Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2008/paper-2/9/solution

The kernel of a group homomorphism is . It is a subgroup, since the identity maps to the identity and for . Also
so . Applying the same inclusion with gives equality, proving that is a normal subgroup.
The map is well defined, multiplicative and injective, with image . Thus the first isomorphism theorem gives
The quotient is isomorphic to all of precisely when the original homomorphism is surjective.
For the general linear group, the determinant gives a homomorphism , since . Its kernel is the special linear group , so that subgroup is normal. Every nonzero real is the determinant of for , making the map surjective. Therefore
where the operation on the right is multiplication.

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