6

Direct product of groups

Let G1 and G2 be two groups. Let us denote the elements of G1 by a1 , b1 , c1 , etc, and the elements of G2 by a2 , b2 , c2 , etc. Let e1 and e2 be the identities in G1 and G2 . Recall that the Cartesian product G1 G2 is the set of pairs G1 G2 = {(g1 , g2 ) | g1 G1 , g2 G2 }. Let us dene a group structure on G1 G2 . For two arbitrary elements (a1 , a2 ) and (b1 , b2 ) in G1 G2 , dene their product by (a1 , a2 )(b1 , b2 ) = (a1 b1 , a2 b2 ). (6.1)

Here a1 b1 is the product of a1 and b1 in G1 and a2 b2 is the product of a2 and b2 in G2 . Example 6.1. Consider R with respect to multiplication and consider the product R Z4 . Then in R Z4 one has, for example, (5, 2)(3, 3) = (15, 1); (1, 0)(2, 3) = (2, 3).

Theorem 6.2. The Cartesian product G1 G2 with the binary operation (6.1) is a group. The identity is (e1 , e2 ) and the inverse of (a1 , a2 ) is (a1 , a1 ). 1 2 Proof. (G1) Let us check associativity: ((a1 , a2 )(b1 , b2 ))(c1 , c2 ) = (a1 b1 , a2 b2 )(c1 , c2 ) = (a1 b1 c1 , a2 b2 c2 ); (a1 , a2 )((b1 , b2 )(c1 , c2 )) = (a1 , a2 )(b1 c1 , b2 c2 ) = (a1 b1 c1 , a2 b2 c2 ). (G2) The element (e1 , e2 ) is indeed the identity: (a1 , a2 )(e1 , e2 ) = (a1 e1 , a2 e2 ) = (a1 , a2 ); (e1 , e2 )(a1 , a2 ) = (e1 a1 , e2 a2 ) = (a1 , a2 ). (G3) The element (a1 , a1 ) is indeed the inverse of (a1 , a2 ): 1 2 (a1 , a2 )(a1 , a1 ) = (e1 , e2 ); 1 2 1 1 (a1 , a2 )(a1 , a2 ) = (e1 , e2 ). The proof is complete The above dened group is denoted by G1 G2 and is called the direct product of G1 and G2 . It is easy to see that if G1 and G2 are nite, then G1 G2 is also nite and |G1 G2 | = |G1 | |G2 |. Example 6.3. Let U be the group of all unimodular complex numbers under multiplication and consider also R+ and C under multiplication. It is easy to see that R+ U is isomorphic to C . In fact, this isomorphism is exactly the exponential form of a complex number: to every pair (r, ei ), r > 0, ei U , there corresponds a non-zero complex number z = rei . 22

Example 6.4. Consider R as a group under addition, and let R2 be the group under the usual coordinatewise addition operation. Then there is a natural isomorphism between R R and R2 . Example 6.5. 1. Consider the group Z2 Z3 . A direct computation shows that (1, 1) generates this group. Thus, Z2 Z3 is cyclic and therefore is isomorphic to Z6 . 2. Consider the group Z2 Z2 . It is not cyclic. Indeed, it is easy to see that each element (apart from the identity) generates a proper cyclic subgroup of the order two. Thus, no element of Z2 Z2 generates the whole group. Theorem 6.6. The group Zn Zm is isomorphic to Zmn if and only if m and n are relatively prime, i.e. gcd(m, n) = 1. Proof. 1. Suppose that m and n are relatively prime: gcd(m, n) = 1. Consider the cyclic subgroup (1, 1) of Zm Zn , generated by (1, 1). By Corollary 5.9, the order of (1, 1) coincides with the smallest positive integer k such that (1, 1) + + (1, 1) = (0, 0)
k

(6.2)

(we use the notation + for the group operation in Zm Zn ). For the rst component of the sum in the l.h.s. of (6.2) to be 0, we need k to be a multiple of m. For the second component of the sum in the l.h.s. of (6.2) to be 0, we need k to be a multiple of n. Thus, k must be a multiple of both m and n; the least common multiple of n and m is mn lcm(m, n) = = mn. gcd(m, n) Thus, the smallest possible value of k is mn. Hence, Zm Zn is isomorphic to Zmn . 2. Suppose that gcd(m, n) > 1. Then lcm(m, n) < mn. Denote r := lcm(m, n). One has k m m k = 0 k Zm , l n n l = 0 l Zn
r r

(here m and n are the group operations in Zm and Zn ). Thus, (k, l) + + (k, l) = (0, 0) (k, l) Zm Zn .
r

So any element of Zm Zn generates a cyclic subgroup of at most r elements. Thus, Zm Zn is not cyclic and therefore is not isomorphic to Zmn . Example 6.7. 1. For any n > 1, the group Zn Zn is not cyclic, as gcd(n, n) = n < n2 . 2. For any prime numbers p, q, the group Zp Zq is cyclic and isomorphic to Zpq , as gcd(p, q) = pq. Similarly to the direct product of two groups, one can dene a direct product of any number of groups. Theorem 6.6 can be extended to the case of direct product of any number of groups. 23

Example 6.8. The product Z2 Z3 Z5 consists of 2 3 5 = 30 elements of the type (a, b, c), where a Z2 , b Z3 , and c Z5 . One can check that (1, 1, 1) generates the whole group and Z2 Z3 Z5 is isomorphic to Z30 .

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