3: Groups
( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)
We begin our study of algebraic structures by investigating sets associated with single operations that satisfy certain reasonable axioms; that is, we want to define an operation on a set in a way that will generalize such familiar structures as the integers Z together with the single operation of addition, or invertible 2×2 matrices together with the single operation of matrix multiplication. The integers and the 2×2 matrices, together with their respective single operations, are examples of algebraic structures known as groups.
The theory of groups occupies a central position in mathematics. Modern group theory arose from an attempt to find the roots of a polynomial in terms of its coefficients. Groups now play a central role in such areas as coding theory, counting, and the study of symmetries; many areas of biology, chemistry, and physics have benefited from group theory.