Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ia Paper 3 8D b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Write the Heisenberg group element as . Matrix multiplication and inversion giveAll matrices have determinant one. They contain , are closed under multiplication and inverses, and inherit associativity from matrix multiplication; hence they form a subgroup of .
Two such matrices commute precisely when . Requiring this for every forces . ConsequentlyThe map is a surjective group homomorphism to the additive group , with kernel of a group homomorphism . Equivalently, it gives the explicit quotient group isomorphismIt is well-defined because multiplying by a central element changes only . It is injective because equal imply that the quotient of the two matrices is central, and surjectivity follows by taking . This also proves the needed instance of the first isomorphism theorem directly.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ia Paper 3 8D c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
For the modular Heisenberg group, the three independent entries each have choices, soThe multiplication and commutation calculations work over the finite field exactly as over . Taking and shows thatLet . Its powers exhaust the centre and has order , giving the group presentationLet and . Their images in the quotient group translate the entries independently. They commute modulo the centre, have order , and generate distinct pairs. ThereforeFor context, , with central. All conclusions above include ; one must not infer that every nonidentity element of has order two, since .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ia Paper 3 1D ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Conversely, assume is a normal subgroup and the quotient group is an abelian group. Commuting the two cosets and givesso every group commutator belongs to . This proves the converse and completes the equivalence.
For the dihedral group of order ten, choose a rotation and a reflection with and . Its rotation subgroup is a normal subgroup, and the quotient by it has order two, hence is an abelian group. Consequently the commutator subgroup is contained in . On the other hand,Since generates the order-five cyclic group , the commutator subgroup is exactly . Every abelian quotient must kill this subgroup. There are only two subgroups containing it, since the remaining quotient has prime order. The complete list, including the trivial quotient, isThis is the order-ten instance of the abelianization of an odd dihedral group.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ia Paper 3 1D i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Suppose every group commutator belongs to . For and , the particular group commutator belongs to . Multiplying on the left by gives . Thus for every ; applying the same inclusion to gives the reverse inclusion. Therefore is a normal subgroup.
We can now form the quotient group. Its group commutators areA group commutator is the identity element exactly when the two elements commute. Hence is an abelian group. Equivalently, the hypothesis says that contains the commutator subgroup, so the quotient factors through the abelianization.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 3 2E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
A subgroup of a group is a normal subgroup when for every , equivalently . The quotient group has the left cosets as elements, with , identity and inverse . Normality makes this multiplication independent of representatives.
The first isomorphism theorem for groups says that for a group homomorphism , its kernel of a group homomorphism is normal andThe image is taken with the induced group operation; surjectivity onto all of is not required.
For the given upper triangular matrices, take diagonal entries:The target is a direct product of groups, with multiplication of nonzero real numbers in each coordinate. Indeed the product of two such matrices has diagonal , proving the group homomorphism property. Any pair of nonzero diagonal entries is attained by a diagonal matrix, so is surjective. Its kernel of a group homomorphism consists precisely of the matrices with , namely . Hencewith coordinatewise multiplication, not addition on .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 3 5E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Restrict the quotient projection to . This is a group homomorphism withIts image is a nontrivial subgroup of the prime-order quotient group, because is not contained in . By Lagrange's theorem for finite groups, the image has order and is all of . The first isomorphism theorem for groups therefore gives
For the second assertion, partition into conjugacy classes for . Because is normal, conjugation by permutes these smaller classes: . This group action is transitive since any two elements of are conjugate in . Elements of fix every -class, so the action factors through .
If is the number of smaller classes, the orbit-stabilizer theorem for this transitive action gives . ThusDistinct conjugacy classes are disjoint because they are orbits of a group action. This proves conjugacy class splitting in a prime-index normal subgroup without assuming all -conjugations are already conjugations by .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 4 2E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Use the class equation for the action of on itself by conjugation:where the sum runs over noncentral conjugacy classes. By Lagrange's theorem, each noncentral class has size a positive power of greater than one. Thus . Since the identity element belongs to the center of a group,For , the possible orders of the center of a group are . Order would make an abelian group. Order would make the quotient group have prime order and hence be a cyclic group. But a cyclic quotient by the center forces to be Abelian: if generates the quotient, any two elements are and with , and their products commute. Both larger orders contradict the hypothesis. Consequently
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 137 5 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Write and . The double-coset Hecke algebra consists of -bi-invariant complex functions on supported on finitely many double cosets, with convolutionEach double coset has finitely many orbits under left multiplication by , by rational conjugation of finite-index modular subgroups. Thus the sum is finite and independent of representatives. The characteristic functions of the double cosets form its basis, and its right action on invariant modular forms is , using the determinant-normalized slash operator.
For a positive integer , let be all integral two-by-two matrices of positive determinant . It is -bi-invariant. Define to be its indicator function, equivalently the sum of the distinct double cosets it contains, each with coefficient one. This is the convention consistent with the requested formula. For composite , it need not be the single double coset of : for instance cannot lie in that double coset, since multiplying by unimodular integral matrices preserves the greatest common divisor of the entries.
Prove all the needed subgroup facts directly. For a finite-index subgroup , take to be the least positive first coordinate appearing in and the least positive second coordinate on its intersection with the second axis. Euclidean division then shows that the first-coordinate projection is and . Positivity follows, for example, because the finite quotient group kills a nonzero multiple of each coordinate vector. Choose and reduce modulo to . Every vector of has first coordinate a multiple of , and subtracting that multiple of leaves a multiple of . Therefore these two vectors form a basis of . The parameters are unique. Reducing the first coordinate modulo and then the second modulo gives precisely quotient representatives, so .
Apply this row Hermite normal form in rank two to the row lattice of an integral matrix with . Its row lattice contains , since , so it has finite index. Its two rows and the displayed two rows are bases of the same row lattice. The two inverse change-of-basis matrices have integer entries, so their determinants are integers whose product is one. Thus the change-of-basis matrix has determinant ; since both orientations are positive, its determinant is one. Thus each orbit under left multiplication by has exactly one of the determinant-n matrix representatives for Hecke operatorsThere are such representatives, proving finiteness as well as the formula. The subgroup argument is a proof of the relevant Hermite normal form, not an invocation of an unproved lattice classification.
Consequently the normalized Hecke operator isIt preserves : right multiplication by permutes the left-multiplication orbits in , giving invariance, and cusp holomorphy under rational slash operators gives the holomorphy of each term at every cusp.
For a triangular representative the determinant-normalized slash operator is . Summing the Fourier expansion of a modular form over kills every index not divisible by , by finite exponential orthogonality. ThusThe Fourier coefficients of a composite-index Hecke operator are thereforeIn particular . If , comparison of the coefficients gives
Finally suppose and is a simultaneous eigenfunction. Constant coefficients force , so for all . Weight two cannot occur, by vanishing of weight-two level-one modular forms. For even , use the normalized Eisenstein series with its Fourier expansion of a normalized Eisenstein serieswhere is the Bernoulli number. Then is a cusp form with coefficients . The Fourier coefficient bound for a cusp form bounds these by , but at arbitrarily large primes their magnitude is . Since , the coefficient factor must vanish. All coefficients of then vanish, including its constant coefficient, so by its cusp expansion and the identity theorem. This proves the noncuspidal level-one Hecke eigenform characterization:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ia Paper 3 7D Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
For a normal subgroup , the quotient group is the set of cosets with multiplication . If and , normality moves the intervening elements of past , proving that the product is independent of representatives.
If has finite order , then , so divides . For finite , the greatest element order in is therefore no greater than that in .
Every kernel is normal because whenever . Conversely, if is normal, the quotient map has kernel . Thus exactly when it is the kernel of a group homomorphism.
A group is metacyclic when it has a cyclic normal subgroup with cyclic quotient. A dihedral group has its cyclic rotation subgroup normal and quotient , so every dihedral group is metacyclic.
Up to isomorphism the groups of order eight areAll except are metacyclic: use a cyclic subgroup of order four in the three noncyclic examples that have one. In , every cyclic subgroup has order at most two and its quotient is not cyclic. The normal subgroups of are ; none gives the required cyclic subgroup and quotient, so is not metacyclic. Finally, are metacyclic, while and are not, by their normal-subgroup structures. Hence
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 3 20F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Because is a simplicial subcomplex of , every face of a simplex of also belongs to . The simplicial boundary operator therefore satisfiesso is a chain subcomplex of the simplicial chain complex .
Define a map on the quotient groups byIf with , then , so this definition is independent of the representative. Moreover,Thus is the relative simplicial chain complex.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ia Paper 3 7E Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
A subgroup is normal whenIts left and right cosets then agree, and multiplicationis well defined on the cosets. The identity is , the inverse of is , and associativity descends from , so these cosets form the quotient group .
For a group homomorphism , its kernel and image areThe kernel is normal becausewhenever . Conversely, if , the quotient mapis a homomorphism with kernel . The image of any homomorphism is closed under products and inverses, so it is a subgroup of . Finally, the mapis well defined and bijective and preserves multiplication. This is the first isomorphism theorem.
DefineEuler's formula shows that is a homomorphism, its image is the complex unit circle, and its kernel is . The first isomorphism theorem therefore givesThe image of consists exactly of the roots of unity: if , then , while every element of finite order on the unit circle has an argument that is a rational multiple of .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 342 1 d Solution 2026-09-28
Let and denote the two oriented noncontractible cycles of the torus. Their transport operators intersect once, so the mutual braiding phase gives the Wilson-loop algebra of an Abelian Chern--Simons theoryThe integer charge vectors are identified modulo local electrons: and have identical braiding with every quasiparticle. The distinct topological charges therefore form the finite quotient group
Choose a ground state that diagonalizes the mutually commuting -cycle operators. Acting with multiplies their eigenvalues by the character . This pairing is nondegenerate on : if the character is trivial for every , then is integral and is the trivial class. Thus the states obtained from inequivalent have distinct loop eigenvalues and are orthogonal. The torus ground-state degeneracy of an Abelian Chern--Simons theory is consequently at least .
The all-ones matrix has eigenvalue along and eigenvalue zero on the -dimensional perpendicular subspace. Hence has eigenvalues , and
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 302 1 d iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The map is a surjective group homomorphism with kernel , so is a normal subgroup and . The subgroup is not normal: for a translation ,which leaves when and . Finally, is a surjective homomorphism onto with kernel , so and the quotient group .
The orbit-stabilizer theorem identifies the orbit of a group action of with the set of left cosets of . Explicitly, there is a bijectionHere denotes a set of cosets; it is not asserted to be a quotient group. To prove the identification, observe thatThis equivalence proves both well-definedness and injectivity. Every element of the orbit of a group action has the form , proving surjectivity.
In particular, for a finite group, the cardinalities satisfyThe last equality follows from Lagrange's theorem applied to the stabilizer subgroup.
Suppose the quotient group is a cyclic group, generated by . For any , there are integers and such thatSince lie in the center of a group, they commute with every element, in particular with each other and with the integer powers of a group element . ThereforeAs were arbitrary, is an abelian group. This is the cyclic quotient by the center.
If is not Abelian, the contrapositive of ii says that is not a cyclic group. The quotient group is finite because is finite. By iii, every group with fewer than four elements is a cyclic group. HenceEquivalently, the center of a group satisfies , by the coset count in iii.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2001 Paper 2 9 Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
Definitions. A group homomorphism preserves multiplication, . A group isomorphism is a bijective group homomorphism. The kernel of a group homomorphism isPreserving multiplication implies and : the first follows by cancelling from its square, and the second follows by applying to .
Normality. For and ,Hence every is again in , proving . Applying the same statement with gives equality , and therefore .
Group of cosets. Define the product on the left cosets byTo check that this does not depend on representatives, replace by . Thenbecause normality puts in . Thus the product is well defined. It is associative because multiplication in is associative; its identity is , and the inverse of is . Consequently the cosets form the quotient group .
The map is well defined and gives an isomorphism . If the original mapping is onto , this becomes . No surjectivity is needed for the kernel of a group homomorphism to be a normal subgroup or for the quotient group to exist.
The quotient group consists of the cosets , with multiplicationFor well-definedness, replacing representatives by and changes their product to . Since is a normal subgroup, the final two factors lie in , so the product coset does not change.
Associativity follows from that in ; the identity element is the coset , and . Hence these cosets form a group. By Lagrange's theorem, every subgroup has order dividing , and its subgroup index is . In particularNormality is needed for the quotient multiplication, whereas Lagrange’s counting formula holds for every subgroup.
For a subgroup and , a left coset is and a right coset is . A normal subgroup satisfies for every , equivalently .
If is normal, the quotient group is the set of cosets, with multiplicationTo check independence of representatives, replace by . Thenbecause normality puts in . Thus the operation is well defined. Associativity follows from that in , the identity is , and the inverse of is . This proves the group axioms for and explains the role of coset multiplication is well-defined exactly for normal subgroups.
For a normal subgroup , the quotient group consists of its cosets with multiplicationTo check that this is well-defined, replace by with . Their product issince normality puts in . Hence the product does not depend on representatives. Associativity follows from that in , the identity element is , and . These verify the group axioms.
Lagrange's theorem counts the equal-sized cosets:Finally, if is prime, choose . Its cyclic subgroup has order greater than one dividing , hence equals . All elements are powers of , so . Thus