Homework #8 Solutions Due: November 5, 2018

1. Calculate the number of elements of order 2 in each of the abelian groups Z16 , Z8 × Z2 ,
Z4 × Z4 , and Z4 × Z2 × Z2 . Do the same for elements of order 4.

I Solution. • Z16 :
A cyclic group has a unique subgroup of order dividing the order of the group.
Thus, Z16 has one subgroup of order 2, namely h8i, which gives the only element
of order 2, namely 8. There is one subgroup of order 4, namely h4i, and this
subgroup has 2 generators, each of order 4. Thus the 2 elements of order 4 in Z16
are 4 and 12.
• Z8 × Z2 :
The order of (r, s) is the least common multiple of the order of r and s. Thus
elements of order 2 in Z8 × Z2 are {(0, 1), (4, 1), (4, 0)}, and there are 3 elements
of order 2. The elements of order 4 are {(2, 0), (2, 1), (6, 0), (6, 1)}, and there
are 4 element of order 4.
• Z4 × Z4 :
The elements have orders 1, 2, or 4. The elements of order 2 are (2, 0), (2, 2),
and (0, 2). Thus, there is 1 element of order 1 (identity), 3 elements of order 2,
and the remainder have order 4, so there are 12 elements of order 4. These are all
elements in Z4 × Z4 which have an element of order 4 (namely 1 or 3) in either
the first coordinate or the second.
• Z4 × Z2 × Z2 :
Again, the element have order 1, 2, or 4. The elements of order 4 are those with
an element of order 4 in the first component (the other components are Z2 which
have only orders of 1 and 2). There are 2 elements of order 2 in Z4 (namely, 1
and 3) and there are 2 × 4 = 8 elements with 1 or 3 in the first component. Since
there is only 1 element of order 1, there are 16 − 8 − 1 = 7 elements of order 2.
J

2. Prove that every abelian group of order 45 has an element of order 15. Does every
abelian group of order 45 have an element of order 9?

I Solution. Let G be a group of order 45 = 32 · 5. By Cauchy’s theorem for abelian

groups, there is an element a ∈ G of order 3 and an element b of order 5. Let c = ab.
Then, since the group G is abelian, cn = an bn for all integers n. In particular, c15 =
a15 b15 = (a3 )5 (b5 )3 = e5 e3 = e. Therefore, the order of c divides 15, so it must be 1,
3, 5, or 15. Since c3 = a3 b3 = eb3 = b3 6= e (because |b| = 5 and hence b3 6= e) and
c5 = a5 b5 = a2 e = a2 6= e (since |a| = 3), it follows that the order of c cannot be 3 or
5 (or 1), so the order must be 15. Thus, any group of order 45 must have an element
of order 15.
Let G = Z5 × Z3 × Z3 . The order of any element (r, s, t) is the least common multiple
of {|r| , |s| , |t|}. Since |r| is 1 or 5, |s| and |t| are 1 or 3, the possible orders of elements
in G are 1, 3, 5, and 15. Thus, there are no elements of order 9 in G. J

Math 4200 1
Homework #8 Solutions Due: November 5, 2018

3. The symmetry group of a nonsquare rectangle is an abelian group of order 4. Is it

isomorphic to Z4 or Z2 × Z2 ?

I Solution. The nonidentity elements are the reflections across the two lines joining
the midpoints of opposite sides, and the rotation by 180◦ . Each of these has order 2,
so the group is isomorphic to Z2 × Z2 . J

4. The set G = {1, 9, 16, 22, 29, 53, 74, 79, 81} is a group under multiplication modulo
91. Determine the isomorphism class of this group.

I Solution. The group is an abelian group of order 9, so it is isomorphic to Z9 or Z3 ×

Z3 . h9i = {1, 9, 81} since 93 = 729 = 1 (mod 91), and h16i = {1, 16, 162 = 74 (mod 91)}
since 163 = 4096 = 1 (mod 91). Since G has two distinct subgroups of order 3, it can-
not be cyclic (cyclic groups have a unique subgroup of each order dividing the order
of the group). Thus, G must be isomorphic to Z3 × Z3 . As an internal direct product,

G∼
= h9i × h16i.
J

5. Let G = {1, 7, 17, 23, 49, 55, 65, 71} under multiplication modulo 96. Express G as
an external and an internal direct product of cyclic groups.

I Solution. First note that h7i = {1, 7, 49, 55} and h17i = {1, 17}. Thus, G has
two distinct subgroups of order 2, namely h49i and i17i, so the group is not cyclic.
Hence it must be Z4 × Z2 or Z2 × Z2 × Z2 . Since there is an element of order 4, it must
be isomorphic to Z4 × Z2 . An internal direct product is

G∼
= h7i × h17i.
J

6. The set G = {1, 4, 11, 14, 16, 19, 26, 29, 31, 34, 41, 44} is a group under multiplica-
tion modulo 45. Write G as an external and an internal direct product of cyclic groups
of prime-power order.

I Solution. h16i = {1, 16, 31}, h19i = {1, 19}, and h26i = {1, 26}. Since

h26i ∩ h16ih19i = {1, 26} ∩ {1, 4, 16, 19, 31, 34} = {1}
h19i ∩ h16ih26i = {1, 19} ∩ {1, 11, 16, 26, 31, 41} = {1}
h16i ∩ h19ih26i = {1, 16, 31} ∩ {1, 19, 26, 44} = {1}

it follows that

G = h19ih26ih16i = h19i × h26i × h16i ∼

= Z2 × Z2 × Z3 .
J

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