MATH 111A HOMEWORK 1 SOLUTIONS

5) Prove for all n > 1 that Z/nZ is not a group under multiplication of residue classes.
Solution. Suppose the contrary that Z/nZ is a group. Then its identity element must be 1 since

1 · m = m = m · 1 for all residue classes m ∈ Z/nZ

and the identity is unique. Now, let m be the inverse of 0, which exists by denition of a group. Then,
0·m=1=m·0

which implies 1 = 0. This is a contradiction since n > 1. Thus, Z/nZ is not group under multiplication.
Alternative solution. Suppose the contrary that Z/nZ is a group under multiplication. Then the

cancellation law holds (Proposition 2 on o. 20). But 0 · 1 = 0 = 0 · 0 and 0 6= 1 for n > 1. We have a
contradiction and so (Z/nZ, ·) is not a group.

6) Determine which of the following sets are groups under addition:

a) the set of rational numbers (including 0 = 0/1) in the lowest terms whose denominators are odd
Solution. Let H be the set. Since (Q, +) is a group clearly H 6= ∅, by Problem 26, it suces to show

that H is closed under multiplication and inverses. So let x, y ∈ H . By denition of H , we can write
m p
x= and y =
n q
in their lowest terms with m, n, p, q ∈ Z and n, q odd. Then
m p mq + np
x+y = + = .
n q nq
Since nq is odd, when reduced to the lowest term, the denominator of this fraction must remain odd. Thus,
x + y ∈ H and so H is closed under multiplication. On the other hand, the inverse of x is
m −m
−x = − = ,
n n
which is already in its lowest term by assumption. Since n is odd, we see that −x ∈ H and so H is closed
under inverses also. We hence conclude that (H, +) is a group.
b) the set of rational numbers in the lowest terms whose denominators are even together with 0
Solution. Let H be the set in question. Notice that ∈ H but 12 + 21 = 11 ∈
/ H . It follows that H is
1
2
not closed under addition and hence is not a group.

26) Assume H is a nonempty subset of (G, ?) which is closed under the binary operation on G and is
closed under inverses, i.e. for all h, k ∈ H we have hk, h−1 ∈ H . Prove that H is a group under the
operation ? restricted to H (such a subset H is called a subgroup of G).
Solution. Since it is already given that H is closed under ? (so ? is a binary operation on H ) and

inverses, in order to show that (H, ?) is a group, there are only two more things to check.
(1) H is associative: This is clear since H ⊂ G and (G, ?) is associative.
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 MATH 111A HOMEWORK 1 SOLUTIONS 2

(2) H has an identity element: Let e be the identity element in G. It will suce to show that e ∈ H
(so the identity in H is the same as that in G). To that end, rst let h ∈ H , which exists since H 6= ∅
by hypothesis. Since H is closed under inverses, we have h−1 ∈ H . Now, H is closed under ? also, which
implies that e = h ? h−1 ∈ H .
Thus, we conclude that (H, ?) is indeed a group.

27) Prove that if x is an element of the group G then {xn | n ∈ Z} is a subgroup (cf. the preceding
exercise) of G (called the cyclic subgroup of G generated by x).
Solution. Let H = {x | n ∈ Z} (see p. 20 for the notation x ). Clearly H 6= ∅ since x ∈ H . Hence,
n n

by Problem 26, it suces to show that H is closed under multiplication and inverses. So suppose that
xn , xm ∈ H with n, m ∈ Z.
First we show that xn xm = xn+m so H is closed under multiplication. There are three cases to consider.
(1) n, m ≥ 0 : Then we have
xn xm = (x · · · x) (x · · · x) = |x ·{z
· · x} = xn+m .
times
| {z } | {z }
n times m times n+m

(2) n, m ≤ 0 : Then we have

xn xm = (x−1 · · · x−1 ) (x−1 · · · x−1 ) = x −1
| ·{z· · x−1} = x−(|n|+|m|) = xn+m .
times
| {z }| {z }
|n| times |m| times |n|+|m|

(3) n ≥ 0, m ≤ 0 : Then we have

xn xm = (x · · · x) (x−1 · · · x−1 ) .
| {z } | {z }
n times |m| times
If n ≥ |m| then
(x · · · x) (x−1 · · · x−1 ) = | ·{z
x · · x} = xn−|m| = xn+m .
times
| {z } | {z }
n times |m| times n−|m|

If n ≤ |m| then
(x · · · x) (x−1 · · · x−1 ) = |x−1 ·{z
· · x−1} = x−(|m|−n) = xm+n .
|m|−n times
| {z } | {z }
n times |m| times
In either case we obtain the desired result xn xm = xn+m .
Next we show that (xn )−1 = x−n so H is closed under inverses. Indeed, using the above, we have
x−n xn = xn x−n = xn+(−n) = x0 = 1

and so (xn )−1 = x−n . Therefore, we have proved that H is a group.