RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

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GRADUATE SCHOOL

MATH 217 – ABSTRACT ALGEBRA

WRITTEN EXAMINATION

Group Problem No. 2

Submitted by:
Victorio C. Tivar
Masters of Arts in Mathematics Education

Submitted to:
Dr. Marc DG. Garvida
Group Problem No. 2
Consider the following multiplication table for a group G and answer the following
questions.

a. Which element is the identity element?

Let’s define first the identity in a group: There is an element e ∈𝐺𝐺, such that
e a = ae = a for all a ∈ 𝐺𝐺.
In the multiplication the only identity element is 1. The identity property of 1 says that
any number multiplied by 1 keeps its identity. In other words, any number multiplied by
1 stays the same. The reason the number stays the same is because multiplying by 1
means we have 1 copy of the number.
For example, 3x1=3,4x1=4, 5x1=5 and so forth.
How about in this table?
Let’s try to multiply header column to header row
axa=b
axb=f
axc=d
axd=a
axf=c

Among the given example which example give us the same element so the
answer is a times d, therefore our identity element is D
b. Is the group commutative?

A binary operation ⋆ on S is said to be commutative, if a⋆b=b⋆a,∀a,b∈S.

Let’s rewrite the elements multiplied by the identity element then get each inverse, so
to satisfy the commutative property.
BxD=B
Then the reverse is D times B which the answer is still the same element which is B.
Let’s do the other elements:
C x D is C
Then the reverse is D times C which the answer is still the same element which is C.
D x D is still element D
Then the reverse is D times D which the answer is still the same element which is D.
FxD=D
Then the reverse is D times F which the answer is still the same element which is F.

Therefore, the answer is YES! Since it satisfies the properties of commutative property.
b. Is there some x ∈𝐺𝐺 such that x3 = d?

The Order of a group (G) is the number of elements present in that

group, i.e it's cardinality. It is denoted by |G|. Order of element a ∈ G is the

smallest positive integer n, such that an= e, where e denotes the identity element of

the group, and an denotes the product of n copies of a.

The order of an element in a group is the smallest positive power of the

element which gives you the identity element.

Based on the given table, our identity is D, and it is being asked under the

order of 3 which is really IMPOSSIBLE with the group of 5 elements because that

order has only 3 elements.