Abel's theorem in problems and solutions - School of Mathematics
Abel's theorem in problems and solutions - School of Mathematics
Abel's theorem in problems and solutions - School of Mathematics
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132 Problems <strong>of</strong> Chapter 1<br />
<strong>and</strong> are two symmetries <strong>of</strong> the tetrahedron‚ then<br />
is a rotation about the axis through the<br />
vertex A. S<strong>in</strong>ce the commutant is a normal subgroup (see 116 <strong>and</strong> 121)<br />
the commutant <strong>in</strong> the group <strong>of</strong> symmetries <strong>of</strong> the tetrahedron co<strong>in</strong>cides<br />
with the subgroup <strong>of</strong> rotations.<br />
123. Answer. 24. For the cube: 1) the identity; 2) the rotations<br />
(they are 9) by 90°‚ 180°‚ <strong>and</strong> 270° about the axes through the centres<br />
<strong>of</strong> opposite faces; 3) the rotations (6 <strong>in</strong> total) by 180° about the axes<br />
through the middle p<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>of</strong> opposite edges; 4) the rotations (8 <strong>in</strong> total)<br />
by 120° <strong>and</strong> 240° about <strong>of</strong> the axes through opposite vertices.<br />
124. If we jo<strong>in</strong> the centres <strong>of</strong> the adjacent faces <strong>of</strong> the cube we obta<strong>in</strong><br />
an octahedron. Thus to every rotation <strong>of</strong> the cube there corresponds a<br />
rotation <strong>of</strong> the octahedron <strong>and</strong> vice versa. Moreover‚ to every composition<br />
<strong>of</strong> two rotations <strong>of</strong> the cube there corresponds a composition <strong>of</strong> two<br />
rotations <strong>of</strong> the octahedron <strong>and</strong> we obta<strong>in</strong> an isomorphism <strong>of</strong> the group<br />
<strong>of</strong> rotations <strong>of</strong> the cube <strong>in</strong> the group <strong>of</strong> rotations <strong>of</strong> the octahedron.<br />
125. If we fix the position <strong>of</strong> the cube <strong>and</strong> we consider as different two<br />
colour<strong>in</strong>gs for which at least one face takes a different colour‚ then there<br />
are <strong>in</strong> all 6 · 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 = 720 colour<strong>in</strong>gs: <strong>in</strong>deed‚ by the first colour one<br />
can colour any one <strong>of</strong> the 6 faces‚ by the second‚ any one <strong>of</strong> the rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
5‚ <strong>and</strong> so on. S<strong>in</strong>ce for every colour<strong>in</strong>g one obta<strong>in</strong>s 24 dist<strong>in</strong>ct colour<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
by means <strong>of</strong> rotations <strong>of</strong> the cube (see 123)‚ we have <strong>in</strong> all 720/24 = 30<br />
ways <strong>of</strong> colour<strong>in</strong>g the cube.<br />
There exist only 4 rotations transform<strong>in</strong>g a box <strong>of</strong> matches <strong>in</strong>to itself:<br />
the identity <strong>and</strong> the three rotations by 180° about the axes through the<br />
centres <strong>of</strong> opposite faces. Hence we have 720/4 = 180 ways <strong>of</strong> colour<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a box <strong>of</strong> matches with 6 colours.<br />
126. Answer. The group <strong>of</strong> symmetries <strong>of</strong> the rhombus <strong>and</strong> the group<br />
127. H<strong>in</strong>t. a) See 57. b) Use the result that both <strong>and</strong> either<br />
exchange the tetrahedra or fix them.<br />
128. The rotations <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> the cube either both exchange the<br />
tetrahedra <strong>and</strong> (see Figure 8) or fix them. Thus each<br />
commutator transforms every tetrahedron <strong>in</strong>to itself. Hence to every el-