AoPSWiki
Math Zoom Summer Program in Sunny Los Angeles: World renowned coaches and proven curricula. Learn problem-solving, expand math horizons, win in math contests. Make friends and have fun!
Sponsored Ad
Personal tools

Center (algebra)

From AoPSWiki

In general, the center of an algebraic structure is the set of elements which commute with every of the structure. With magmas (such as groups), this definition is straightforward; for rings and fields, the commutativity in question is multiplicative commutativity.

The center of a group is never empty, as the identity commutes with every element of a group. The center of a group is a subgroup of the group—a normal subgroup, in fact; it is also stable under any endomorphism on the group.

See also

This article is a stub. Help us out by expanding it.

Want to learn how to tackle those tough AMC/AIME/Olympiad counting and probability problems? Check out Art of Problem Solving's Intermediate Counting & Probability by David Patrick.
© Copyright 2008 AoPS Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. • FoundationPrivacyContact Us