Prove group-theoretic identities

A question is this type if and only if it asks to prove general algebraic identities or properties involving group elements, inverses, or powers (e.g., prove (xy)⁻¹ = y⁻¹x⁻¹).

10 questions · Challenging +1.3

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OCR FP3 2011 January Q8
12 marks Standard +0.8
8 The operation \(*\) is defined on the elements \(( x , y )\), where \(x , y \in \mathbb { R }\), by $$( a , b ) * ( c , d ) = ( a c , a d + b ) .$$ It is given that the identity element is \(( 1,0 )\).
  1. Prove that \(*\) is associative.
  2. Find all the elements which commute with \(( 1,1 )\).
  3. It is given that the particular element \(( m , n )\) has an inverse denoted by \(( p , q )\), where $$( m , n ) * ( p , q ) = ( p , q ) * ( m , n ) = ( 1,0 ) .$$ Find \(( p , q )\) in terms of \(m\) and \(n\).
  4. Find all self-inverse elements.
  5. Give a reason why the elements \(( x , y )\), under the operation \(*\), do not form a group.
OCR FP3 2012 January Q3
7 marks Challenging +1.2
3 A multiplicative group contains the distinct elements \(e , x\) and \(y\), where \(e\) is the identity.
  1. Prove that \(x ^ { - 1 } y ^ { - 1 } = ( y x ) ^ { - 1 }\).
  2. Given that \(x ^ { n } y ^ { n } = ( x y ) ^ { n }\) for some integer \(n \geqslant 2\), prove that \(x ^ { n - 1 } y ^ { n - 1 } = ( y x ) ^ { n - 1 }\).
  3. If \(x ^ { n - 1 } y ^ { n - 1 } = ( y x ) ^ { n - 1 }\), does it follow that \(x ^ { n } y ^ { n } = ( x y ) ^ { n }\) ? Give a reason for your answer.
OCR FP3 2010 June Q2
6 marks Challenging +1.2
2 A multiplicative group with identity \(e\) contains distinct elements \(a\) and \(r\), with the properties \(r ^ { 6 } = e\) and \(a r = r ^ { 5 } a\).
  1. Prove that r ar \(= a\).
  2. Prove, by induction or otherwise, that \(r ^ { n } a r ^ { n } = a\) for all positive integers \(n\).
AQA Further AS Paper 2 Discrete 2024 June Q7
5 marks Standard +0.8
7 The binary operation ∇ is defined as $$a \nabla b = a + b + a b \text { where } a , b \in \mathbb { R }$$ 7
  1. Determine if \(\nabla\) is commutative on \(\mathbb { R }\) Fully justify your answer. 7
  2. Prove that ∇ is associative on \(\mathbb { R }\)
OCR Further Additional Pure AS Specimen Q3
5 marks Challenging +1.8
3 A non-commutative group \(G\) consists of the six elements \(\left\{ e , a , a ^ { 2 } , b , a b , b a \right\}\) where \(e\) is the identity element, \(a\) is an element of order 3 and \(b\) is an element of order 2 .
By considering the row in \(G\) 's group table in which each of the above elements is pre-multiplied by \(b\), show that \(b a ^ { 2 } = a b\).
OCR Further Additional Pure 2022 June Q8
10 marks Challenging +1.8
8
  1. Explain why all groups of even order must contain at least one self-inverse element (that is, an element of order 2).
  2. Prove that any group, in which every (non-identity) element is self-inverse, is abelian.
  3. A student believes that, if \(x\) and \(y\) are two distinct, non-identity, self-inverse elements of a group, then the element \(x y\) is also self-inverse. The table shown here is the Cayley table for the non-cyclic group of order 6, having elements \(i , a , b , c , d\) and \(e\), where \(i\) is the identity.
    \(i\)\(a\)\(b\)\(c\)\(d\)\(e\)
    \(i\)\(i\)\(a\)\(b\)\(c\)\(d\)\(e\)
    \(a\)\(a\)\(i\)\(d\)\(e\)\(b\)\(c\)
    \(b\)\(b\)\(e\)\(i\)\(d\)\(c\)\(a\)
    \(c\)\(c\)\(d\)\(e\)\(i\)\(a\)\(b\)
    \(d\)\(d\)\(c\)\(a\)\(b\)\(e\)\(i\)
    \(e\)\(e\)\(b\)\(c\)\(a\)\(i\)\(d\)
    By considering the elements of this group, produce a counter-example which proves that this student is wrong.
  4. A group \(G\) has order \(4 n + 2\), for some positive integer \(n\), and \(i\) is the identity element of \(G\). Let \(x\) and \(y\) be two distinct, non-identity, self-inverse elements of \(G\). By considering the set \(\mathrm { H } = \{ \mathrm { i } , \mathrm { x } , \mathrm { y } , \mathrm { xy } \}\), prove by contradiction that not all elements of \(G\) are self-inverse.
Edexcel FP2 2019 June Q6
12 marks Challenging +1.2
    1. A binary operation * is defined on positive real numbers by
$$a * b = a + b + a b$$ Prove that the operation * is associative.
(ii) The set \(G = \{ 1,2,3,4,5,6 \}\) forms a group under the operation of multiplication modulo 7
  1. Show that \(G\) is cyclic. The set \(H = \{ 1,5,7,11,13,17 \}\) forms a group under the operation of multiplication modulo 18
  2. List all the subgroups of \(H\).
  3. Describe an isomorphism between \(G\) and \(H\).
Edexcel FP2 Specimen Q4
13 marks Challenging +1.8
    1. A group \(G\) contains distinct elements \(a , b\) and \(e\) where \(e\) is the identity element and the group operation is multiplication.
Given \(a ^ { 2 } b = b a\), prove \(a b \neq b a\)
(ii) The set \(H = \{ 1,2,4,7,8,11,13,14 \}\) forms a group under the operation of multiplication modulo 15
  1. Find the order of each element of \(H\).
  2. Find three subgroups of \(H\) each of order 4, and describe each of these subgroups. The elements of another group \(J\) are the matrices \(\left( \begin{array} { c c } \cos \left( \frac { k \pi } { 4 } \right) & \sin \left( \frac { k \pi } { 4 } \right) \\ - \sin \left( \frac { k \pi } { 4 } \right) & \cos \left( \frac { k \pi } { 4 } \right) \end{array} \right)\)
    where \(k = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8\) and the group operation is matrix multiplication.
  3. Determine whether \(H\) and \(J\) are isomorphic, giving a reason for your answer.
AQA Further AS Paper 2 Discrete Specimen Q3
2 marks Standard +0.8
3 The function min \(( a , b )\) is defined by: $$\begin{aligned} \min ( a , b ) & = a , a < b \\ & = b , \text { otherwise } \end{aligned}$$ For example, \(\min ( 7,2 ) = 2\) and \(\min ( - 4,6 ) = - 4\). Gary claims that the binary operation \(\Delta\), which is defined as $$x \Delta y = \min ( x , y - 3 )$$ where \(x\) and \(y\) are real numbers, is associative as finding the smallest number is not affected by the order of operation. Disprove Gary's claim.
[0pt] [2 marks]
AQA Further Paper 3 Discrete 2022 June Q9
6 marks Challenging +1.8
9 The binary operation ⊕ acts on the positive integers \(x\) and \(y\) such that $$x \oplus y = x + y + 8 \quad \left( \bmod k ^ { 2 } - 16 k + 74 \right)$$ where \(k\) is a positive integer.
9
    1. Show that ⊕ is commutative.
      9
  1. (ii) Determine whether or not ⊕ is associative.
    Fully justify your answer.
    9
  2. Find the values of \(k\) for which 3 is an identity element for the set of positive integers under