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Prove that the set of complex numbers of the form e^iθ where 0<θ<2pi forms a group under multiplication?

Group theory

Update:

where 0≤ θ≤2pi sorry about the mistake

2 Answers

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  • Awms A
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I think you must have the inequality wrong. At the moment, that set isn't even closed under multiplication.

    However, if we consider the set

    G = {e^(iθ) | 0 <= θ <= 2pi }

    then it does form a group with multiplication.

    Take two elements in G, e^(ia) and e^(ib), where 0 <= a,b <= 2pi.

    e^(ia) * e^(ib) = e^(i(a+b))

    Now we have two cases: a + b <= 2pi or a + b > 2pi.

    In the first case, we're fine, since 0 <= a + b <= 2pi.

    In the second case, we need to show that 0 <= a + b - 2pi <= 2pi.

    Then we have e^(i(a+b)) = e^(i(a+b-2pi)) * e^(i(2pi)) = e^(i(a+b-2pi)).

    This shows that G is closed under multiplication.

    From here, it's fairly direct.

    Multiplication of complex numbers is associative, so multiplication in G must be associative.

    e^(i(0)) * e^(ix) = e^(i(0+x)) = e^(ix), so e^(i(0)) is the identity element.

    Finally, e^(ix) * e^(i(2pi - x)) = e^(i(x+2pi-x)) = e^(i(2pi)) = 1 = e^(i(0)).

    so every element in G has an inverse in G.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    It is not a group because in the interval with its endpoints excluded

    0< θ <2π

    the unit element is missing :

    1 = exp(i0)

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