4 Maths -- Elementary Group Theory

A binary operation * defined on the set S= {a,b,c} is presented in the following Cayley’s table.*abcaabcbbcaccabShow that (S,*) forms a group.

A binary operation * defined on the set S= {a,b,c} is presented in the following Cayley’s table.



























*

a

b

c

a

a

b

c

b

b

c

a

c

c

a

b


Show that (S,*) forms a group.

From the table,

*

a

b

c

a

a

b

c

b

b

c

a

c

c

a

b

We see that the operation defined on any two elements of S gives an element of S itself.

i.e. For each a,b ∈ S, a*b = ∈ S

So, S is closed under operation *.


For each a,b ∈ S,

a * (b * c) = (a * b) * c 

or, a * a = b * c 

or, a = a (true)

So, * satisfies associative property.


∵ a * a = a, 

a * b = b * a= b

and, a * c = c * a = c 

∴ a is an identity element.


∵ a * a = a, 

∴ a is the inverse of a.

Similarly, b * c = c * b = a, 

∴ b and c are the inverse elements of c and b respectively,


So, (S,*) forms a group.

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