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Fundamental Theorem of Finite Abelian Groups

Fundamental Theorem of Finite Abelian Groups states that: every finite Abelian group is a direct product of cyclic groups of prime power order. Moreover, the number of terms in the product and the orders of the cyclic groups are uniquely determined by the group.

Fundamental Theorem of Finite Abelian Groups

Every finite generated abelian group GG is isomorphic to a direct product of cyclic groups. i.e. GZp1n1××Zpknk×ZbG\cong \Z_{p_1^{n_1}} \times \cdots \times \Z_{p_k^{n_k}}\times \Z^b where pip_i are prime numbers and nin_i are positive integers.

  • We call bb the Betti number of GG. A finite generated abelian group is finite if and only if its Betti number is zero.

Corollary: If mGm | |G|, then GG has a subgroup of order mm.

Proof of the Fundamental Theorem of Finite Abelian Groups

Lemma 1

Let GG be a finite abelian group of order pnmp^n m where pp is prime that does not divide mm. Then G=H×KG=H\times K where H={xGxpn=e}H = \{x\in G|x^{p^n} = e\} and K={xGxm=e}K = \{x\in G|x^{m} = e\}. Moreover, H=pn|H| = p^n and K=m|K| = m.

Lemma 2

Let GG be an abelian group of prime-power order and let aa be an element of maximum order in GG. Then GG can be written in the form G=a×KG = \langle a\rangle \times K.

Lemma 3

Let GG be an abelian group of prime-power order is an internal idrect product of cylic groups.

Lemma 4

Suppose GG is a finite abelian group of prime-power order. If G=H1××HmG = H_1 \times \cdots \times H_m and G=K1××KnG = K_1 \times \cdots \times K_n where KiK_i and HiH_i are nontrivial cyclic groups, with H1H2Hm|H_1| \ge |H_2| \ge \cdots \ge |H_m| and K1K2Kn|K_1| \ge |K_2| \ge \cdots \ge |K_n|, then m=nm = n and Hi=Kii|H_i| = |K_i| \forall i.

The isomorphism Classes of Abelian Groups

A group GG is called finitely generated if every element can be written down as a product of gig_is and their inverses.

Let GG be a finitely generated Abelian group. tZ0,\exists t\in \Z_{\ge0}, the invariant factors (ki)i=1,,mN(k_i)_{i=1,\ldots,m}\in \N satisfying k1k2kmk_1|k_2|\ldots|k_m such that GZt×Z/k1Z××Z/kmZG\cong \Z^t\times \Z/k_1\Z\times \cdots\times \Z/k_m\Z, t,kit, k_i are uniquely defined by GG. We can also have form GZt×iZ/pimiZG\cong \Z^t\times\prod_i \Z/p_i^{m_i}\Z

  • G<    t=0,Zt={0}|G| < \infty \implies t= 0, \Z^t=\{0\}

Let GG be a finitely generated Abelian group.

  • A set of elements {a1,,an}\{a_1,\ldots,a_n\} is called a basis of GG. Every element of GG can be uniquely written down as k1a1++knan,kiZk_1a_1+\cdots + k_na_n, k_i \in \Z
  • GG with a basis is called a free Abelian you

All bases of a free Abelian group GG have the same number of elements. Every free Abelian group is isomorphic to Zn\Z^n, that is, every free Abelian group GG has a rank of rk(G)=nrk(G) = n

Let NLN\subset L be a subgroup of a free Abelian group of rank nn, then NN is also a free group of rank n\le n. Then there exists a basis {e1,,en}\{e_1,\ldots, e_n\} of LL and positive integers kik_i such that k1e1,,kmemk_1e_1,\ldots,k_me_m is a basis of NN and k1k2kmk_1|k_2|\ldots|k_m

Define integer-valued elementary transformations AA any types of follows:

  • vi,vjv_i,v_j are rows/columns, and aZ    vivi+avja\in \Z \implies v_i\mapsto v_i + av_j
  • any transposition of two rows/columns
  • multiplying a row/column by 1-1

Recall: a diagonal n×mn\times m matrix is ij,dij=0\forall i\ne j, d_{ij} = 0 or we can have form diag(di,,dmin(n,m))diag(d_i,\ldots,d_{min(n,m)})

Any integer-valued matrix C=(cij)Matn×m(Z)C=(c_{ij})\in Mat_{n\times m}(\Z) can be transformed via elementary transformations into a diagonal matrix diag(d1,,dp)diag(d_1,\ldots,d_p) where di0d_i \ge 0 and d1d2dpd_1|d_2|\ldots|d_p

GG is a finitely generated Abelian group     \iff \exists a surjective homomorphism ψ:ZnG\psi:\Z^n \to G

A finite abelian group GG is cyclic     exp(G)=G\iff exp(G) = |G|

(Z/nZ)×(\Z/n\Z)^{\times} is cyclic when n=2,4,pk,2pkn = 2,4,p^k, 2p^k