Past exam of the rings and modules course of the University of Oxford / 2021 / 3

The exact orders printed in the question are inconsistent. The source PDF says that the orders of group elements $a,b,c$ are $4,12,24$, respectively, and also imposes $3a+2b=0$. Multiplying this relation by $6$ and using $12b=0$ gives $18a=0$. Since $4a=0$ also holds, subtracting $4(4a)=0$ gives $2a=0$, contradicting the stated order of a group element $4$. Thus

The natural abelian group presentation interpretation is to impose the relations $4a=12b=24c=0$ and $3a+2b=0$, with no further relations, without requiring the orders of the images of the generators to stay $4,12,24$. Under this interpretation the calculation is as follows. Since $3a=-a$ follows from $4a=0$, the mixed relation gives $a=2b$. Consequently $8b=0$, and together with $12b=0$ this gives $4b=0$. Conversely, $a=2b$, $4b=0$, and $24c=0$ imply every original relation. Eliminating $a$ leaves two independent cyclic groups:To verify that these relations force no further identifications, map $a,b,c$ to $(2,0),(1,0),(0,1)$ in ${\mathbb{Z}}_4\oplus {\mathbb{Z}}_{24}$. All defining relations hold, and the inverse group homomorphism sends the two standard generators to $b,c$. These group homomorphisms are mutually inverse. The divisibility condition $4\mid 24$ gives the requested invariant factors of a finitely generated module over $\mathbb{Z}$. In this presented group, $a,b,c$ actually have orders $2,4,24$.

Equivalently, the relation matrixhas nonzero Smith normal form entries $1,4,24$, with the trivial ${\mathbb{Z}}_1$ factor omitted. The displayed direct sum of modules is the answer to the presentation interpretation; the inconsistency of the literal exact-order formulation remains.

Every multiple of $dh$ is a multiple of both $d$ and $h$, so $dh\mathbb{Z}\subseteq d\mathbb{Z}\cap h\mathbb{Z}$.

For the reverse inclusion, let $z=du=hv$ lie in this intersection of ideals. Since $d,h$ are coprime integers, Bézout's identity supplies $r,s\in \mathbb{Z}$ with $rd+sh=1$. Multiplying by $u$ givesThus $h\mid u$, and $dh\mid du=z$. ConsequentlyHere Bézout's identity follows from the allowed principal ideal domain property of $\mathbb{Z}$: the ideal $d\mathbb{Z}+h\mathbb{Z}$ is generated by their greatest common divisor, which is $1$.

Define the group homomorphismBy part (b)(i), its kernel of a group homomorphism isIt is surjective. Indeed, choose $r,s\in \mathbb{Z}$ with $rd+sh=1$ by Bézout's identity. For any prescribed classes $u+d\mathbb{Z}$ and $v+h\mathbb{Z}$, the integersatisfies $t\equiv u(\mathrm{mod}d)$ and $t\equiv v(\mathrm{mod}h)$. The first isomorphism theorem for groups therefore givesThis proves the required isomorphism and is the Chinese remainder theorem for coprime integers. It also shows that $(1+d\mathbb{Z},1+h\mathbb{Z})$ generates the direct sum of modules when these additive groups are viewed as $\mathbb{Z}$-modules.

Let $N=|G|$ be a square-free integer. If $N=1$, then $G$ is the trivial cyclic group. Otherwise, finiteness means that a direct sum of modules decomposition into cyclic groups has only finitely many nontrivial factors, each of finite group order. Omit trivial factors and writeThe integers $n_i,n_j$ are coprime integers whenever $i\ne j$. If a prime number $p$ divided both, then $p^2\mid N$, contradicting the square-free integer hypothesis.

Moreover, $n_1\cdots n_{j-1}$ and $n_j$ are coprime integers: any common prime divisor would divide one of the earlier factors as well as $n_j$. Thus part (b)(ii) can be applied repeatedly to combine factors, givingIn particular $G$ is a cyclic group. Under the displayed identifications, the element whose coordinate in every factor is the class of $1$ is a generator of a group.

Write $q=|\mathbb{F}|$. The unit group $U(\mathbb{F})=\mathbb{F}\setminus \{0\}$ is a finite abelian group of group order $q-1$, since multiplication in a field satisfies commutativity. The structure theorem for finitely generated abelian groups, applied to this finite group, gives invariant factors of a finitely generated moduleafter omitting trivial factors. If there are no factors, the unit group is trivial and hence a cyclic group.

Otherwise put $D=d_r$. Every element $u\in U(\mathbb{F})$ satisfies $u^D=1$, because the order of a group element in each coordinate divides $D$. Hence all $q-1$ distinct nonzero elements of $\mathbb{F}$ are roots of a polynomial $X^D-1$. The root bound for a polynomial over a field givesFor completeness, that bound follows by induction from the factor theorem: if a nonzero polynomial $f$ vanishes at $a$, write $f=(X-a)g$; every other root of a polynomial is a root of $g$, because a field has no zero divisors. Each new distinct root therefore uses one unit of polynomial degree.

On the other hand, the group order in the decomposition isEquality is forced, so $d_1\cdots d_{r-1}=1$. As every retained factor is greater than $1$, there can be only one. ConsequentlyThe same proof establishes the more general result finite multiplicative subgroup of a field is cyclic. The square-free integer result in part (c)(i) alone would not suffice, since $q-1$ need not be a square-free integer; the root bound for a polynomial rules out multiple invariant factors of a finitely generated module even then.