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Subgroups, cosets and Lagrange's theorem
Why the order of a subgroup divides the order of the group.
Cosets of a subgroup H tile the group in equal-sized pieces, so |H| divides |G|. Picture it: the integers mod 12 as a clock; the subgroup {0, 4, 8} and its three cosets colour the clock in three colours. Think it: Lagrange is the reason element orders divide group orders, hence the reason RSA works.
Worked example · divisors of 12
Step by step
- 12 = 2^{2} \times 3
Prime-factorise first.
- d(n) = (2+1) \cdot (1+1) = 6
Each divisor picks an exponent from 0 up to the prime's exponent, so multiply (exponent + 1) for each prime.
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12
List them in increasing order.
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How to: Subgroups, cosets and Lagrange's theorem
- Prime-factorise first.
- Each divisor picks an exponent from 0 up to the prime's exponent, so multiply (exponent + 1) for each prime.
- List them in increasing order.
Questions people ask
What is a group, in plain words?
A set with one operation that is associative, has an identity, and lets every element be undone. Symmetries of any object form a group. That is where the idea came from.
What is the difference between a ring and a field?
A ring has addition and multiplication that behave like the integers (you cannot always divide); a field is a ring where every non-zero element has a reciprocal, like the rationals or the reals.
More in Abstract Algebra
GroupsCyclic groups and permutation groupsHomomorphisms, normal subgroups and quotient groupsRings and fieldsGalois theory: why the quintic has no formula