MATH 403: Homework Chapter 10 Proof Solutions

1. Two of the following are homomorphisms and two are not. Provide proof.

(a) φ : Z → Z given by φ(x) = 2x.

Proof: This is a homomorphism since φ(x + y) = 2(x + y) = 2x + 2y = φ(x) + φ(y).
(b) φ : Z → Z5 given by φ(x) = x + 1 mod 5.
Proof: This is not a homomorphism since, for example,
φ(1 + 1) = φ(2) = 3 6= 4 = 2 + 2 = φ(1) + φ(1).
(c) φ : R → C∗ given by φ(x) = cos x + i sin x.
Proof: This is a homomorphism since

φ(x)φ(y) = (cos x + i sin x)(cos y + i sin y)

= cos x cos y + i cos x sin y + i sin x cos y + i2 sin x sin y
= (cos x cos y − sin x sin y) + i(cos x sin y + sin x cos y)
= cos(x + y) + i sin(x + y)
= φ(x + y)

(
α if α ∈ A4
(d) φ : S4 → A4 given by φ(α) =
(12)α if α 6∈ A4
Proof: This is not a homomorphism since, for example,
φ((12)(23))φ((12)) = [(12)(23)] [(12)(12)] = (12)(23) = (123)

3. Z [x] denotes all polynomials with coefficients which are integers. This is a group under addition
(do not prove this). Define η : Z [x] → Z by η(p(x)) = p(4).
(Note: η is the Greek letter eta.)

(b) Prove that η is a homomorphism.

Proof: η(p(x) + q(x)) = η((p + q)(x)) = (p + q)(4) = p(4) + q(4) = η(p(x)) + η(q(x)).

4. Consider the mapping φ : Z ⊕ Z → Z given by φ(a, b) = a − b.

(a) Show that φ is a homomorphism.

Proof: φ((a, b) + (c, d)) = φ((a + c, b + d)) = (a + c) − (b + d) = (a − b) + (c − d) =
φ(a, b) + φ(c, d).

4. Prove there is no homomorphism from Z16 ⊕ Z2 onto Z4 ⊕ Z4 .

Note: The word onto is critical!
Proof: If there were such a homomorphism φ then by the First Isomorphism Theorem we
would have |Kerφ| = 2. However consider that |(1, 0)| = 16 in Z16 ⊕ Z2 . If φ(1, 0) = (a, b)
then |(a, b)| = 1, 2 or 4. If |(a, b)| = 1 then (a, b) = (0, 0) and then φ(x, 0) = 0 for all x ∈ Z16 ,
a contradiction. If |(a, b)| = 2 then φ(0, 0) = φ(2, 0) = φ(4, 0) = ... = φ(14, 0), a contradiction.
If |(a, b)| = 4 then φ(0, 0) = φ(4, 0) = φ(8, 0) = φ(12, 0), a contradiction.

5. Prove that Z ⊕ Z/ h3, 1i ≈ Z.

Proof: Define φ : Z ⊕ Z → Z by φ(x, y) = x − 3y. Then φ is onto since φ(x, y) = x for any x,
and kerφ consists of all (x, y) with x − 3y = 0, meaning x = 3y, thus equals h3, 1i. Thus by
the First Isomorphism Theorem we have the result.