MA2008

2 12 hours

Sample Exam 1: April 2006

SECTION A | Answer all ALL questions | 50 marks

1. Prove that the set

G = { 3k /22k ; k Z}

forms a group with respect to multiplication.

You may assume that multiplication is associative.
2. Consider the following group of congruence classes of integers modulo 14 with respect
to multiplication:
G = { [1]14 , [3]14 , [5]14 , [9]14 , [11]14 , [13]14 } .

Given that [1]14 is the identity of the group, nd

(a) the order of [13]14 ,
(b) the order of [3]14 ,
(c) the inverse of [9]14 .
3. Suppose that G is a group, x G is an element of order 3 and y G is an element of
order N . Prove that
(x2 yx)N = 1 .

4. Let G = {1, a, a2 , b, b2 , ab, ab2 , a2 b, a2 b2 } be a group where a3 = b3 = 1 and ab = ba.

(a) Find hb2 i, the subgroup of G generated by b2 .
(b) It is given that H = {1, ab, a2 b2 } is a subgroup of G.
Find the distinct right cosets of H .
5. Suppose G is an abelian group with its binary operation written as multiplication.
Show that the mapping : G G dened by g = g 1 is a homomorphism.

6. Prove that the set of vectors

a+b

a b : a, b R

is a vector subspace of R3 .
Calculate a basis and the dimension of this subspace.

2
1
7. Reduce the matrix A =
3
3

0 1
0 1
0 0
0 3

1
0
to row-echelon form.
1
0

Give a basis for the row-space of A.

8. Prove that the following vector subspaces V and W of R3 are equal:
V

1
4

2 , 5 ,
= span
3
6

0
1
5

2 ,
0 , 7 .
W = span
4
1
9

9. Explain carefully which of the following functions dene homomorphisms of vector spaces:

(a) f : R R dened by f (a) = a + 1,
 
a
(b) f : R R dened by f
= a + b,
b
2

(c) f : P2 P5 dened by f (a + bx + cx2 ) = (1 3x2 + 7x3 )(a + bx + cx2 ).

10. State the rank{nullity theorem for a homomorphism of nite-dimensional vector spaces.
For any linear map f : M22 (R) R2 , prove there
are at least two linearly independent
 
0
matrices A M22 (R) which satisfy f (A) =
.
0

SECTION B | Answer TWO questions | 25 marks each

11. (a) Suppose G is a nite group and g is an element of G. Dene the terms
i. order of G,
ii. order of g .
(b) Use Lagrange's theorem to prove the following.
If G is a nite group and g G then the order of g divides the order of G.
(c) Now suppose that G is an abelian group and let
Hk = { x G : xk = 1G }

where k is a positive integer. Show that Hk is a subgroup of G.

(d) Let G be the group with the following operation table.
1

a2

a3

ab

a2 b

a3 b

b2

ab2

a2 b 2 a3 b 2

1
1
a
a2
a3
b
ab a2 b a3 b b2
ab2 a2 b2 a3 b2
a
a
a2
a3
1
ab a2 b a3 b
b
ab2 a2 b2 a3 b2 b2
a2
a2
a3
1
a
a2 b a3 b
b
ab a2 b2 a3 b2 b2
ab2
a3
1
a
a 2 a3 b
b
ab a2 b a3 b2 b2
ab2 a2 b2
a3
b
b
ab2 a2 b a3 b2 b2
a a 2 b 2 a3
1
ab
a2 a3 b
ab a2 b2 a3 b b2
ab2 a2 a3 b2 1
a
a2 b a3
b
ab
2
2
3 2
2
2 2
3
2
2
3
ab ab ab
b
ab a b
a
b
a
a
ab
1
ab
3
3
2
2 2
3 2
2
2
3
ab ab b
ab a b a b
1
ab
a
a
b
a
a2 b
b2
ab a2 b2 a3 b
1
ab2 a2 a3 b2
b
a
a2 b a3
b2
ab2 ab2 a2 b a3 b2
b
a a2 b2 a3
b2
ab
a2 a3 b
1
2 2
3
2
2
3 2
2
2
3
2 2
ab
a
ab
1
ab
ab a
b
a
ab ab ab b
3 2
3 2
2
2
3
2
2 2
3
ab ab
b
ab
ab a
b
a ab ab
1
ab
a2

i. Write down the elements of H4 = {x G : xk = 1G }.

ii. Is Hk always a subgroup of G, even if G is not abelian? Explain your answer.
12. (a) Suppose that
where
and
where

G = { 1, a, a2 , a3 , b, ab, a2 b, a3 b }
a4 = 1, a2 = b2 , ba = a3 b,
G0 = { 1, c, c2 , c3 , d, cd, c2 d, c3 d }
c4 = d2 = 1 and dc = cd .

Construct a non-trivial homomorphism : G G0 .

Find the image and kernel of your homomorphism.

(b) Consider the linear map f : P2 P2 dened by

f (a + bx + cx2 ) = (a + b) + (2b + c)x + 3cx2 .

Find three eigenvectors of f which form a basis B of P2 .

Write down the following matrices and the relation between them:
 The change of basis matrix P , from B to the standard basis {1, x, x2 }.
 The matrix C which represents f with respect to the standard basis.
 The matrix D which represents f with respect to the basis B .
13. Consider the function
f : P2 M22 (R)

dened by
2

f (a + bx + cx ) =


a+b
0
.
ac b+c

(a) Prove that the nullspace of f has dimension one, and give a basis {v} for it.
(b) Prove that the matrices f (x) and f (x2 ) form a basis for the image of f .
(c) Find the matrix A which represents the linear map f with respect to the standard
bases for P2 and M22 (R).
Using part (b), write down a basis for the column-space of this matrix.
(d) Extend the set {f (x), f (x2 )} to a basis B for M22 (R).
Write down:
i. the change of basis matrix P from the basis B to the standard basis for
M22 (R),
ii. The change of basis matrix Q from the basis {v, x, x2 }, where v is the polynomial you gave in part (a), to the standard basis for P2 .
Show that

0
0
AQ = P
0
0

1
0
0
0

0
1
.
0
0