Sunday 8 December 2013

Examples of Cyclic groups

Properties:
  • {e} = <e>
  • = {0, ±1, ±2, ±3, ... } = <1>
  • ++, are not cyclic.
  • S= {(1) , (12)} = <(12)> ≠ <(1)>
  • Sm , m > 2, is not cyclic.
  • The multiplicative group {1, w, w2} formed  by the cube roots of unity is a cyclic group.
  • The multiplicative group {1, -1, i, -i } formed by the fourth roots of unity is a cyclic group.
  • The group of integers under addition is an infinite cyclic group generated by 1.
Example: The multiplicative group {1, w, w2} formed  by the cube roots of unity is a cyclic group.
Sol. Let G be the group of cube roots of unity under multiplication.
∴     G = {1, w, w2}.
Here, 1 = w3, therefore each element of G is an integral power of w.
G is cyclic group generated by w.
i.e., G = <w>.

Example: The multiplicative group {1, -1, i, -i } formed by the fourth roots of unity is a cyclic group.
Sol. G = {1, -1, i, -i } is a group under multiplication.
Since 1 = (i)4, -1= i2, -i = i3.
Therefore each element of G is an integral power of i.
G is a cyclic group generated by i
i.e., G = <i>.

Example: The group of integers under addition is an infinite cyclic group generated by 1.
Sol. Since each n ∈ can be written as 
                          n = n · 1.
∴     = <1>.
Also each n ∈ ℤ can be written as
                         n = (-n)(-1)      where -n ∈ .
∴     ℤ = <-1>
i.e.,  has two generators 1 and -1.

Example: The group G = {(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), +6} is a cyclic group under the operation addition congruence modulo 6.
Sol. Since    1 = 1(1)
                      2 = 1 +6 1 = 2(1)
                      3 = 1 ++1 = 3(1)
                      4 = 1 +++1 = 4(1)
                      5 = 1 ++++1 = 5(1)
                      0 = 1 +++++1 = 6(1)
Every element n of G can be written as
                     n = n(1).
G = <1>
i.e., G is a cyclic group.

Note: Here G is also generated by 5, i.e., G = <5>.
∴   A group may have more than one generators.

Example: Give an example of abelian group which is not cyclic.
Sol. Let <ℚ , +> be the group of rational numbers under addition.
It is an abelian group which is not cyclic.
For, suppose that (m/n∈  is a genrator of ℚ.
Then every element of should be an integral multiple of m/n.
Let (1/3n∈ be any element.
Let (1/3n) = · (m/n) for some integer k.
⇒    (1/3) = km.
Which is not possible as k, m are integers, where as (1/3) is not.
Hence no element can act as generator of ℚ.

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