Ivan Shishkin, Birch Forest

The group of units of ℤ/nℤ

Reviewed

Let n2n\geqslant2 be an integer and Zn:=Z/nZ\mathbb{Z}_{n}:=\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z} be the set of all class of integers modulo nn.

a. Show that for all a(Zn,)a \in (\mathbb{Z}_n^*, \cdot), where Zn:=Zn\{0}\Z_n^*:=\Z_{n}\backslash\{0\}, such that gcd(a,n)=1\gcd(a,n) = 1, aa has an inverse.

b. Show that for all a(Zn,)a \in (\mathbb{Z}_n^*, \cdot) such that gcd(a,n)1\gcd(a,n) \neq 1, aa does not have an inverse.

c. Let

G={aZngcd(a,n)=1}\mathbb{G} = \{a \in \mathbb{Z}_n^* \mid \gcd(a,n) = 1\}

Show that (G,)(\mathbb{G}, \cdot) is a group, and that it is the largest group contained in Zn\mathbb{Z}_n^*.

d. Deduce explicitly the largest group contained in (Z12,)(\mathbb{Z}_{12}^*, \cdot). Give the order and the inverse of each element, and the cardinal of the group. Is this group cyclic?

Solutions

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