## Problem 98

Let $A$ and $B$ be $n\times n$ matrices. Suppose that the matrix product $AB=O$, where $O$ is the $n\times n$ zero matrix.

Is it true that the matrix product with opposite order $BA$ is also the zero matrix?
If so, give a proof. If not, give a counterexample.

## Problem 97

Determine the automorphism group of $\Q(\sqrt[3]{2})$ over $\Q$.

## Problem 96

Let $A$ and $B$ be $2\times 2$ matrices.

Prove or find a counterexample for the statement that $(A-B)(A+B)=A^2-B^2$.

## Problem 95

Let $G$ be a finite abelian group of order $mn$, where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers.

Then show that there exists unique subgroups $G_1$ of order $m$ and $G_2$ of order $n$ such that $G\cong G_1 \times G_2$.

## Problem 94

Let $H$ be a subgroup of order $2$. Let $N_G(H)$ be the normalizer of $H$ in $G$ and $C_G(H)$ be the centralizer of $H$ in $G$.

(a) Show that $N_G(H)=C_G(H)$.

(b) If $H$ is a normal subgroup of $G$, then show that $H$ is a subgroup of the center $Z(G)$ of $G$.

## Problem 93

4 multiple choice questions about possibilities for the solution set of a homogeneous system of linear equations.

The solutions will be given after completing all problems.

## Problem 92

Determine the splitting field and its degree over $\Q$ of the polynomial
$x^4+x^2+1.$ Read solution

## Problem 91

Show that the matrix $A=\begin{bmatrix} 1 & \alpha\\ 0& 1 \end{bmatrix}$, where $\alpha$ is an element of a field $F$ of characteristic $p>0$ satisfies $A^p=I$ and the matrix is not diagonalizable over $F$ if $\alpha \neq 0$.

## Problem 90

Find the largest prime number less than one million.

## Problem 89

Prove that the polynomial $x^p-2$ for a prime number $p$ is irreducible over the field $\Q(\zeta_p)$, where $\zeta_p$ is a primitive $p$th root of unity.

## Problem 88

A complex number $z$ is called algebraic number (respectively, algebraic integer) if $z$ is a root of a monic polynomial with rational (respectively, integer) coefficients.

Prove that $z \in \C$ is an algebraic number (resp. algebraic integer) if and only if $z$ is an eigenvalue of a matrix with rational (resp. integer) entries.

## Problem 87

Find a cubic polynomial
$p(x)=a+bx+cx^2+dx^3$ such that $p(1)=1, p'(1)=5, p(-1)=3$, and $p'(-1)=1$.

## Problem 86

• Linear Equations
• Matrix entries.

## Problem 85

Consider a polynomial
$p(x)=x^n+a_{n-1}x^{n-1}+\cdots+a_1x+a_0,$ where $a_i$ are real numbers.
Define the matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 0 & 0 & \dots & 0 &-a_0 \\ 1 & 0 & \dots & 0 & -a_1 \\ 0 & 1 & \dots & 0 & -a_2 \\ \vdots & & \ddots & & \vdots \\ 0 & 0 & \dots & 1 & -a_{n-1} \end{bmatrix}.$

Then prove that the characteristic polynomial $\det(xI-A)$ of $A$ is the polynomial $p(x)$.
The matrix is called the companion matrix of the polynomial $p(x)$.

## Problem 84

Let $A$ be an $n \times n$ complex matrix such that $A^k=I$, where $I$ is the $n \times n$ identity matrix.

Show that the matrix $A$ is diagonalizable.

## Problem 83

Let $f(x)$ be an irreducible polynomial of degree $n$ over a field $F$. Let $g(x)$ be any polynomial in $F[x]$.

Show that the degree of each irreducible factor of the composite polynomial $f(g(x))$ is divisible by $n$.

## Problem 82

Show that the polynomial $x^3-\sqrt{2}$ is irreducible over the field $\Q(\sqrt{2})$.

## Problem 81

Let $G$ be a group of order $|G|=pqr$, where $p,q,r$ are prime numbers such that $p<q<r$.

Show that $G$ has a normal subgroup of order either $p,q$ or $r$.

## Problem 80

Let $V$ be a finite dimensional vector space over a field $K$ and let $\End (V)$ be the vector space of linear transformations from $V$ to $V$.
Let $\mathbf{v}_1, \mathbf{v}_2, \dots, \mathbf{v}_n$ be a basis for $V$.
Show that the map $\phi:\End (V) \to V^{\oplus n}$ defined by $f\mapsto (f(\mathbf{v}_1), \dots, f(\mathbf{v}_n))$ is an isomorphism.
Here $V^{\oplus n}=V\oplus \dots \oplus V$, the direct sum of $n$ copies of $V$.

## Problem 79

Let $V$ be the set of all $n \times n$ diagonal matrices whose traces are zero.
That is,

\begin{equation*}
V:=\left\{ A=\begin{bmatrix}
a_{11} & 0 & \dots & 0 \\
0 &a_{22} & \dots & 0 \\
0 & 0 & \ddots & \vdots \\
0 & 0 & \dots & a_{nn}
\begin{array}{l}
a_{11}, \dots, a_{nn} \in \C,\\
\tr(A)=0 \\
\end{array}
\right\}
\end{equation*}

Let $E_{ij}$ denote the $n \times n$ matrix whose $(i,j)$-entry is $1$ and zero elsewhere.

(a) Show that $V$ is a subspace of the vector space $M_n$ over $\C$ of all $n\times n$ matrices. (You may assume without a proof that $M_n$ is a vector space.)

(b) Show that matrices
$E_{11}-E_{22}, \, E_{22}-E_{33}, \, \dots,\, E_{n-1\, n-1}-E_{nn}$ are a basis for the vector space $V$.

(c) Find the dimension of $V$.