Integers under Addition form Abelian Group
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Theorem
The set of integers under addition $\struct {\Z, +}$ forms an abelian group.
Proof
From the definition of the integers, the algebraic structure $\struct {\Z, +}$ is an isomorphic copy of the inverse completion of $\struct {\N, +}$.
From Natural Numbers under Addition form Commutative Semigroup, $\struct {\N, +}$ is a commutative semigroup.
From Natural Number Addition is Cancellable all elements of $\struct {\N, +}$ are cancellable.
The result follows from Inverse Completion of Commutative Semigroup is Abelian Group.
Thus addition on $\Z$ is well-defined, closed, associative and commutative on $\Z$.
$\Box$
Let us define $\eqclass {\tuple {a, b} } \boxminus$ as in the formal definition of integers.
That is, $\eqclass {\tuple {a, b} } \boxminus$ is an equivalence class of ordered pairs of natural numbers under the congruence relation $\boxminus$.
$\boxminus$ is the congruence relation defined on $\N \times \N$ by:
- $\tuple {x_1, y_1} \boxminus \tuple {x_2, y_2} \iff x_1 + y_2 = x_2 + y_1$
In order to streamline the notation, we will use $\eqclass {a, b} {}$ to mean $\eqclass {\tuple {a, b} } \boxminus$, as suggested.
Identity is Zero
From Construction of Inverse Completion: Identity of Quotient Structure, the identity of $\struct {\Z, +}$ is $\eqclass {c, c} {}$ for any $c \in \N$:
\(\ds \forall a, b, c \in \N: \, \) | \(\ds \) | \(\) | \(\ds \eqclass {a, b} {} + \eqclass {c, c} {}\) | |||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \eqclass {a, b} {}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \eqclass {c, c} {} + \eqclass {a, b} {}\) |
$\eqclass {c, c} {}$ is the equivalence class of pairs of elements $\N \times \N$ whose difference is zero.
Thus the identity of $\struct {\Z, +}$ is seen to be $0$.
Note that a perfectly good representative of $\eqclass {c, c} {}$ is $\eqclass {0, 0} {}$.
This usually keeps to a minimum the complexity of any arithmetic that is needed.
$\Box$
Construction of Inverses
From Construction of Inverse Completion: Invertible Elements in Quotient Structure, we see that every element of $\struct {\Z, +}$ has an inverse.
We can see that:
\(\ds \forall a, b \in \N: \, \) | \(\ds \eqclass {a, b} {} + \eqclass {b, a} {}\) | \(=\) | \(\ds \eqclass {a + b, b + a} {}\) | |||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \eqclass {a + b, a + b} {}\) | Natural Number Addition is Commutative |
The above construction is valid because $a$ and $b$ are both in $\N$ and hence cancellable.
From Construction of Inverse Completion: Identity of Quotient Structure, $\eqclass {a + b, a + b} {}$ is a member of the equivalence class which is the identity of $\struct {\Z, +}$.
Thus the inverse of $\eqclass {a, b} {}$ is $\eqclass {b, a} {}$.
$\blacksquare$
Sources
- 1964: Walter Ledermann: Introduction to the Theory of Finite Groups (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text {I}$: The Group Concept: $\S 3$: Examples of Infinite Groups: $\text{(ii)}$
- 1965: J.A. Green: Sets and Groups ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 4.5$. Examples of groups: Example $80$
- 1965: Seth Warner: Modern Algebra ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text I$: Algebraic Structures: $\S 7$: Semigroups and Groups: Example $7.1$
- 1966: Richard A. Dean: Elements of Abstract Algebra ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 1.3$: Example $1$
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- 1971: Allan Clark: Elements of Abstract Algebra ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $2$: Examples of Group Structure: $\S 32$
- 1978: Thomas A. Whitelaw: An Introduction to Abstract Algebra ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $4$: Mappings: Exercise $9$
- 1978: Thomas A. Whitelaw: An Introduction to Abstract Algebra ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 34$. Examples of groups: $(1)$
- 1982: P.M. Cohn: Algebra Volume 1 (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 3.2$: Groups; the axioms: Examples of groups $\text{(i)}$
- 1994: H.E. Rose: A Course in Number Theory (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $1$ Divisibility: $1.1$ The Euclidean algorithm and unique factorization
- 1999: J.C. Rosales and P.A. García-Sánchez: Finitely Generated Commutative Monoids ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $1$: Basic Definitions and Results
- 2010: Steve Awodey: Category Theory (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 1.5$
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- 1992: William A. Adkins and Steven H. Weintraub: Algebra: An Approach via Module Theory ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 1.1$: Example $1$