Graduate Qualifying Exam in Algebra

School of Mathematics, University of Minnesota

Spring 2007

You may use any well known results that do not trivialize the problem in the opinion
of the examiners. If you use such a result, you must explain exactly how you are applying
it. Unjustified or inadequately justified answers will receive no credit. In questions with
several parts, credit will be obtained if only some of the parts are completed. Be sure to
put your code number (not your name) on each bluebook that you hand in.
The questions are divided into two Sections, A and B. Answer all the questions, from
both sections, but write answers to questions from Section A in a different set of blue
books to the questions from Section B, labelling each blue book Section A or Section B.
Each question is worth 10% of the total.

SECTION A
1. Show that x6 + x3 + 1 = (x9 1)/(x3 1) is irreducible in F11 [x], where F11 is a field
with 11 elements.
2. Let k be a finite field, and K a finite extension. Show that the trace and norm maps
K k are surjective.
3. Let R be a commutative ring with unit such that for every r R there is an integer
n > 1 (possibly depending upon r) such that rn = r. Show that every prime ideal in
R is maximal.
4. Let R be a commutative ring with unit. Show that the set of prime ideals in R has
minimal elements (under the ordering by inclusion).
5. Let S, T be k-linear endomorphisms of a finite-dimensional vector space V over an
algebraically closed field k. Suppose that both S and T are diagonalizable, and that
ST = T S. Show that S, T are simultaneously diagonalizable.

PLEASE TURN OVER

1
SECTION B
p
6. (a) Show that Q( 10 + 10) Q is a Galois extension and determine its degree.
p
(b) Determine the isomorphism type of the Galois group Gal(Q( 10 + 10)/Q) and
make a complete list of all the intermediate fields of this extension.
7. Let G be a group of order 72 for which the center Z(G) has order divisible by 8. Show
that G is abelian.
8. (a) Let A and B be square matrices of the same size with entries in Q. Suppose that
there is a matrix P with entries in C for which B = P AP 1 . Show that there is a
matrix Q with entries in Q for which B = QAQ1 .
(b) Determine whether any of the following matrices are conjugate to each other over
Q.      
2 0 2 1 3 1
A= , B= , C= .
1 2 1 2 1 1
[A and B are conjugate over Q if and only if there exists a matrix Q with entries in
Q so that B = QAQ1 .]
9. Let F be a free abelian group and suppose that V F is a subgroup.
(a) Show by example that for an arbitrary subgroup U of F it need not be the case
that V = (V U ) U 0 for some subgroup U 0 .
(b) Suppose that F = U1 U2 is the direct sum of two subgroups. Show that
V = (V U1 ) W for some subgroup W of V . Show further by example that it
need not be the case that V = (V U1 ) (V U2 ).
a


10. Let Z2 denote the group whose elements are column vectors b where a, b Z. Let A
4


be
the subgroup of Z generated by 16 and let B be the subgroup of Z2 generated by
2
4 1 1



16 , 7 and 1 . Find the structure of the abelian group B/A, specifying the orders
of the cyclic groups of which it is a product.