This website contains problems from math contests. Problems and corresponding tags were obtained from the Art of Problem Solving website.

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Found problems: 183

For which commutative finite groups is the product of all elements equal to the unit element?
Suppose there exists a group with exactly $n$ subgroups of index 2. Prove that there exists a finite abelian group $G$ that has exactly $n$ subgroups of index 2.
Let $ S$ be the sum of the inversible elements of a finite ring. Prove that $ S^2\equal{}S$ or $ S^2\equal{}0$.
Let $G$ be a finite group and let $x_1,…,x_n$ be an enumeration of its elements. We consider the matrix $(a_{ij})_{1 \le i,j \le n},$ where $a_{ij}=0$ if $x_ix_j^{-1}=x_jx_i^{-1},$ and $a_{ij}=1$ otherwise. Find the parity of the integer $\det(a_{ij}).$
A set system $ (S,L)$ is called a Steiner triple system, if $ L\neq\emptyset$, any pair $ x,y\in S$, $ x\neq y$ of points lie on a unique line $ \ell\in L$, and every line $ \ell\in L$ contains exactly three points. Let $ (S,L)$ be a Steiner triple system, and let us denote by $ xy$ the thrid point on a line determined by the points $ x\neq y$. Let $ A$ be a group whose factor by its center $ C(A)$ is of prime power order. Let $ f,h: S\to A$ be maps, such that $ C(A)$ contains the range of $ f$, and the range of $ h$ generates $ A$. Show, that if \[ f(x) \equal{} h(x)h(y)h(x)h(xy)\] holds for all pairs $ x\neq y$ of points, then $ A$ is commutative, and there exists an element $ k\in A$, such that $ f(x) \equal{} kh(x)$ for all $ x\in S$.
In a group $G$, we have two elements $x,y$ such that $x^{n}=e,y^2=e,yxy=x^{-1}$, $n\ge 1$. Prove that for any $k\in\mathbb{N}$ holds $(x^ky)^2=e$. Note : e=group's identity .
Let $R$ be a commutative ring with $1$ such that the number of elements of $R$ is equal to $p^3$ where $p$ is a prime number. Prove that if the number of elements of $\text{zd}(R)$ be in the form of $p^n$ ($n \in \mathbb{N^*}$) where $\text{zd}(R) = \{a \in R \mid \exists 0 \neq b \in R, ab = 0\}$, then $R$ has exactly one maximal ideal.
Let $ G$ be an infinite group generated by nilpotent normal subgroups. Prove that every maximal Abelian normal subgroup of $ G$ is infinite. (We call an Abelian normal subgroup maximal if it is not contained in another Abelian normal subgroup.) [i]P. Erdos[/i]
Let $A$ be a commutative ring with $0 \neq 1$ such that for any $x \in A \setminus \{0\}$ there exist positive integers $m,n$ such that $(x^m+1)^n=x.$ Prove that any endomorphism of $A$ is an automorphism.
Consider a group $G$ with at least $2$ elements and the property that each nontrivial element has infinite order. Let $H$ be a cyclic subgroup of $G$ such that the set $\{xH\mid x\in G\}$ has $2$ elements. \\ $\textbf{(a)}$ Prove that $G$ is cyclic. \\ $\textbf{(b)}$ Does the conclusion from $\textbf{(a)}$ stand true if $G$ contains nontrivial elements of finite order?
A group $ G $ of order at least $ 4 $ has the property that there exists a natural number $ n\not\in\{ 1,|G| \} $ such that $ G $ admits exactly $ \binom{|G|-1}{n-1} $ subgroups of order $ n. $ Show that $ G $ is commutative. [i]Marius Tărnăuceanu[/i]
Let $\displaystyle G$ be a finite group of $\displaystyle n$ elements $\displaystyle ( n \geq 2 )$ and $\displaystyle p$ be the smallest prime factor of $\displaystyle n$. If $\displaystyle G$ has only a subgroup $\displaystyle H$ with $\displaystyle p$ elements, then prove that $\displaystyle H$ is in the center of $\displaystyle G$. [i]Note.[/i] The center of $\displaystyle G$ is the set $\displaystyle Z(G) = \left\{ a \in G \left| ax=xa, \, \forall x \in G \right. \right\}$.
Let $(G,\cdot)$ be a group, and let $H_1,H_2$ be proper subgroups s.t. $H_1\cap H_2=\{e\}$, where $e$ is the identity element of $G$. They also have the following properties: [b]i)[/b] $x\in G\setminus(H_1\cup H_2),y\in H_1\setminus\{e\}\Rightarrow xy\in H_2$ [b]ii)[/b] $x\in G\setminus(H_1\cup H_2),y\in H_2\setminus\{e\}\Rightarrow xy\in H_1$ Prove that: [b]a)[/b] $|H_1|=|H_2|$ [b]b)[/b] $|G|=|H_1|\cdot |H_2|$
Let $G$ a $n$ elements group. Find all the functions $f:G\rightarrow \mathbb{N}^*$ such that: (a) $f(x)=1$ if and only if $x$ is $G$'s identity; (b) $f(x^k)=\frac{f(x)}{(f(x),k)}$ for any divisor $k$ of $n$, where $(r,s)$ stands for the greatest common divisor of the positive integers $r$ and $s$.
Prove that there does not exist a ring with exactly 5 regular elements. ($ a$ is called a regular element if $ ax \equal{} 0$ or $ xa \equal{} 0$ implies $ x \equal{} 0$.) A ring is not necessarily commutative, does not necessarily contain unity element, or is not necessarily finite.
Let $ G$ be a group such that $ G'$ is abelian and each normal and abelian subgroup of $ G$ is finite. Prove that $ G$ is finite.
Let $\mathcal K$ be a field of characteristic $p$, $p \equiv 1 \left( \bmod 4 \right)$. (a) Prove that $-1$ is the square of an element from $\mathcal K.$ (b) Prove that any element $\neq 0$ from $\mathcal K$ can be written as the sum of three squares, each $\neq 0$, of elements from $\mathcal K$. (c) Can $0$ be written in the same way? [i]Marian Andronache[/i]
Let $p$ be a prime number, $n$ a natural number which is not divisible by $p$, and $\mathbb{K}$ is a finite field, with $char(K) = p, |K| = p^n, 1_{\mathbb{K}}$ unity element and $\widehat{0} = 0_{\mathbb{K}}.$ For every $m \in \mathbb{N}^{*}$ we note $ \widehat{m} = \underbrace{1_{\mathbb{K}} + 1_{\mathbb{K}} + \ldots + 1_{\mathbb{K}}}_{m \text{ times}} $ and define the polynomial \[ f_m = \sum_{k = 0}^{m} (-1)^{m - k} \widehat{\binom{m}{k}} X^{p^k} \in \mathbb{K}[X]. \] a) Show that roots of $f_1$ are $ \left\{ \widehat{k} | k \in \{0,1,2, \ldots , p - 1 \} \right\}$. b) Let $m \in \mathbb{N}^{*}.$ Determine the set of roots from $\mathbb{K}$ of polynomial $f_{m}.$
Let $(G,\cdot)$ be a group with no elements of order 4, and let $f:G\rightarrow G$ be a group morphism such that $f(x)\in\{x,x^{-1}\}$, for all $x\in G$. Prove that either $f(x)=x$ for all $x\in G$, or $f(x)=x^{-1}$ for all $x\in G$.
Let $ \mathcal G$ be the set of all finite groups with at least two elements. a) Prove that if $ G\in \mathcal G$, then the number of morphisms $ f: G\to G$ is at most $ \sqrt [p]{n^n}$, where $ p$ is the largest prime divisor of $ n$, and $ n$ is the number of elements in $ G$. b) Find all the groups in $ \mathcal G$ for which the inequality at point a) is an equality.
Let $ A $ be a ring in which $ 1\neq 0. $ If $ a,b\in A, $ then the following affirmations are equivalent: $ \text{(i)}\quad aba=a\wedge ba^2b=1 $ $ \text{(ii)}\quad ab=ba=1 $ $ \text{(iii)}\quad \exists !b\in A\quad aba=a $
Let $ R\equal{}R_1\oplus R_2$ be the direct sum of the rings $ R_1$ and $ R_2$, and let $ N_2$ be the annihilator ideal of $ R_2$ (in $ R_2$). Prove that $ R_1$ will be an ideal in every ring $ \widetilde{R}$ containing $ R$ as an ideal if and only if the only homomorphism from $ R_1$ to $ N_2$ is the zero homomorphism. [Gy. Hajos]
Let $R$ be a commutative ring with 1. Prove that $R[x]$ has infinitely many maximal ideals.
Let $ K $ be the group of Klein. Prove that: [b]a)[/b] There is an unique division ring (up to isomorphism), $ D, $ such that $ (D,+)\cong K. $ [b]b)[/b] There are no division rings $ A $ such that $ (A\setminus\{ 0\} ,+)\cong K. $
Let $ p>5$ be a prime number. Prove that every algebraic integer of the $ p$th cyclotomic field can be represented as a sum of (finitely many) distinct units of the ring of algebraic integers of the field. [i]K. Gyory[/i]