Math 280 Modern Algebra

Assignment 5 Solutions

1. (a) Find all generators of the group Z28 .

1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 23, 25, 27

(b) Find all cyclic subgroups of the group Z28 .

1, 2, 4, 7, 14, 28

By the Fundamental Theorem of Cyclic Groups, all of the subgroups (which are all cyclic) of Z28
would be
h28/1i = h28i = {0}
h28/2i = h14i = {0, 14}
h28/4i = h7i = {0, 7, 14, 21}
h28/7i = h4i = {0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24}
h28/14i = h2i = {0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26}
h28/28i = h1i = Z28
2. Let a be an element of a group G with order 5. Show that C(a) = C(a3 ), where C(a) denotes the centralizer
of a in G. (Hint: Show that C(a) ⊆ C(a3 ), and then show that C(a3 ) ⊆ C(a).)

Solution
We’ll use the hint, and prove that the sets are equal by writing two inclusion proofs:

(⊆) Let x ∈ C(a). Then by definition, ax = xa. We wish to show that x ∈ C(a3 ) as well,
which would mean that a3 x = xa3 . Since we’re working in a (closed!) group, we must be able to
multiply both sides of the equation ax = xa by an element of the group; in this case, a2 would
be useful:
a2 ax = a2 xa
and so we have
a3 x = a2 xa
This is not quite what we need, but we can now use the fact that x commutes with a:

a3 x = a2 xa = a(ax)a = a(xa)a = (ax)aa = (xa)aa = xa3

Therefore, a3 commutes with x, and so x ∈ C(a3 ). We have now shown that C(a) ⊆ C(a3 ).
(⊇) Let y ∈ C(a3 ). Then by definition, a3 y = ya3 . We wish to show that y ∈ C(a) as well,
which would mean that ay = ya. Again, we’ll multiply by a convenient element of the group:

a3 a3 y = a3 ya3

Now, since a has order 5, then a5 = e and a6 = a, so

ay = a6 y = a3 ya3

Now using the fact that y commutes with a3 , we have

ay = a3 ya3 = ya3 a3 = ya6 = ya

Therefore, a commutes with y, and so y ∈ C(a). We have now shown that C(a3 ) ⊆ C(a).
Hence, C(a) = C(a3 ).
3. Find all cyclic subgroups of the group U (30).

Solution
The group U (30) = {1, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29} under multiplication mod 30 is small enough that
we can use “brute force” here - we’ll simply find the subgroups each element generates. The
trivial subgroup generated by 1 is the easiest:

h1i = {1}

Next, we’ll find all the powers of 7, mod 30. As soon as we “get back to 1”, we’re done:

71 = 7, 72 = 19 mod 30, 73 = 13 mod 30, 74 = 1 mod 30

and so
h7i = {1, 7, 13, 19}
Next, we’ll find all the powers of 11, mod 30:

111 = 11, 112 = 1 mod 30

and so
h11i = {1, 11}
Continuing in this way, we find the rest of the cyclic subgroups:

h13i = {1, 7, 13, 19} = h7i

h17i = {1, 17, 19, 23}

{1}, {1, 7, 13, 19}, {1, 11}, {1, 17, 19, 23}, {1, 19}, {1, 29}

4. Is it true that every cyclic group has exactly one element of order 2? If so, prove the statement. If not, find a
counterexample.

Solution
No, it’s not true. A counterexample would be in the group Z, in which one element has order 1
(the identity, 0) and the rest are of infinite order.

A slightly more interesting question: is it possible for a cyclic group to have more than one
element of order 2?
5. Find the centralizer of the matrix  
−1 0
A=
4 1
in the group GL2 (R) of invertible 2 × 2 matrices under matrix multiplication.

Solution
We’re looking for the general form of an invertible 2 × 2 matrix that commutes with the matrix
A. We’ll start with a generic matrix, and try to find some relations between its entries:
     
a b −1 0 −1 0 a b
=
c d 4 1 4 1 c d
   
−a + 4b b −a −b
=
−c + 4d d 4a + c 4b + d

So for this equation to hold, we need (real) numbers a, b, c, d so that

−a + 4b = −a

b = −b
−c + 4d = 4a + c
d = 4b + d
The first, second, and third equation immediately tell us that b = 0. The third equation gives us the relation

2d = 2a + c

From the invertibility requirement, we know that ad − bc 6= 0, and since we already know b = 0, this means
we must have ad 6= 0. So, the centralizer of the matrix A is the set
  
a 0
: 2d = 2a + c, a 6= 0, d 6= 0, a, c, d ∈ R
c d