Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / Paper 2 / 9 / b

A member of $H$ is $A(t,b,t)$. The multiplication law from part (a) becomesIt stays in $H$ and is unchanged when the two factors are exchanged, since $ts=st$. The identity lies in $H$, and $A(t,b,t{)}^{-1}=A(-t,t^2-b,-t)$ also lies in $H$. Thus $H$ is an Abelian subgroup, namely the Abelian plane subgroup of a finite Heisenberg group in this coordinate convention.

There are five choices each for $t,b$, soThis verifies Lagrange's theorem: the subgroup order divides the group order, and the number of distinct left cosets is five.

Explicitly, the map $\phi (A(a,b,c))=a-c$ is a surjective group homomorphism to the additive group of ${\mathbb{F}}_5$, by the product formula. Its kernel of a group homomorphism is $H$. Thus $H$ is even a normal subgroup; the five left cosets are the level sets $a-c=d$ for $d=0,1,2,3,4$, with representatives $A(d,0,0)$. Each contains 25 elements, providing a direct count as well.