Group * a; b2 H Z5 c# O# P8 YA group is defined as a finite or infinite set of Operands # l* L3 M6 J. i( b0 J; u0 [$ F# |$ e (called ``elements'') , , , ... that may be combined or ``multiplied'' via a Binary Operator0 |2 {: n) g) H
to form well-defined products and which furthermore satisfy the following conditions: ! I, s) l7 r) S0 r. e
1. Closure: If and are two elements in , then the product is also in . + n' d# d6 d9 _) Z. M2. Associativity: The defined multiplication is associative, i.e., for all , . ! z( Q! x4 a" i3. Identity: There is an Identity Element $ k, z" K" R4 ` (a.k.a. , , or ) such that for every element . " w2 f- v; [; f: ~: @' {0 G
4. Inverse: There must be an inverse or reciprocal of each element. Therefore, the set must contain an element such that for each element of . . X" o6 O, B0 \" C6 jA group is therefore a Monoid) A! F# z% L$ E4 a0 L- e
for which every element is invertible. A group must contain at least one element. 7 j/ E1 f: p2 Y6 I0 ]2 @; c
4 I" p0 l, Y# K0 I* [! F
The study of groups is known as Group Theory 8 e6 Y) {0 |/ t' Z. If there are a finite number of elements, the group is called a Finite Group 2 f9 [% z4 x% G6 \1 o, G and the number of elements is called the Order 3 J# d6 o/ e7 g of the group. P' E! \. e$ ]4 b % z# j" K5 H* o! P0 `. t' m
Since each element , , , ..., , and is a member of the group, group property 1 requires that the product $ m" \4 e6 _( ]" u0 j
+ m- x" X- T# e1 G' z7 m( N. J
(1)% r' V3 B; p7 ?, H
$ h7 l2 Z4 I" s; I
/ L& p$ N J. d/ F
9 q- q3 [- ?9 ~4 v' r' kmust also be a member. Now apply to , : {+ M$ p! E" B
/ P- t2 u4 b! r- H
& z. R7 @' I6 B9 X j H+ R
(2) - O3 a+ r* V, r8 V! c
9 P+ z# X' b3 b7 B. Y( R 0 O6 P) n& e$ |/ ?+ d 0 D7 ^6 Q1 d' B( N) _ ?: BBut 7 _) k9 I* A" c& i3 B+ v$ O2 S* I
& L0 g9 q& t0 S) Q( d: P
/ ]6 i; ?% _( a8 k) Y% }
: ~. r! _3 s: y( ~2 F
; z8 {4 ~1 M4 V! `
# [5 I2 a; N* l4 }
(3), _; m% [; ^& I
so ! I, `3 _! m5 |
4 @" @+ A* l. G# d: Z! l
(4)9 y0 O' g K* M# e$ K7 E8 w
4 h7 ]% G) H2 W2 d0 L' W% R: y4 F
) C' F8 f6 t$ g# G% G, l/ L ( g+ k6 [: _) Iwhich means that 0 c- b* S2 q/ t; W: |" I
! K% E2 I+ O, b+ W
(5) 7 U2 g5 j2 m; r# I2 E
/ B& d6 e D5 ]: @' ^
- B+ D- y. i, O
+ T$ m- u- M! r* ~: X" e& p
and / A3 R v% k! D# ?0 f+ I; w* F5 W) ]