[Math] Show that the set {0} with multiplication is a group.

group-theory

I'm just a little confused, I thought the identity for multiplication is always 1, yet I was looking at this problem online and it says that 0 is the identity for this problem, this was taken from "Math is fun":

"Show that the set {0} with multiplication is a group.
For any elements a and b of {0}, (a*b) is an element of {0}. The closure law has been followed."

"For any a,b,c of {0}; a*(bc) = (ab)c. The associative law has been followed.
For any a of {0} i
a=a, where i is a particular element in {0}.The left identity element i is 0 here.

For any a of {0} the equation x*a=i has a solution known as the left inverse of a.0 is the only element in {0} and the left inverse of 0 is 0.
All these properties are followed by this set that is closed under multiplication.

Therefore, {0} is a group with respect to multiplication."

This was someones answer to the problem, and I found it very confusing, and I did read up on the theory behind it.

Please advise

Best Answer

Closure:

Is it true that in the set $\{0\}$, for any two elements $a,b\in\{0\}$, the product $a\times b$ is also an element of $\{0\}$?

Answer:

Yes! Proof:

  • If $a\in\{0\}$, then $a=0$
  • If $b\in\{0\}$, then $b=0$.
  • Therefore, $a\cdot b=0\cdot 0=0$.
  • Therefore, because $0\in\{0\}$, we conclude $a\cdot b\in\{0\}$.

For associativity, a very similar argument can be made.


Identity:

Is $0$ the identity of $\{0\}$? That is, is it true that for any element $a\in\{0\}$, the element $a\cdot 0=a$?

Answer:

Yes! Proof:

  • If $a\in\{0\}$, then $a=0$.
  • Therefore, $a\cdot 0 = 0\cdot 0=0$.
  • Since $a=0$ and $a\cdot 0=0$, we conclude $a\cdot 0=a$.