Course Advanced Algebraic Structures,

spring semester 2020

Exercises
1. Consider the group (Z, +). Let n ∈ Z be a fixed number. Consider a
binary relation ∼n on Z defined by the rule
a ∼n b if and only if n | (a − b) (n divides a − b).
Prove that ∼n is a congruence on (Z, +).
2. Let G1 and G2 be groups, e1 be an identity element of G1 , e2 be an
identity element of G2 . Let ϕ : G1 → G2 be a group homomorphism.
Prove that ϕ(e1 ) = e2 and ϕ(a−1 ) = ϕ(a)−1 for all a ∈ G1 .
3. Let Sn be a symmetric group. Let sgn(·) be a sign of a permutation.
Then sgn is a mapping from Sn to {±1}. Show that sgn is a group
homomorphism.
4. Let G1 , G2 be groups. Let e1 be an identity element of G1 , e2 be an
identity element of G2 . Let a, b ∈ G1 . Show that
ϕ(a) = ϕ(b) ⇐⇒ a = cb, where ϕ(c) = e2 .

5. Let G1 , G2 be groups, ϕ : G1 → G2 be a homomorphism. Prove that

ker ϕ is a normal subgroup of G1 .
6. Let G be a group, H be a subgroup of G, a, b ∈ G. Show that either
aH = bH, or aH ∩ bH = ∅.
7. Consider the group Z × Z = {(a, b) | a, b ∈ Z}. Prove that Z × Z has
the following presentation:
Z × Z = ⟨x, y | xyx−1 y −1 = 1⟩.

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 8. Let S and S ′ be two lines, S and S ′ intersect at a point O. Let kα
be an angle between S and S ′ . Let s be the reflection across the axis
S, and s′ be the reflection across the axis S ′ . Let r be the rotation by
angle α around the point O. Prove that that s′ = rk sr−k .

9. We consider a group D2n for odd n. Show that D2n is generated by one
rotation and one reflection.

10. We consider a group D2n . Assume that it is known that D2n is gen-
erated by one rotation and one reflection. Show that D2n has the
following presentation:

D2n = ⟨x, y | xn = 1, y 2 = 1, (xy)2 = 1⟩.

11. Which groups have only one conjugacy class?

12. Consider a group D2n for odd n. D2n = {1 = r0 , . . . , rn−1 , s0 , . . . , sn−1 },

where r0 , . . . , rn−1 are rotations, s0 , . . . , sn−1 are reflections. We con-
sider the action of D2n on itself by conjugation. Calculate Orb(si ),
St(si ), Orb(ri ), St(ri ) for this action.

13. Let Sn be a symmetric group. Assume H ⊆ Sn is a subgroup of Sn .

Prove that there two possibilities:

• either H ⊆ An ,
• or a number of even permutations in H is equal to a number of
odd permutations in H.
( )
i1 i2 . . . ik j1 . . . jm
14. Let Sn be a symmetric group. Let σ = ∈
i2 i3 . . . i1 j1 . . . jm
Sn be a cycle of length k (k + m = n). Show that sgn(σ) = (−1)k−1 .

15. Consider the symmetric group S3 . Calculate conjugacy classes in S3 .

16. Let G be a group, |G| = 6 and G has three conjugacy classes of sizes
1, 3, 2. Show that G ∼
= S3 .
17. Consider Z. Let a ∈ Z. Consider (a) = aZ = {ax | x ∈ Z}. Show that
(a) is an ideal in Z.

18. Consider Z ⊆ R. Show that Z is not an ideal in R.

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19. Let I ▹ Z. Then I = aZ = (a) for some a ∈ Z.

20. Let k be a field. Let I ▹ k[x]. Then I = f k[x] = (f ) for some f ∈ k[x].

21. Show that Zn is isomorphic to the quotient ring Z/nZ.

22. Let I ▹ Zn . Show that there exists a ∈ Zn such that I = (a) = aZn .

23. Let p be a prime number. Prove that pZ is a maximal ideal in Z.

24. Consider the ring of continues functions C(R) and the ideal I = {f ∈
C(R) | f (a) = 0}, where a ∈ R is a fixed point. Prove that I is a prime
ideal.

25. Show that there are no zero divisors in the ring of polynomials k[x],
where k is a field.

26. Consider the ring of polynomials A[x],∑ where A is a commutative ring

(not necessarily a field). Show that ni=0 ai xi ∈ A[x] is a nilpotent
element if and only if a0 , a1 , . . . , an are nilpotent elements.

27. Consider the ring Zn . For every x ∈ Z let x be the residue of x modulo
n.
Let a, b ∈ Z. By (a, b) we denote the greatest common divisor of a and
b.
Show that

• m is invertible if and only if (m, n) = 1;

• m is a zero divisor if and only if (m, n) > 1;

28. Consider the ring Zn . Let us write n as a product of prime numbers:

n = pα1 1 pα2 2 · · · pαk k . Let a = p1 p2 · · · pk . Let m ∈ Z. Show that m ∈ Zn
is a nilpotent element if and only if a | m. Show that N (Zn ) = (a)
(N (Zn ) is the nilradical of Zn ).

29. Let A be a ring, I ▹ A. Then

• I is a maximal ideal if and only if A/I is a field.

• I is a prime ideal if and only if A/I is a domain (has no zero
divisors).

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 In the each exam ( moed aleph and bet) there will be one Problem from
the following list: 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 23, 25, 26, 29

Theorems

1. Linearity of a free group. Let F (x, y) be the free group with two free
generators x, y. Let Z[t] be a polynomial ring with integer coefficients.
In SL2 (Z[t]) we consider the subgroup generated by the elements
( ) ( )
1 t 1 0
A= ,B = .
0 1 t 1

Then F (x, y) ∼
= ⟨A, B⟩.
2. Kanel-Belov — Sylow Theorem. Let G be a group and |G| =
2n (2k + 1). Assume that there exists x ∈ G of order 2n . Then there
exists a subgroup of G of order 2k + 1.

3. Correspondence of ideals in a quotient ring. Suppose A is a ring,

I ▹A. There is one-to-one order-preserving correspondence between the
ideals of A which contain I, and the ideals of A/I.

4. Center of a p-group. Every finite p-group has non-trivial center

5. Nilpotent radical Nilpotent radical of a commutative ring coincides

with the intersection of all prime ideals

6. Linearity of a finite group. Every finite group is linear

7. Congruences and normal subgroups In groups there is a one-to-one

correspondence between congruences, normal subgroups and kernels of
homomorphisms

In the each exam ( moed aleph and bet) there will be one Theorem from
the following list: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6