Cyclic Group Supplement

Theorem 1. Let g be an element of a group G and write

n o
hgi = g k : k ∈ Z .

Then hgi is a subgroup of G.

Proof. Since 1 = g 0 , 1 ∈ hgi. Suppose a, b ∈ hgi. Then a = g k , b = g m and ab = g k g m = g k+m .

Hence ab ∈ hgi (note that k + m ∈ Z). Moreover, a−1 = (g k )−1 = g −k and −k ∈ Z, so that
a−1 ∈ hgi. Thus, we have checked the three conditions necessary for hgi to be a subgroup of G.

Definition 2. If g ∈ G, then the subgroup hgi = {g k : k ∈ Z} is called the cyclic subgroup of G

generated by g, If G = hgi, then we say that G is a cyclic group and that g is a generator of
G.

Examples 3. 1. If G is any group then {1} = h1i is a cyclic subgroup of G.

2. The group G = {1, −1, i, −i} ⊆ C∗ (the group operation is multiplication of complex num-
bers) is cyclic with generator i. In fact hii = {i0 = 1, i1 = i, i2 = −1, i3 = −i} = G. Note that
−i is also a generator for G since h−ii = {(−i)0 = 1, (−i)1 = −i, (−i)2 = −1, (−i)3 = i} = G.
Thus a cyclic group may have more than one generator. However, not all elements of G need
be generators. For example h−1i = {1, −1} = 6 G so −1 is not a generator of G.

3. The group G = Z∗7 = the group of units of the ring Z7 is a cyclic group with generator 3.
Indeed,
h3i = {1 = 30 , 3 = 31 , 2 = 32 , 6 = 33 , 4 = 34 , 5 = 35 } = G.
Note that 5 is also a generator of G, but that h2i = {1, 2, 4} =
6 G so that 2 is not a generator
of G.

4. G = hπi = {π k : k ∈ Z} is a cyclic subgroup of R∗ .

5. The group G = Z∗8 is not cyclic. Indeed, since Z∗8 = {1, 3, 5, 7} and h1i = {1}, h3i = {1, 3},
h5i = {1, 5}, h7i = {1, 7}, it follows that Z∗8 6= hai for any a ∈ Z∗8 .
If a group G is written additively, then the identity element is denoted 0, the inverse of a ∈ G
is denoted −a, and the powers of a become na in additive notation. Thus, with this notation,
the cyclic subgroup of G generated by a is hai = {na : n ∈ Z}, consisting of all the multiples of
a. Among groups that are normally written additively, the following are two examples of cyclic
groups.

6. The integers Z are a cyclic group. Indeed, Z = h1i since each integer k = k · 1 is a multiple
of 1, so k ∈ h1i and h1i = Z. Also, Z = h−1i because k = (−k) · (−1) for each k ∈ Z.

7. Zn is a cyclic group under addition with generator 1.

Theorem 4. Let g be an element of a group G. Then there are two possibilities for the cyclic
subgroup hgi.

Case 1: The cyclic subgroup hgi is finite. In this case, there exists a smallest positive integer
n such that g n = 1 and we have

(a) g k = 1 if and only if n|k.

(b) g k = g m if and only if k ≡ m (mod n).

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(c) hgi = {1, g, g 2 , . . . , g n−1 } and the elements 1, g, g 2 , . . . , g n−1 are distinct.

Case 2: The cyclic subgroup hgi is infinite. Then

(d) g k = 1 if and only if k = 0.

(e) g k = g m if and only if k = m.
(f ) hgi = {. . . , g −3 , g −2 , g −1 , 1, g, g 2 , g 3 , . . .} and all of these powers of g are distinct.

Proof. Case 1. Since hgi is finite, the powers g, g 2 , g 3 , . . . are not all distinct, so let g k = g m with
k < m. Then g m−k = 1 where m − k > 0. Hence there is a positive integer l with g l = 1. Hence
there is a smallest such positive integer. We let n be this smallest positive integer, i.e., n is the
smallest positive integer such that g n = 1.
(a) If n|k then k = qn for some q ∈ n. Then g k = g qn = (g n )q = 1q = 1. Conversely, if g k = 1,
use the division algorithm to write k = qn + r with 0 ≤ r < n. Then g r = g k (g n )−q = 1(1)−q = 1.
Since r < n, this contradicts the minimality of n unless r = 0. Hence r = 0 and k = qn so that n|k.
(b) g k = g m if and only if g k−m = 1. Now apply Part (a).
(c) Clearly, {1, g, g 2 , . . . , g n−1 } ⊆ hgi. To prove the other inclusion, let a ∈ hgi. Then a = g k
for some k ∈ Z. As in Part (a), use the division algorithm to write k = qn + r, where 0 ≤ r ≤ n − 1.
Then
a = g k = g qn+r = (g n )q g r = 1q g r = g r ∈ {1, g, g 2 , . . . , g n−1 }
which shows that hgi ⊆ {1, g, g 2 , . . . , g n−1 }, and hence that

hgi = {1, g, g 2 , . . . , g n−1 }.

Finally, suppose that g k = g m where 0 ≤ k ≤ m ≤ n − 1. Then g m−k = 1 and 0 ≤ m − k < n. This

implies that m − k = 0 because n is the smallest positive power of g which equals 1. Hence all of
the elements 1, g, g 2 , . . . , g n−1 are distinct.
Case 2. (d) Certainly, g k = 1 if k = 0. If g k = 1, k 6= 0, then g −k = (g k )−1 = 1−1 = 1, also.
Hence g n = 1 for some n > 0, which implies that hgi is finite by the proof of Part (c), contrary to
our hypothesis in Case 2. Thus g k = 1 implies that k = 0.
(e) g k = g m if and only if g k−m = 1. Now apply Part (d).
(f) hgi = {g k : k ∈ Z} by definition of hgi, so all that remains is to check that these powers are
distinct. But this is the content of Part (e).

Recall that if g is an element of a group G, then the order of g is the smallest positive integer
n such that g n = 1, and it is denoted o(g) = n. If there is no such positive integer, then we say
that g has infinite order, denoted o(g) = ∞. By Theorem 4, the concept of order of an element
g and order of the cyclic subgroup generated by g are the same.

Corollary 5. If g is an element of a group G, then o(t) = |hgi|.

Proof. This is immediate from Theorem 4, Part (c).

If G is a cyclic group of order n, then it is easy to compute the order of all elements of G. This
is the content of the following result.

Theorem 6. Let G = hgi be a cyclic group of order n, and let 0 ≤ k ≤ n − 1. If m = gcd(k, n),
n
then o(g k ) = .
m

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Proof. Let k = ms and n = mt. Then (g k )n/m = g kn/m = g msn/m = (g n )s = 1s = 1. Hence n/m
divides o(g k ) by Theorem 4 Part (a). Now suppose that (g k )r = 1. Then g kr = 1, so by Theorem
3 Part (a), n | kr. Hence
n ¯¯ k
¯ r
m m
and since n/m and k/m are relatively prime, it follows that n/m divides r. Hence n/m is the
smallest power of g k which equals 1, so o(g k ) = n/m.

Theorem 7. Let G = hgi be a cyclic group where o(g) = n. Then G = hg k i if and only if
gcd(k, n) = 1.
Proof. By Theorem 6, if m = gcd(k, n), then o(g k ) = n/m. But G = hg k i if and only if o(g k ) =
|G| = n and this happens if and only if m = 1, i.e., if and only if gcd(k, n) = 1.

Example 8. If G = hgi is a cyclic group of order 12, then the generators of G are the powers g k
where gcd(k, 12) = 1, that is g, g 5 , g 7 , and g 11 . In the particular case of the additive cyclic group
Z12 , the generators are the integers 1, 5, 7, 11 (mod 12).
Now we ask what the subgroups of a cyclic group look like. The question is completely answered
by Theorem 10. Theorem 9 is a preliminary, but important, result.
Theorem 9. Every subgroup of a cyclic group is cyclic.
Proof. Suppose that G = hgi = {g k : k ∈ Z} is a cyclic group and let H be a subgroup of G. If
H = {1}, then H is cyclic, so we assume that H 6= {1}, and let g k ∈ H with g k 6= 1. Then, since H
is a subgroup, g −k = (g k )−1 ∈ H. Therefore, since k or −k is positive, H contains a positive power
of g, not equal to 1. So let m be the smallest positive integer such that g m ∈ H. Then, certainly
all powers of g m are also in H, so we have hg m i ⊆ H. We claim that this inclusion is an equality.
To see this, let g k be any element of H (recall that all elements of G, and hence H, are powers of
g since G is cyclic). By the division algorithm, we may write k = qm + r where 0 ≤ r < m. But
g k = g qm+r = g qm g r = (g m )q g r so that
g r = (g m )−q g k ∈ H.
Since m is the smallest positive integer with g m ∈ H and 0 ≤ r < m, it follows that we must have
r = 0. Then g k = (g m )q ∈ hg m i. Hence we have shown that H ⊆ hg m i and hence H = hg m i. That
is H is cyclic with generator g m where m is the smallest positive integer for which g m ∈ H.

Theorem 10 (Fundamental Theorem of Finite Cyclic Groups). Let G = hgi be a cyclic

group of order n.
1. If H is any subgroup of G, then H = hg d i for some d|n.
2. If H is any subgroup of G with |H| = k, then k|n.
3. If k | n, then hg n/k i is the unique subgroup of G of order k.
Proof. 1. By Theorem 9, H is a cyclic group and since |G| = n < ∞, it follows that H = hg m i
where m > 0. Let d = gcd(m, n). Since d | n it is sufficient to show that H = hg d i. But d|m
also, so m = qd. Then g m = (g d )q so g m ∈ hg d i. Hence H = hg m i ⊆ hg d i. But d = rm + sn,
where r, s ∈ Z, so
g d = g rm+sn = g rm g sn = (g m )r (g n )s = (g m )r (1)s = (g m )r ∈ hg m i = H.
This shows that hg d i ⊆ H and hence hg d i = H.

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2. By Part (a), H = hg d i where d | n. Then k = |H| = n/d so k|n.

3. Suppose that K is any subgroup of G of order k. By Part (a), let K = hg m i where m | n.

Then Theorem 6 gives k = |K| = |g m | = n/m. Hence m = n/k, so K = hg n/k i. This proves
(c).

Remark 11. Part (b) of Theorem 10 is actually true for any finite group G, whether or not it is
cyclic. This result is Lagrange’s Theorem (Theorem 5.2.3, Page 219 of your text).

The subgroups of a group G can be diagrammatically illustrated by listing the subgroups, and
indicating inclusion relations by means of a line directed upward from H to K if H is a subgroup
of K. Such a scheme is called the lattice diagram for the subgroups of the group G. We will
illustrate by determining the lattice diagram for all the subgroups of a cyclic group G = hgi of
order 12. Since the order of g is 12, Theorem 10 (c) shows that there is exactly one subgroup hg d i
for each divisor d of 12. The divisors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12. Then the unique subgroup of G of
each of these orders is, respectively,

{1} = hg 12 i, hg 6 i, hg 4 i, hg 3 i, hg 2 i, hgi = G.

Note that hg m i ⊆ hg k i if and only if k | m. Hence the lattice diagram of G is:

hg 2 i hg 3 i

hg 4 i hg 6 i

h1i