m
= ([a]
n
)([b]
n
).
26. For the group homomorphism : Z

36
Z

12
dened by ([x]
36
) = [x]
12
, for all
[x]
36
Z

36
, nd the kernel and image of , and apply Theorem 3.7.8.
Solution: The previous problem shows that is a group homomorphism. It is ev-
ident that maps Z

36
onto Z

12
, since if gcd(x, 12) = 1, then gcd(x, 36) = 1. The
kernel of consists of the elements in Z

36
that are congruent to 1 mod 12, namely
[1]
36
, [13]
36
, [25]
36
. It follows that Z

36
/

= Z

12
.
27. Prove that SL
n
(R) is a normal subgroup of GL
n
(R).
Solution: Let G = GL
n
(R) and N = SL
n
(R). The condition we need to check, that
gxg
1
N for all n N and all g G, translates into the condition that if P is
any invertible matrix and det(A) = 1, then PAP
1
has determinant 1. This follows
immediately from the fact that
det(PAP
1
) = det(P) det(A) det(P
1
= det(P) det(A)
1
det(P)
= det(A) ,
which you may remember from your linear algebra course as the proposition that
similar matrices have the same determinant.
Alternate solution: Here is a slightly more sophisticated proof. Note that SL
n
(R) is
the kernel of the determinant homomorphism from GL
n
(R) into R (Example 3.7.1
in the text shows that the determinant denes a group homomorphism.) The result
then follows immediately from Proposition 3.7.4 (a), which shows that the kernel of
any group homomorphism is a normal subgroup.
3.7 J.A.Beachy 3
ANSWERS AND HINTS
28. Prove or disprove each of the following assertions:
(a) The set of all nonzero scalar matrices is a normal subgroup of GL
n
(R).
Answer: This set is the center of GL
n
(R), and so it is a normal subgroup.
(b) The set of all diagonal matrices with nonzero determinant is a normal subgroup
of GL
n
(R).
Answer: This set is a subgroup, but it is not normal.
31. Dene : Z

15
Z

15
by ([x]
15
) = [x]
3
15
, for all [x]
15
Z

15
. Find the kernel and
image of .
Answer: The function is an isomorphism.
32. Dene : Z

15
Z

5
by ([x]
15
) = [x]
3
5
. Show that is a group homomorphism, and
nd its kernel and image.
Answer: The function is onto with ker() = {[1]
15
, [11]
15
}.
34. How many homomorphisms are there from Z
12
into Z
4
Z
3
?
Answer: There are 12, since [1]
12
can be mapped to any element of Z
4
Z
3
.
36. Dene : R C

by setting (x) = e
ix
, for all x R. Show that is a group
homomorphism, and nd ker() and the image (R).
Answer: The image is the unit circle in the complex plane, and ker() = {2k | k Z}.
37. Let G be a group, with a subgroup H G. Dene N(H) = {g G | gHg
1
= H}.
(b) Let G = S
4
. Find N(H) for the subgroup H generated by (1, 2, 3) and (1, 2).
Answer: In this example, N(H) = H.
38. Find all normal subgroups of A
4
.
Answer: {(1)}, N = {(1), (1, 2)(3, 4), (1, 3)(2, 4), (1, 4)(2, 3)}, and A
4
are the normal
subgroups of A
4
.