EXAMINATION PAPER

Examination Session: Year: Exam Code:

May/June 2025 MATH2581-WE01

Title:
Algebra II

Time: 3 hours
Additional Material provided:

Materials Permitted:

Calculators Permitted: No Models Permitted: Use of electronic calculators

is forbidden.

Instructions to Candidates: Answer all questions.

Section A is worth 40% and Section B is worth 60%. Within
each section, all questions carry equal marks.
Write your answer in the white-covered answer booklet with
barcodes.
Begin your answer to each question on a new page.

Revision:

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SECTION A

Q1 (a) Which of the following rings are integral domains? Justify your answers.
(i) Z/6,
(ii) Q[x]/(x5 + px + p) for p a prime,
(iii) (Z/3)[x]/(x2 + 2̄),
(iv) Z/7 × Z/3,
(v) Z[i].
(b) Find all units of the following rings. There is no need to justify your answer.
(i) Z/7,
(ii) Q[x],
(iii) Z/3 × Z/4,
(iv) M2 (Q),
(v) Z[x].

Q2 Let R and S be rings, and let φ : R → S be a ring homomorphism.

(a) Show that if J is an ideal of S, then φ−1 (J) = {r ∈ R | φ(r) ∈ J} is an ideal

of R.
(b) Assume now that φ is surjective. Show that, if I is an ideal of R, then φ(I) =
{φ(r) | r ∈ I} is an ideal of S.

Q3 (a) Let G = S7 and γ = (1 2 3)(4 2 3)(5 4)(6 7).

(i) What is the order of γ in G?
(ii) Give the size of the conjugacy class of γ in G. [Justify your answer.]
(b) Determine the rank and the torsion coefficients of the kernel of the map

f : Z3 → Z ,
(a, b, c) 7→ 12a + 15b + 6c.

Q4 (a) Let G be an abelian group. Show that the set of elements of order 1 or 2 form
a subgroup of G.
(b) Assume all elements of a group G have order at most 2. Show that G is abelian.

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SECTION B

Q5 (a) (i) Factorise the following polynomials into irreducible factors in (Z/2)[x].

f (x) = x5 + x4 + x3 + x2 + x + 1̄, and g(x) = x6 + x4 + x + 1̄.

(ii) With notation as above, let I = (f (x), g(x)) be the ideal in (Z/2)[x] gen-
erated by f (x) and g(x). Consider the quotient ring R = (Z/2)[x]/I. Give
a set of representatives for the elements in R. Is R a field? Justify your
answers.
√ √
(b) Let R = Z[ −5], and let I = (3, 2 + −5). Show that the ideal I is not a
principal ideal.

Q6 (a) Let n > 1 be an integer and consider the ideal I = (n, x) in Z[x]. Give
conditions on n such that I is a maximal ideal. Justify your answer.
3 2
(b) Show that
√ the quotient √ − 3x − 3x + 9) is isomorphic to the ring
√ ring Q[x]/(x
Q × Q[ 3], where Q[ 3] = {a + b 3 | a, b ∈ Q}.

Q7 Let G = (Z/15)× , the group of units in the ring Z/15.

(a) Write down the elements of G, say as classes in Z/15, giving both the order
and the inverse of each element.
(b) Write G as a product of cyclic groups. [Justify your result.]
(c) State Cayley’s Theorem.
(d) Use the procedure in the proof of Cayley’s Theorem to find generators of a
subgroup of S8 to which G is isomorphic.

Q8 Let G be a group of order 20.

(a) Show that G contains a group H of order 5, stating carefully any results that
you use.
(b) For any g ∈ G show that its conjugate gHg −1 is also a subgroup of G.
(c) Show that the intersection of two different conjugates of H contains only one
element.
(d) Given the previous part, find a sharp bound for how many different conjugates
of H can be contained in G.
(e) Show that the number of conjugates of H divides |G|. (Hint: You may want
to consider a suitable group action.)
(f) Using the previous parts, show that every group with 20 elements contains a
normal subgroup of order 5.

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