MAT3702/101/0/2026
Tutorial letter 101/0/2026
ABSTRACT ALGEBRA
MAT3702
Year module
Department of Mathematical Sciences
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Please activate your my Unisa and myLife e-mail account and
make sure that you have regular access to the myUnisa module
website MAT3702-26-Y, as well as your group website.
Note: This is a fully online module. It is therefore, only available on my Unisa.
university
Open Rubric
Define tomorrow. of south africa
CONTENTS
Page
1 INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME ..........................................................................4
1.1 Tutorial material ....................................................................................................................5
2 MODULE OVERVIEW .........................................................................................................5
2.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................................5
2.2 Outcomes .............................................................................................................................6
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ..................................................................................6
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS ..........................................................................7
4.1 Lecturer(s) ............................................................................................................................7
4.2 Department ..........................................................................................................................7
4.3 University..............................................................................................................................7
5 RESOURCES.......................................................................................................................8
5.1 Prescribed book(s) ...............................................................................................................8
5.2 Recommended book(s) ........................................................................................................8
5.3 Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves)........................................................................................8
5.4 Library services and resources ............................................................................................8
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SYSTEM ..........................................................................................9
7 STUDY PLAN.....................................................................................................................10
7.1 myUnisa tools .....................................................................................................................10
8 ASSESSMENT...................................................................................................................11
8.1 Assignments and learning ..................................................................................................11
8.2 Assessment/assignment due dates....................................................................................11
8.3 Submission of assessments/assignments..........................................................................12
9 The examination ...............................................................................................................13
9.1 Invigilation/proctoring .........................................................................................................13
10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY................................................................................................14
10.1 Plagiarism...........................................................................................................................14
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MAT3702/101/0/2026
10.2 Cheating .............................................................................................................................15
11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES ........................................................................15
12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS................................................................................15
13 IN CLOSING ......................................................................................................................15
14 ADDENDUM: Assignments 1 and 2 ................................................................................16
14.1 Assignment 1....................................................................................................................16
14.2 Assignment 2....................................................................................................................17
3
1 INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME
Dear Student
Unisa is a comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) higher education institution. Our
comprehensive curricula encapsulate a range of offerings, from strictly vocational to strictly aca-
demic certificates, diplomas and degrees. Unisa’s ”openness” and its distance eLearning character
result in many students who may not previously have had an opportunity to enrol in higher educa-
tion registering at the university. Our CODeL character implies that our programmes are carefully
planned and structured to ensure success for students, ranging from the under-prepared but with
potential to those who are sufficiently prepared. Teaching and learning in a CODeL context involves
multiple modes of delivery, ranging from blended to fully online learning. As a default position, all
post-graduate programmes are offered fully online with no printed study materials, while under-
graduate programmes are offered using a blended mode of delivery where printed study materials
are augmented with online teaching and learning via the learner management system, myUnisa.
In some instances, undergraduate programmes are offered fully online as well. Furthermore, our
programmes are aligned with the vision, mission and values of the University. Unisa’s commitment
to serving humanity and shaping futures – combined with a clear appreciation of our location on
the African continent – means that Unisa’s graduates have distinctive graduate qualities, which
include:
• being independent, resilient, responsible and caring citizens able to fulfil and serve in multiple
roles in their immediate and future local, national and global communities
• having a critical understanding of their location on the African continent and taking account
of its histories, challenges and potential in relation to globally diverse contexts
• the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information and
data from multiple sources in a globalised world with ever-increasing information and data
flows and competing worldviews
• how to apply their discipline-specific knowledges competently, ethically and creatively to solve
real-life problems
• an awareness of their own learning and developmental needs and future potential
This is an online system that is used to administer, document and deliver educational material to
you and support engagement with you. Look out for information from your lecturer as well as other
Unisa platforms to determine how to access the virtual myUnisa module site. Information on the
tools that will be available to engage with your lecturer and fellow students to support your learning
will also be communicated via various platforms.
You are encouraged to log into the module site, MAT3702-26-Y on myUnisa regularly (that is, at
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MAT3702/101/0/2026
least once per day).
Because this is a fully online module, you will need to use myUnisa to study and complete
the prescribed learning activities. Visit the website for MAT3702-26-Y on myUnisa everyday.
1.1 Tutorial material
Tutorial Letter 101 contains important information about the scheme of work, resources and as-
signments for this module. We urge you to read it all very carefully and to keep it at hand when
working through the study material, preparing the assignments, preparing for the examinations and
addressing questions to your lecturers.
In Tutorial Letter 101, you will find t he a ssignments a s w ell a s i nstructions o n t he p reparation and
submission of the assignments. This tutorial letter also provides all the information you need with
regard to the prescribed textbook and how to obtain this textbook. Please study this
information carefully and make sure that you obtain the prescribed textbook in time.
Also included, is certain general and administrative information about this module. Please study
this section of the tutorial letter carefully.
Please ensure that you read all the tutorial letters you receive during the semester immediately and
carefully, as they always contain important and sometimes, urgent information.
Please visit our departmental website for information on the Department of Mathematical
Sciences. To reach our website, follow the links on the main Unisa website, http://
[Link]
With all the hope that you will enjoy this module and wish you all the best while studying it.
2 MODULE OVERVIEW
2.1 Purpose
The purpose of this module is two–fold namely:
(i) To introduce to you algebraic structures called groups, rings and fields
(ii) To develop in you a culture of abstract thought and deductive reasoning.
The structures mentioned in (i) are becoming increasingly important in applications for Science,
Engineering and Information Sciences.
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2.2 Outcomes
You are strongly advised to read the Student’s Preface in Fraleigh. He makes the following three
very good points:
1. Definitions are crucial; so you must understand and know them by heart.
You should be able to:
1.1 Show that given sets satisfy the axioms of a group; a ring or a field.
1.2 Show that given subsets of a group are subgroups/cyclic subgroups of the group.
1.3 Show that given subsets of a ring are subrings or ideals of a ring.
1.4 Verify that given relations between groups (respectively, rings) are
homomorphisms/isomorphisms (ring homomorphisms/ring isomorphisms).
2. Pay attention to examples as they enhance your understanding of the subject matter.
You should be able to:
2.1 Solve problems involving the structures and orders of finite groups with particular refer-
ence to permutation groups.
2.2 Do simple calculations involving the structures of rings, ideals of rings and fields.
2.3 Find splitting fields of polynomials over given fields.
3. You must know and understand what the theorems say.
You should be able to:
3.1 Apply the theory to describe the structures of groups, factor groups, rings and quotient
rings.
3.2 Apply the theorems of Fermat and Euler in number theoretic calculations.
3.3 Use the theory of fields to find the degrees of and bases for extension fields of given
fields.
3.4 Prove theorems in examinations.
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter that places curriculum transformation high on the
teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum transformation includes student-centred scholarship,
the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of teaching and
learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies and philosophies. All of these are being phased
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in at both programme and module levels. As a result of this, you will notice a marked change in the
teaching and learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with the way in which the content is
conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies
at Unisa, responsibly and within the framework of transformation
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS
4.1 Lecturer(s)
The lecturer responsible for this module is:
Dr ZE Mpono
Tel no.: 011 670 9161
GJ Gerwel Building, room C6-43
Unisa Science Campus
cnr Christiaan De Wet and Pioneer Street
Florida
Roodepoort, Johannesburg
E-mail address: mponoze@[Link]
All queries that are about the content of this module, should be directed to your lecturer and
please have your study material with you whenever you contact your lecturer.
4.2 Department
You can contact the Department of Mathematical Sciences as follows:
Telephone number: 011 670 9147 (RSA) +27 11 670 9147 (International)
Email address: mathsciences@[Link]
4.3 University
Contact addresses of the various administrative departments appear on the Unisa website: http://
[Link]/sites/corporate/default/Contact-us/Student-enquiries.
Please include your student number in all correspondence.
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5 RESOURCES
5.1 Prescribed book(s)
The prescribed textbook for this module is
John B Fraleigh
A first course in Abstract Algebra
Addison Wesley
7th Edition
Please buy the textbook immediately since you have to study from it directly – you cannot do this
module without the prescribed textbook.
Please refer to the list of official booksellers and their addresses in the Study @ Unisa brochure.
Prescribed books can be obtained from the University’s official b ooksellers. If you have difficulty in
locating your book(s) at these booksellers, please contact the Prescribed Book Section at Tel: 012
429-4152 or e-mail vospresc@[Link].
5.2 Recommended book(s)
There are no recommended books for this module.
5.3 Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves)
There are no e-Reserves for this module.
5.4 Library services and resources
The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources and has made numerous
library guides available at [Link]
Recommended guides:
• For brief information on the library, go to [Link]
• For more detailed library information, go to [Link]
• For Frequently Asked Questions, go to
[Link]
• For research support and services such as the Personal Librarian service and the Informa-
tion Search Librarian’s Literature Search Request (on your research topic) service, go to
[Link]
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• For library training for undergraduate students, go to
[Link]
• For Lending Services, go to [Link]
services/Lending-services
• For Services for Postgraduate students, go to
[Link]
• For Support and Services for students with disabilities, go to
[Link]
• For Library Technology Support, go to [Link]
• For information on finding and using library resources and tools, go to
[Link] skills
• For an A–Z list of library databases, go to [Link]
Important contact information:
• Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services: Lib-help@[Link]
• General library-related queries: [Link]
• Queries related to library fines and payments: Library-fines@[Link]
• Interlibrary loan service for postgraduate students: [Link]
• Literature Search Service: [Link]
• Social media channels: Facebook: UnisaLibrary and X Twitter: UnisaLibrary
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SYSTEM
The Study@Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa at [Link]/brochures/studies This
brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through Unisa.
If you need assistance concerning the myModules system, you are welcome to use the follow-
ing contact details:
• Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (Select option 07 for myModules)
• E-mail: mymodule22@[Link] or myUnisaHelp@[Link]
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You can access and view short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, how to access
module content, how to view announcements for modules, how to submit assessments and how to
participate in forum activities by visiting [Link]
Studying fully online modules differs completely from studying some of your other modules at
Unisa.
• All your study material and learning activities for online modules are designed to be
delivered online on myUnisa.
• All your assignments (assessments) must be submitted online only. This means
that you will do all your activities and submit all your assignments on myUnisa. In other
words, you do NOT post your assignments to Unisa using the South African Post Office,
you do NOT send assignments by email as such will not be considered for marking and a
zero mark will be awarded for such assignments.
• All communication between you and the University happens online. Lecturers will com-
municate with you via e-mail and Chats, Discussions, Blogs, and use the Announce-
ments, the FAQs, the Discussion Forums and the Questions and Answers tools. You can
also use all of these platforms to ask questions and contact your lecturers.
7 STUDY PLAN
The following sections of the textbook comprise the prescribed material for this module and are
therefore be studied.
Chapter I §1 – §6
Chapter II §8 – §11
Chapter III §13 – §15
Chapter IV §18 – §23
Chapter V §26 – §27
Chapter VI §29 – §31
Please structure your time so that you do not fall behind with your work. Please study your
prescribed textbook thoroughly to understand the material covered in this module.
7.1 myUnisa tools
The main tool that is used is the Lessons tool. This tool will provide the content of and the
assessments for your module. At times you may be directed to join discussions with fellow students
and complete activities and assessments before you can continue with the module.
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It is very important that you log in to myUnisa regularly. We recommend that you log in at least
once a day to do the following:
• Check for new announcements. You can also setup your myLife e-mail account so that you
receive the announcement e-mails on your cellphone.
• Check for new Chats. You can also setup your myLife e-mail account so that you receive
the chats on your cellphone.
• Do the Discussion Forum activities. When you do the activities for each learning unit
including assignments, please do not share your answers with other students in your study
group and do not ask for their answers as well as that is tantamount to copying which is a
form of dishonesty.
• Do other online activities. For some of the learning unit activities you might need to post
something on the Blog tool, take a quiz or complete a survey under the Self-Assessment
tool. Do not skip these activities because they will help you complete the assignments and
the activities for the module.
We hope that by giving you extra ways to study the material and practise all the activities, this will
help you succeed in the online module. To get the most out of the online module, you MUST go
online regularly to complete the activities and assignments on time. You are welcome to contact
your lecturer as often as you want and you will definitely be assisted to understand the material in
the course.
8 ASSESSMENT
8.1 Assignments and learning
• Assignments are seen as part of the learning material for this module. As you do the assign-
ments, you are welcome to discuss the work with fellow students, tutors and most importantly
your lecturer.
• N.B. Please do not wait for Assignment 01 to be returned to you before starting to work on
Assignmenmt 02.
• You should NEVER submit your assignment answers directly to a lecturer, no matter what the
circumstances are! (For example, even if the myUnisa website is down, do NOT email your
assignment answers to a lecturer!)
8.2 Assessment/assignment due dates
• The assignment due dates are given in this tutorial letter with the assignment questions.
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• Please stick to these dates and do not ask for extensions as such cannot be granted.
• Please submit your work well in advance to avoid the last minute rush by most people which
may result in the system crashing because of the huge volume of last minute submissions
Please note: Although students may work together when preparing assignments,
each student must write and submit his or her own individual
assignment. In other words, you must submit your own ideas in your
own words. It is absolutely unacceptable for students to submit identical
assignments on the basis that they worked together. That is copying,
which is a form of plagiarism and none of these assignments will be
marked. Furthermore,you may be penalized or subjected to disciplinary
action by the University.
8.3 Submission of assessments/assignments
• Unisa, as a comprehensive open distance e-learning institution (CODeL), is moving towards
becoming an online institution. You will see, therefore, that all your study material, assess-
ments and engagements with your lecturer and fellow students will take place online. To
facilitate this, we use myUnisa as our virtual campus.
• The myUnisa virtual campus offers students access to the myModules site, where learning
material is available online and where assessments should be completed. Together, myUnisa
and myModules form an online system that is used to administer, document, and deliver ed-
ucational material to students and support engagement between those students and Unisa’s
academics.
• The myUnisa platform can be accessed via [Link] Click on the myModules
2026 button to access the online sites for the modules that you are registered for.
• The University undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to en-
sure that you obtain the greatest benefit from your use of the myModules learning manage-
ment system. Please access the Announcements on your myModules site regularly, as this
is where your lecturer will post important information to be shared with you.
• When you access your myModules site for the module/s you are registered for, you will see
a welcome message posted by your lecturer. Below the welcome message you will see the
assessment shells for the assessments that you need to complete. Some assessments may
be multiple choice, some may be tests and others may be written assessments/assignments,
while some may be forum discussions and so on. All assessments must be completed on the
assessment shells available on the respective module platforms.
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• To complete quiz assessments, please log on to the module site where you need to complete
the assessment. Click on the relevant assessment shell (Assessment 1, Assessment 2, etc.).
There will be a date recorded there telling you when the assessment will open for you. When
the assessment is open, access the quiz online and complete it within the time available to
you. Quiz assessment questions are not included in this tutorial letter (Tutorial Letter 101)
and are made available online only. You must therefore access and complete the quiz online
where it has been created.
• It is not advisable to use a cellphone to complete quizzes and you should please use a
desktop computer, tablet or laptop for this task. Students who use cellphones find it difficult
to navigate the Online Assessment tool on the small screen and often struggle to navigate
between questions and successfully complete the quizzes. In addition, cellphones are more
vulnerable to dropped internet connections than other devices. If at all possible, please do
not use a cellphone for this assessment type.
• For written assessments/assignments, please note the due date by which your work must
be submitted. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given by your lecturer to complete the
assessment/assignment. Click on the submission button on the relevant assessment shell on
myModules. You will then be able to upload your written assessment to the myModules site
for the modules that you are registered for. Before you finalise the upload, double-check that
you have selected the correct file for uploading. Remember, no marks can be allocated for
incorrectly submitted assessments/assignments.
9 The examination
Examination information and details on the format of the examination will be made available to you
online via the myUnisa site. Look out for information that will be shared with you by your lecturer
and e-tutors (where relevant), as well as for communication from the University.
9.1 Invigilation/proctoring
Since 2020, Unisa has conducted all its assessments online. Given the stringent requirements im-
posed by professional bodies, as well as increased solicitation of Unisa’s students by third parties
to unlawfully assist them with the completion of assignments and examinations, the University is
obliged to assure the integrity of its assessment processes by using various proctoring tools:
Turnitin, Moodle Proctoring, the Invigilator App and IRIS. These tools authenticate the student’s
identity and flag suspicious behaviour to assure the credibility of their responses during
assessments. The description below is for your benefit as you may encounter any or all of
these in your registered modules:
Turnitin is plagiarism software that facilitates checks for originality in students’ submissions against
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internal and external sources. Turnitin assists in identifying academic fraud and ghost writing. Stu-
dents are expected to submit typed responses when using the Turnitin software.
The Moodle Proctoring tool is facial recognition software that authenticates students’ identities
during their Quiz assessments. This tool requires access to a student’s mobile or laptop camera.
Students must ensure that their cameras are activated in their browser settings prior to starting
their assessments.
The Invigilator App is a mobile application-based service that verifies t he i dentity o f a n assess-
ment participant. The Invigilator app detects student dishonesty-by-proxy and ensures that the
assessment participant is the student registered for the module concerned. This invigilation tool
requires students to download the app from the Google Play Store (Android devices), the Huawei
AppGallery (Huawei devices) or the Apple App Store (Apple devices) on their camera-enabled
mobile devices prior to their assessment.
The IRIS Invigilation software verifies t he i dentity o f a s tudent d uring a ssessment a nd provides
for both manual and automated facial verification. It can record and review a student’s assessment
session and it flags suspicious behaviour by the student for review by an academic administrator.
The IRIS software requires installation on students’ webcam-enabled laptop devices. IRIS invigi-
lation software is used for all CSET online examinations/tests. It is the responsibility of students to
ensure the software is working properly before the examination session, and attendance of training.
Students who are identified and flagged for suspicious or dishonest behaviour arising from the
invigilation and proctoring reports will be referred to the disciplinary office for formal disciplinary
proceedings.
Please note:
Students must refer to their module assessment information on their myModule sites to determine
which proctoring or invigilation tool will be used for their formative and summative assessments.
10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
10.1 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as your
own. It is a form of theft. Plagiarism includes the following forms of academic dishonesty:
• Copying and pasting from any source without acknowledging that source.
• Not including references or deliberately inserting incorrect bibliographic information.
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• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the source of the information.
10.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying the work of another student
during an assessment, or allowing another student to copy your work.
• Using social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate assessment
information.
• Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files. (This matter is addressed in the examination guidelines.)
• Buying completed answers from so-called “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).
For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:
[Link]
11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES
The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an oppor-
tunity for staff to interact with first-time and returning students with disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support, or if you need additional
time for assignments/assessments, you are invited to contact Prof A Kubeka at e-mail address
kubekas@[Link] to discuss the assistance that you need.
12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Calculation of Final Mark
Your final mark will be composed of 80% of your exam mark and 20% of your year mark.
13 IN CLOSING
We wish you every success with your studies and please be advised that your lecturer will NOT
mark all the questions in the assignments but will instead choose which questions to mark. You
are however expected to answer all the questions in the assignments. Solutions to both
assignments will be posted on myUnisa at the end of August.
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14 ADDENDUM: Assignments 1 and 2
14.1 Assignment 1
MAT 3702 Assignment 1 2026
Due Date: 13 May 2026
1. Let A, B, C be sets and show that A ∪ (B ∩ C) = (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C).
2. Let G be a finite group with x, y ∈ G and prove that xy and yx have the same order.
3. Let G be a group such that every nonidentity element in G has order 2 and prove that G is abelian.
4. Show that ( Z , +) is a subgroup of (Q,
| +).
5. Show that A3 is a cyclic group of order 3.
6. Let G be an abelian group with a ∈ G and N a subgroup of G. Then show for every n ∈ N that
an = na.
7. A group G is called metabelian if G has an abelian normal subgroup N such that G/N is abelian and
hence show that S3 is metabelian.
8. Let G be a group with K a normal subgroup of G of order 2 and show that K ⊆ Z (K ).
9. Let R| ∗ be the multiplicative group of nonzero real numbers and check as to whether the function
f :R| ∗× R| ∗ −→ R | ∗ defined by f (x, y ) = y (under componentwise multiplication) is a homomorphism
or not and if it is a homomorphism, then find its kernel.
10. Let f : G −→ H be a homomorphism of finite groups. If Im(f ) is the image of f , then show that |Im(f )|
divides both |G| and |H|.
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14.2 Assignment 2
MAT 3702 Assignment 2 2026
Due Date: 19 August 2026
1. Prove that b | a if and only if (−b) | a.
2. If a | b and b | c, then prove that a | c.
3. Let R, S be rings and consider the following subsets of R × S
R = {(r , 0S ) | r ∈ R} and S = {(0R , s) | s ∈ S}
where 0R ∈ R, 0S ∈ S are the zero elements in R, S respectively.
(i) If R = Z 3 , S = Z 5 , then find R, S.
(ii) For any rings R, S, show that R is a subring of R × S.
(iii) For any rings R, S, show that S is a subring of R × S.
4. Prove that the intersection of a family of subrings of a ring R is a subring of R.
5. Let R be a ring and a ∈ R be a nonzero element which is not a zero divisor. Prove that
(i) if ab = ac, then b = c.
(ii) if ba = ca, then b = c.
6. Let f : R −→ S be a ring homomorphism and show that f (0R ) = 0S , where 0R , 0S are the zero
elements in R, S respectively.
7. Let R, S be rings and z : R −→ S be given by z(r ) = 0S for every r ∈ R and 0S ∈ S is the zero
element in S.
(i) Check as to whether z is a ring homomorphism or not (first check as to whether z is well-defined
or not).
(ii) If both R, S contain nonzero elements, then what can be said about z?
8. Let R, S be rings, where the operations on R × S are componentwise.
(i) Prove that f : R × S −→ R given by f ((r , s)) = r is a surjective homomorphism (first check if f
is well-defined or not).
(ii) Prove that g : R × S −→ S given by g((r , s)) = s is a surjective homomorphism (first check if
f is well-defined or not).
(iii) If both R, S are nonzero rings, then prove that the homomorphisms f , g are not injective.
9. Let R be a ring with identity. If u ∈ R is a unit, then prove that u ∈ R is not a zero dovisor.
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