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I was trying to calculate the cardinality of the group of automorphisms of some abelian p-groups (let's say $Aut(H_p)$), and I saw many people using matrices to code the ring of endomorphisms of $H_p$, and then count the automorphisms by saying that a matrix is invertible if and only if its determinant is prime with $p$. How can I say that?

Could please someone explain this method, maybe with a simple example in dimension 2 to help me understanding? (For instance by taking $Z_4 x Z_{16}$ or $Z_9 x Z_{27}$)

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So let $R$ be a (commutative, unital) ring and $M_1, \ldots, M_n$ be $R$-modules. Note that in your case $R=\mathbb{Z}$ since any abelian group is an $\mathbb{Z}$-module. You might not know this "module" language, but do not be afraid, you can think about it as abelian groups.

Now put $M=M_1\oplus\cdots\oplus M_n$ and take any endomorphism $f:M\to M$. This endomorphism induces following "smaller" endomoprhisms

$$f_{ij}:M_j\to M_i$$ $$f_{ij}=\pi_i\circ f\circ \lambda_j$$

where $\pi_i:M\to M_i$ is a projection onto $i$-th coordinate and $\lambda_j:M_j\to M$ is an inclusion onto $j$-th coordinate.

So now you can write the collection $[f_{ij}]$ as a matrix. And then there's a lemma that states that the mapping $f\mapsto [f_{ij}]$ is a ring isomorphism. Note that on the left side (of the mapping) multiplication is given by composition while on the right side multiplication is given by matrix multiplication ($f_{ij}$ components are multiplied by composition again).

In other words every endomorphism can be uniquely expressed by smaller endomorphisms. Now for cyclic groups (note that every finitely generate abelian group is a product of cyclic groups) this is even simplier because every homomorphism between cyclic groups $f:C\to C'$ is uniquely determined by the value $f(1)$. On the other hand every value of $f(1)$ generates a homomorphism as long as the order of $f(1)$ divides the order of $C$. So now in your ring of matrices you can replace each small $f_{ij}$ homomorphism with a unique number $f_{ij}(1)$ (another lemma has to be proven here that the mapping $f_{ij}\mapsto f_{ij}(1)$ induces an isomorphism).

Now the last step is invertibility. If you look at those matrices as $\mathbb{Z_{p^a}}$-matrices then it can be shown that $M$ is invertible if and only if $p$ does not divide $\det(M)$ (note that values of $\det$ are in $\mathbb{Z}_{p^a}$). This follows from three facts:

(1) $\det$ preserves multiplication, so $$\det(M)\det(M^{-1})=\det(MM^{-1})=\det(I)=1\mod{p^a}$$ therefore invertible matrices have invertible $\det$.

(2) If $\det(M)$ is invertible in $\mathbb{Z}_{p^a}$ then $M^{-1}$ can be constructed via classical Cayley-Hamilton method.

Thus $M$ is invertible if and only if $\det(M)$ is invertible in $\mathbb{Z}_{p^a}$ and finally

(3) $a\in\mathbb{Z}_{p^a}$ is invertible if and only if $p$ does not divide $a$ (note: only true for prime $p$).

Thus $M$ is invertible if and only if $p$ (note without power) does not divide $\det(M)$, i.e. when $\det(M)\neq 0\mod{p}$.


Let's have a look at your example $M=\mathbb{Z}_4\oplus\mathbb{Z}_{16}$. You can write it down as a matrix

$$ \left[\begin{matrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{matrix}\right] $$

So $a:\mathbb{Z}_4\to\mathbb{Z}_4$. There are $4$ possibilites for $a(1)$. $b:\mathbb{Z}_4\to\mathbb{Z}_{16}$ again $4$ possibilites for $b(1)$, $c:\mathbb{Z}_{16}\to\mathbb{Z}_4$ yields again $4$ possibilities and finally $d:\mathbb{Z}_{16}\to\mathbb{Z}_{16}$ gives $16$ possibilities. Any combination of those will give a new endomorphism, so all together there are $1024$ possibilites. Now you have to find those satisfying $ad-bc=1\mod{2}$ (note that $\neq 0$ is the same as $=1$ for $\mod{2}$). Ain't going to do that for you though. :D Good luck!

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    Thanks, you helped me a lot. But I don't get what $a$ you take. For instance, the matrix in the example has the first column in $Z_{4}$ and the second in $Z_{16}$, so I should look at it with all its elements in $Z_{16}$? Also, as $b$ is a map from $Z_4$ into $Z_{16}$, then $b(1)$ must be a multiple of 4. So looking at the matrix in $Z_{16}$ (if I have understood), to have the invertibility I should put $a$ and $d$ invertible in $Z_{4}$ and in $Z_{16}$ respectively, and $c$ is free? So maybe there are $\phi(4)\phi(16)*4*4=2^8$ automorphisms? A last thing: shouldn't it be $ad-bc=1$ at the end?2017-02-04
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    @tommy1996q I've fixed $ad-bc$ (that was a typo). As for your first question. This matrix is not a matrix of numbers. It's a matrix of functions. But as I said you can look at them as elements of $\mathbb{Z}_{16}$ since $a(1), b(1),c(1), d(1)$ can all be embedded to $\mathbb{Z}_{16}$. Finally being invertible in $\mathbb{Z}_4$ or $\mathbb{Z}_{16}$ is the same thing: you have to be relatively prime to $2$.2017-02-04
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    It looks to me like for any $a, b, c$ there is a unique $d\in\mathbb{Z}_{16}$ satisfying $ad-bc=1\mod{2}$, doesn't it (I might be wrong here)? I've chosen to pick $d$ to be dependent on $a, b, c$ because in $\mathbb{Z}_{16}$ it is the only one not bound by other rules (e.g. $a, b, c$ has to be a multiple of $4$). So that would give $4*4*4=2^{6}=64$ automorphisms? I'm not sure about those calculations though. All of that is quite subtle.2017-02-04
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    Well $b$ is surely bound to be a multiple of four, so $bc$ is surely even and $c$ is free. Then $ad$ must be odd, so both $a$ and $d$ must be odd. And if this reasoning is correct (big if...) the answer should be $2^8$. Maybe I'm getting confused by saying even and odd, as you said we are working with functions. By the way, how should I point out that even though the elements of the matrix are homomorphisms, I can consider them embedded in $Z_{16}$? I have thought about a simple injective homomorphism from $Hom(Z_{4}xZ_{16})$ into $Z_{16}$. Is this the embedding you were thinking about?2017-02-04