Graduate Qualifying Exam in Algebra

School of Mathematics, University of Minnesota

Fall 2005

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.
The questions in Section A are equally weighted to give a total of 50% of the overall exam
score. In Section B each question is worth a percentage of the overall exam score indicated
at the start of the question.

SECTION A
1. Classify up to isomorphism all groups of order pq, where p and q are primes and
q 1 mod p.
2. Count the conjugacy classes in the group GL3 (F2 ) of invertible 3-by-3 matrices with
entries in a field F2 with 2 elements.
3. Suppose that a finite-dimensional vector space V over a field k has a basis of eigen-
vectors for a k-linear map T : V V . Let W be a T -stable k-subspace of V (that is,
T W W ). Show that W has a basis of eigenvectors for T .
4. Show that x4 x2 + 1 is reducible as a polynomial in Fp [x], for every finite field Fp
with p elements.
[It may help you to observe that (x4 x2 + 1)(x2 + 1) = x6 + 1.]
5. Prove that x5 + y 7 + 1 is irreducible in k[x, y] for any field k.

PLEASE TURN OVER

1
 SECTION B
6. (8%) Let V be a vector space over C and let T : V V be a linear mapping.
We regard V as a module for C[X] by letting X act in the same way as T . Thus a
Pr Pr
polynomial f (X) = i=0 ai X i acts on a vector v by the formula f v = i=0 ai T i (v).
Suppose that V is the direct sum of two cyclic C[X]-modules, whose annihilators are
(X 2 4)2 and X 3 2X 2 , so

= C[X]/(X 2 4)2 C[X]/(X 3 2X 2 ).

V

(a) Calculate the minimal polynomial of T , and also the characteristic polynomial of
T.
(b) Calculate the Jordan canonical form of T .
7. (8%) Describe (with proof) all of the minimal prime ideals in the ring

Z[x1 , x2 ]/(x1 x2 ).

[A minimal prime ideal is a prime ideal which does not contain any smaller prime
ideal.]
8. (10%) Let I be the ideal I = (2, x2 + 1) in Z[x].
(a) Give a complete list of the ideals in the ring Z[x]/I, specifying a set of generators
for each ideal.
Furthermore, in each of cases (b) and (c) below, giving brief reasons, say whether
or not the module indicated has a composition series. If the module does have a
composition series, write one down, being sure to indicate the composition length.
(b) The Z[x]-module I.
(c) The Z[x]-module Z[x]/I.
9. (12%) Let f (X) = X 3 + X 2 + 1 Q[X].
(a) Let be a complex root of f . Express ( 1)1 as a polynomial in .
(b) Determine whether or not X 3 + X 2 + 1 is irreducible over Q(i).
10. (12%) Let E Q be a Galois extension whose Galois group is the symmetric group
S5 . Let E be any element.
(a) Show that the Galois group of the minimal polynomial m,Q of over Q is equal
either to 1, C2 or S5 , and no other possibilities.
[Here C2 denotes the cyclic group of order 2. You may assume that the only normal
subgroups of S5 are 1, the alternating group A5 , and S5 .]
(b) Show that the degree [Q() : Q] cannot equal 3 or 4.