Let (G,⋅) be a finite group of order n∈N∗, with n≥2. We shall call the group (G,⋅)arrangeable if there is an ordering of its elements, such that G={a1,a2,…,ak,…,an}={a1⋅a2,a2⋅a3,…,ak⋅ak+1,…,an⋅a1}.
a) Determine all positive integers n for which the group (Zn,+) is arrangeable.
b) Give an example of an arrangeable group of even order.
Solution
a. We will show that the group (Zn,+) is arrangeable if and only if n≥2 is an odd positive integer.
If (G,⋅) is an abelian arrangeable group, then considering the arrangement G={a1,a2,…,ak,…,an}={a1⋅a2,a2⋅a3,…,ak⋅ak+1,…,an⋅a1}, we have g∈G∏g=k=1∏nak=k=1∏n(ak⋅ak+1)=g∈G∏g2, (where an+1=a1), so that ∏g∈Gg=1, where 1 is the unit element of the group (G,⋅).
In any finite abelian group the product of all the elements is equal to the product of all its elements of order 2.
For n∈N∗, n≥2, if k∈{0,1,…,n−1} with ord(k^)=2, then k^=0^=k^+k^=2k^, so that n divides 2k, but does not divide k. This is only possible if n is even and n=2k. Thus, if n is even, with n=2k, and (Zn,+) were arrangeable, we would have 0^=x∈Zn∑x=k^, which is false. Hence, if n is even, the group (Zn,+) is not arrangeable.
Let now n≥3 be an odd positive integer. We consider the set [0,n−1]N={0,1,…,n−1} and the function f:[0,n−1]N→Zn, defined by f(k)=2k+1.
Since f(k)=f(l)⟺2k+1=2l+1⟺n∣(2k−2l)⟺n∣(k−l)⟺k=l, the function f is injective and since [0,n−1]N and Zn are finite sets with equal cardinals, it follows that f is bijective. Denoting ak=k−1 for any 1≤k≤n and an+1=a1, it follows then that ak+ak+1=f(k−1) for any k=1,n, so that Zn={a1,a2,…,an}={f(0),f(1),…,f(k),…,f(n−1)}={a1+a2,a2+a3,…,ak−1+ak,…,an+a1}, whence we deduce that the group (Zn,+) is arrangeable.
The set of all positive integers such that the group (Zn,+) is arrangeable is thus the set of all odd positive integers n, with n≥3.
b. According to part a), there are no cyclic arrangeable groups of even order. We consider Z4={0^,1^,2^,3^}, Z2={0,1} and the group G=Z4×Z2 with component-wise defined addition (k^,l^)+(m^,n^)=(k+m,l+n). Then G={a1=(0^,0),a2=(1^,0ˉ),a3=(1^,1ˉ),a4=(3^,1ˉ),a5=(2^,0ˉ),a6=(2^,1ˉ),a7=(0ˉ,1ˉ),a8=(3^,0ˉ)}={a1+a2,a2+a3,a3+a4,a4+a5,a5+a6,a6+a7,a7+a8,a8+a1}, so that (G,+) is an arrangeable group of order 8.
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