Groups

There are 11 NRICH Mathematical resources connected to Groups
Sheep in wolf's clothing
problem

Sheep in wolf's clothing

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
filled star filled star filled star
Can you work out what simple structures have been dressed up in these advanced mathematical representations?
Rose
problem

Rose

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
What groups of transformations map a regular pentagon to itself?
Simplifying Transformations
problem

Simplifying Transformations

Age
11 to 14
Challenge level
filled star filled star filled star
How many different transformations can you find made up from combinations of R, S and their inverses? Can you be sure that you have found them all?
Groups of Sets
problem

Groups of Sets

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
The binary operation * for combining sets is defined as the union of two sets minus their intersection. Prove the set of all subsets of a set S together with the binary operation * forms a group.
What's a Group?
problem

What's a Group?

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Explore the properties of some groups such as: The set of all real numbers excluding -1 together with the operation x*y = xy + x + y. Find the identity and the inverse of the element x.
Paint rollers for frieze patterns.
article

Paint rollers for frieze patterns.

Proofs that there are only seven frieze patterns involve complicated group theory. The symmetries of a cylinder provide an easier approach.
Dancing with Maths
article

Dancing with Maths

An article for students and teachers on symmetry and square dancing. What do the symmetries of the square have to do with a dos-e-dos or a swing? Find out more?
Grouping Transformations
article

Grouping Transformations

An introduction to groups using transformations, following on from the October 2006 Stage 3 problems.
An Introduction to Galois Theory
article

An Introduction to Galois Theory

This article only skims the surface of Galois theory and should probably be accessible to a 17 or 18 year old school student with a strong interest in mathematics.