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Appendix C Notation

The following table defines the notation used in this book. Page numbers or references refer to the first appearance of each symbol.

Symbol Description Location
\(a \in A\) \(a\) is in the set \(A\) Paragraph
\({\mathbb N}\) the natural numbers Paragraph
\({\mathbb Z}\) the integers Paragraph
\({\mathbb Q}\) the rational numbers Paragraph
\({\mathbb R}\) the real numbers Paragraph
\({\mathbb C}\) the complex numbers Paragraph
\(A \subset B\) \(A\) is a subset of \(B\) Paragraph
\(\emptyset\) the empty set Paragraph
\(A \cup B\) the union of sets \(A\) and \(B\) Paragraph
\(A \cap B\) the intersection of sets \(A\) and \(B\) Paragraph
\(A \setminus B\) difference between sets \(A\) and \(B\) Paragraph
\(A \times B\) Cartesian product of sets \(A\) and \(B\) Paragraph
\(A^n\) \(A \times \cdots \times A\) (\(n\) times) Paragraph
\(id\) identity mapping Paragraph
\(f^{-1}\) inverse of the function \(f\) Paragraph
\(a \equiv b \pmod{n}\) \(a\) is congruent to \(b\) modulo \(n\) Example 1.30
\(n!\) \(n\) factorial Example 2.4
\(\binom{n}{k}\) binomial coefficient \(n!/(k!(n-k)!)\) Example 2.4
\(a \mid b\) \(a\) divides \(b\) Paragraph
\(\gcd(a, b)\) greatest common divisor of \(a\) and \(b\) Paragraph
\(\mathcal P(X)\) power set of \(X\) Exercise 2.3.12
\(\lcm(m,n)\) the least common multiple of \(m\) and \(n\) Exercise 2.3.24
\(\mathbb Z_n\) the integers modulo \(n\) Paragraph
\(\mathbb H\) the ring of quaternions Example 4.7
\(\mathbb Z[i]\) the Gaussian integers Example 4.12
\(\chr R\) characteristic of a ring \(R\) Paragraph
\(\mathbb Q(x)\) field of rational functions over \(\mathbb Q\) Example 4.27
\(\mathbb Z_{(p)}\) ring of integers localized at \(p\) Exercise 4.5.18
\(\deg f(x)\) degree of a polynomial Paragraph
\(R[x]\) ring of polynomials over a ring \(R\) Paragraph
\(R[x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n]\) ring of polynomials in \(n\) indeterminants Paragraph
\(\phi_\alpha\) evaluation homomorphism at \(\alpha\) Theorem 5.5
\(\nu(a)\) Euclidean valuation of \(a\) Paragraph
\(R^+\) additive group of a ring \(R\) Example 8.5
\(R^\times\) group of units in a ring \(R\) Example 8.5
\(\mathbb Z_n^\times\) group of units in \(\mathbb Z_n\) Example 8.8
\(\mathbb M_n(\mathbb R)\) the \(n \times n\) matrices with entries in \(\mathbb R\) Example 8.11
\(\det A\) the determinant of \(A\) Example 8.11
\(GL_n(\mathbb R)\) the general linear group Example 8.11
\(Q_8\) the group of quaternions Example 8.12
\(\mathbb C^\times\) the multiplicative group of complex numbers Example 8.13
\(|G|\) the order of a group Paragraph
\(\mathbb R^\times\) the multiplicative group of real numbers Example 8.21
\(\mathbb Q^\times\) the multiplicative group of rational numbers Example 8.21
\(SL_n(\mathbb R)\) the special linear group Example 8.23
\(Z(G)\) the center of a group Exercise 8.4.41
\(\langle a \rangle\) cyclic group generated by \(a\) Theorem 9.3
\(|a|\) the order of an element \(a\) Paragraph
\(\cis \theta\) \(\cos \theta + i \sin \theta\) Paragraph
\(\mathbb T\) the circle group Paragraph
\(S_n\) the symmetric group on \(n\) letters Paragraph
\((a_1, a_2, \ldots, a_k )\) cycle of length \(k\) Paragraph
\(A_n\) the alternating group on \(n\) letters Paragraph
\(D_n\) the dihedral group Paragraph
\([G:H]\) index of a subgroup \(H\) in a group \(G\) Paragraph
\(\mathcal L_H\) the set of left cosets of a subgroup \(H\) in a group \(G\) Theorem 11.8
\(\mathcal R_H\) the set of right cosets of a subgroup \(H\) in a group \(G\) Theorem 11.8
\({\mathcal O}_x\) orbit of \(x\) Paragraph
\(X_g\) fixed point set of \(g\) Paragraph
\(G_x\) stabilizer subgroup of \(x\) Paragraph