Algebra Preliminary Exam
May 16, 2019
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• Show all your work. Unjustified answers are not correct. Make clear
what your final answer is.
• No notes and electronic devices (including cellphones, iPads, and
computers) will be allowed during the exam.
• Do not cheat.
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Problem 1. Let G be a group of order 56. Assume that G has a non-normal
subgroup S of order 7. Prove that G contains a subgroup T that is
isomorphic to Z /2 Z × Z /2 Z × Z /2 Z.
(You may use the fact that Z /2 Z × Z /2 Z × Z /2 Z is the only group
of order 8 in which all non-identity elements have the same order.)
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Problem 2. Let A be an abelian group and let a be an element of A. Prove that
the order of a is infinite if and only if a ⊗ 1 is not zero in A ⊗Z Q.
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Problem 3. (a) Classify the conjugacy classes of real square matrices M with
characteristic polynomial (x − 1)3 (x − 3)2 such that the rank of
M − I is 3 (I denotes the identity matrix).
(b) Classify the conjugacy classes of real 4 × 4 matrices N that
satisfy the equation N 3 + N = N 2 + I (I denotes the identity
matrix).
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Problem 4. (a) Determine whether Q is a projective Z-module.
(b) Determine whether Q / Z is an Artinian Z-module.
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Problem 5. Let p be a prime, let Fp denote the finite field with p elements, and
let Fp denote the algebraic closure of Fp . For X and Y algebraically
independent and transcendental over Fp , let K := Fp (X, Y ) denote
the field of rational functions in X and Y over Fp and let F :=
Fp (X p , Y p ) denote the field of rational functions in X p and Y p over
Fp .
(i) Prove that [K : F ] = p2 .
(ii) Prove that, for any c ∈ Fp , [F (X + cY ) : F ] = p.
(iii) Deduce from (ii) that the extension F ⊆ K is not simple.
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Problem 6. Consider the polynomial
f (X) = X 4 − 2 ∈ Q[X]
√
and denote by K its splitting field over Q. Denote by 4 2 ∈ R the
positive fourth root of 2 and by ζ4 := i ∈ C the primitive fourth root
of unity. Denote by D4 the dihedral group of order 8, with the usual
presentation hρ, σ : ρ4 = σ 2 = 1, σρ = ρ3 σi. (Recall that, for a fixed
square centered at the origin, ρ denotes the rotation clockwise about
the origin through π2 radian and σ denotes the reflection about the
main diagonal.) √
(i) Prove that K is generated over Q by 4 2 and ζ4 .
(ii) Prove that Gal(K/ Q) ' D4 and write down a table describing
the
√ value of each automorphism in this group on the generators
4
2 and ζ4 . √
(iii) Prove that F := Q 4 2(1 + i) is the subfield of K fixed by
the group H := {1, ρσ} and justify why F/ Q is not a normal
extension.
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Problem 7. Let R be a non-zero unitary ring and let M, N be non-zero finitely
generated left R-modules, with N an R-submodule of M . Assume
that M is semisimple.
(i) Prove that N and M/N are semisimple.
(ii) Prove that the lengths of M , N , and M/N satisfy the relation
`(N ) + ` (M/N ) = `(M ).
(iii) Deduce from (ii) that M is both a noetherian and an artinian
module.
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Problem 8. Consider the symmetric group S3 on three elements.
(i) Justify that there is an isomorphism of C-algebras C[S3 ] '
C × C ×M2 (C).
(ii) Describe all the (mutually non-isomorphic) irreducible finite di-
mensional complex representations of S3 .
(iii) Determine the character table of S3 .
