M120A -- INTRODUCTION TO GROUP THEORY

OFFICE HOURS:  ZEMAN: M 12:00 -1:30, W: 12:00 - 1:30
                                      LEWIS:   Tu 1:00 - 2:00, Th 1:00 - 2:00

SYLLABUS

GRADES

FINAL: Theorems for the final, Sample final , Sample solutions

REVIEW SESSION:Friday, December 5, 2:00 - 4:00pm, SSL 145

WEEK 10
M: Theorem: Every cycle from S_n can be expressed as a product of transpositions.
        Theorem: Every permutation from S_n can be expressed as a product of transpositions.
        Lemma: (a) If \sigma is in S_n, then \sigma is its own inverse.
                         (b)  If x,y,u,v are mutually distinct, then (x,y)(u,v)=(u,v)(x,y)
                         (c) If x,y,z are mutually distinct, then (y,z)(x,y)=(x,y)(x,z)
                         (d) If x,y,z are mutually distinct, then (x,z)(y,z)=(x,y)(x,z)
        HW: Coursebook, p.94  #7,8,9,10,11,12. Also: Check that (a) -- (d) of the above Lemma hold.
W: Lemma: Let \sigma be a permutation from S_n. Assume that \sigma=\tau_1\tau_2.....\tau_k
                           where \tau_i are transpositions. Let a be a number from the set {1,2,...,n}. Then we
                          can find transpositions \pi_1,...,\pi_m such that
                          (a) \sigma=\pi_1\pi_2....\pi_m;
                          (b) \pi_1,...,\pi_{m-1} do not move a (so the only transposition in this product that
                                 might possibly move a is \pi_{m-1});
                          (c) k-m is even
       Theorem: If \sigma is a premutation from S_n and \sigma can be expressed as a product of
                           even number of transpositions, then it is not possible to express \sigma as a product
                           of odd number of transpositions.
      Signum of a permutation, sgn(\sigma).
      HW: Go over Theorems for the final, Sample final and Sample solutions.
F: Proof of the Theorem from W using the Lemma from W.

WEEK 9
M:  Equivalence relations and partitions. Orbits and cycles.
        HW: p.94 #1,3,5 and p.96 #30,30,32
W: Disjoint cycles. Theorem: Any permutation from S_n can be expressed as a product
       of disjoint cycles.
       HW: No new homework. Enjoy the holidays.
F: Holiday

WEEK 8
M:  Cartesian (direct) products of proups. Projections. The permutation group S_A.
        HW:  p. 110 #1,2,3 and 4, p.113 #50 and p.134 #22
         Hint for #50: When the author says H appears as a subgroup in H x K he does NOT
                                    literally mean H, but  H x {e_K}={(a,e_K)| a is an element of H}.
                                    Notice that this is a subgroup of H x K and is isomorphic to H. Similarly,
                                     in the case of K he means {e_H} x K = {(e_H,b)| b is an element of K}.
                                     Similarly, this is a subgroup of H x K and is isomorphic to K.
W: Cayley's Theorem and its proof: Every group G is isomorphic to a subgroup of S_G.
        HW:  Coursebook, p.83 #1,2,3,4,6,8 and p.86 #40,41
        Tomorrow's quiz will cover Week 7 and Monday of Week 8.
F:  Completion of the proof of Cayley's Theorem.  Equivalence relations.
       HW:  p.84, #18 and #20.
              Also: Read the section on Equivalence relations in the Coursebook, p.6.

WEEK 7
M:  Proof of (b) from the last theorem from Friday: If G is a cyclic group of finite order s, then G
        is isomorphic to (Z_s,+_s). Theorem: If G is a group then the intersection of any system of
        subgroups of G is again a subgroup of G.  The subgroup <X> of  G generated by some subset
        X of G. Theorem: The elements of <X> are precisely all finite products of powers of
        elements of X (these powers may be negative, of course).
        HW:  p68 #55 and p.72, # 1 - 6
W:  Completion of the proof of  the last theorem fom Monday: if b is a finite product of integer
        powers of elements of X, then so is  the inverse of b. Definition of a homomorphism.
        Theorem: if f:(G_1,*_1) --> (G_2,*_2) is a homomorphism then  (a) f[H] is a subgroup
        of G_2 whenever H is a subgroup of G_1 and (b) f^{-1}[K] is a subgroub of G_1
        whenever K is a subgroup of G_2. We proved (a).
        HW:  Coursebook, p.133 # 4,5, 13,14,15 and p.135 # 46   DUE: Friday, November 14
                     Regarding the Hint to #46: The theorem the book refers to is the theorem which
                     I numbered by 7.2 in the lecture (and whose proof we completed today) It says
                     that  the elements of <X> are precisely all finite products of powers of
                     elements of X .
F: Corrolary of (a) of the theorem from Wendesday: if f is a homomorphism, then f(e) is the
      identity and f(a^{-1}) is the inverse to f(a). Proof of (b) of that theorem. The kernel Ker(f)
      of a homomorphism f. Theorem: A homomorphism f is injective if and only if Ker(f) ={e}.
      HW:  Coursebook, p. 133 #17,18 ,  p.134 #20,25,26,27 and p135, #50
            Hint:  Regarding #17 - 27: Apply #46 from the last assignment that tells us that
                                homomorphisms are determined by their values on the generators and
                                make use of the fact that all groups from the above problems are cyclic.

WEEK 6
M: Midterm
       HW: Coursebood, p.66 #12-16, p.67 #45 and #47
                   Hint: #47: consider the intersection of <r> and <s>.
W: Order of an element in a group. Theorem: if G=<a> then the order of G is equal to the order
       of a in G and all elements e,a,a^2,...,a^(s-1) are all mutually distinct where s is the order of G.
       Theorem: If G=<a> of order s and d=the greatest common divisor of r,s then (a)  <a^r>=<a^d>
        and (b) <a^r> has s/d many elements.
        HW: Coursebook, p67 #51 and p68, #52 and #53
F:  Completion of the proof of the last theorem from Monday. Some examples of groups and
        structure of their subgroups. Theorem: (a) If G is an infinite cyclic group, then G is isomorphic
        to (Z,+). (b) If G is a cyclic group of finite order s, then G is isomorphic to (Z_s,+_s).
        HW: No new homework. Focus on homework from Wendesday.

WEEK 5
M:  A cyclic subgroup generated by a. Definition of a cyclic group.
        HW: Coursebook, p58 #45, 52 , p. 66 #22,23  and p.67 #44
                    Hint: #45: To see that the condition in the exercise implies that H is a subgroup,
                                        use the criterion on being a subgroup. Prove that H contains the identity
                                        and inverse elements first. Then prove that H is closed under the operation.
                               #52 This is similar to #51, see friday's homework.
                               #44  Compute \phi(a^n) and \psi(a^n) and compare them.
W: Degree of a group. Formulae for a^{m+n} and a^{m.n}. Basic properties of cyclic groups:
       any subgroup of a cyclic group is cyclic, every cyclic group is Abelian. If G is cyclic with
       a generator a and a^s=e for some integer s, then G has at most s elements.
       HW: See the Sample Midterm (Focus on the solutions to 2,3 and 4)
F: Review for the Midterm

WEEK 4
M: A proof that (U,.) and (R,+) are non-isomorphic. A three element group is unique up to an
       isomorphism, so is isomorphic to (Z_3,+_3). Subgroups of (Z_3,+_3). Four - element groups:
       (Z_4,+_4) and its subgroups. Klein's fourgroup V.
      HW:  No new assignment today. Try to work on the problems from previous assignments
                    that you did not get.
W: Klein's fourgroup and its subgroups. A criterion on being a subgroup.
        HW: p.55 #5,6, p56#15,16 and #20   DUE:Friday, October 24
F: A criterion on being a subgroup. Cyclic subgroups.
     HW: Coursebook, p.55 #11,12, p.56 #22,23 p.58 #51 and p.59 #54
                  (In #11,12: det(AB)=det(A).det(B). In #51: The expression  "xa" means "x*a")

WEEK 3
M: Uniqueness of the identity element. Preservation of the identity element under isomorphism.
        The example of non-isomorphic structures from Friday, Week 2 (Completion).
       HW: Coursebook, p.34 Exercises 16 and 17, p.35 Exercises 24 and 25, and p.36 Exercise 32
                 (For the last exersise: A structural property is a property which is preserved under
                   isomorphisms. That is: if (S,*) and (T,.) are isomorphic, then one of them has the
                   property if and only if the other does.)
W:  Definition of a group. Examples of groups. Cancellation laws.
         HW:  p.45 Exercises 9,10 and p.49, exercise 41   DUE:  Friday, October 17
F: Linear equations in groups: existence and uniqueness of solutions. Uniqueness of
     inverse elements. Abelian groups. Definition of a subgroup. Trivial subgroups.
     Two element group and its subgroups.
     HW: Coursebook, p.46 Exercises 12 - 15, p.48 Exercise 30 (How many left identities
                   and how many right identities has this structure?) and p.49, Exercise 39

WEEK 2
M:  Associativity, commutativity of binary structures. Subsets of structures closed under operations.
        Substructures.  Tables describing binary operations.
        HW: Coursebook, p. 26 Exercises 4,15,16 and p. 27 Exercises 23,26.  Matrix Multiplication
W: Isomorphism of binary structures. Isomorphism between (Z,+) and (2Z,+). Isomorphism between
       (R,+) and (R^+,.).
       HW:  Coursebook, p. 28 Exercise 36 and p.36, Exercise 27    DUE: Friday, October 10
F: Proving that structures are non-isomorphis. Examples of non-isomorphic pairs of
     structures: (Z,+) and (Q,+), (R,.) and (M_2(R),.), (Z,+) and (Q^+,.).
     HW: Coursebook, p34 Exercises 6,7,11,13 and p36, Exercise 26,33.  Matrix Multiplication

WEEK 1
M:  The unit circle (U,.) with multiplication. The half-open interval [0,2\pi) with addition modulo 2\pi. The
         isomorphism between the two structures.
        HW:  Coursebook, p19 Exercises 16 - 28.
W:  The isomorphism between (U,.) and [0,2\pi) with addition modulo 2\pi. Roots of unity, i.e. the roots of
          the equation x^m=1.
        HW:  Generalize the structure "[0,2\pi) with addition modulo 2\pi" as follows: Given is a positive real
         number c.  Define the operation "addition modulo c" on the half-open interval [0,c). Find the neutral
         element for the structure "[0,c) with the addition modulo c". Also, for each x in [0,c) find the inverse
         element in this structure.
F:  Roots of unity, the isomophism between the structure (U_m, .) and Z_m with addition modulo m.
        HW:  Coursebook, p26 Exercise 12,17 - 22 and 24a,g,h,i,j.

WEEK 0
F: Examples of algebraic structures (Z,+), (Q,.), (C,.). Multiplication of complex numbers and polar coordinates.
     HW: Coursebook, p19 Exercises 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13.



Last Modified: November 24, 2003