Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-algebra-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2008/b/8/a/solution

For the preliminary index assertion, the coset action gives a homomorphism . Its kernel is a normal subgroup and cannot be all of , because the action is transitive on points. Simplicity makes the kernel trivial. The sign homomorphism of this faithful action must be trivial: otherwise simplicity would identify with , impossible for a transitive action of degree at least three. Thus embeds in , and Lagrange gives
A group of order has a Sylow two-subgroup of index seven. If the group were simple, the preceding result would give . This fails because is divisible by while has only three factors of two. Thus there is no simple group of order .
For order , Sylow gives . If it is one, the order-seven Sylow is a normal subgroup. Otherwise its eight Sylows of order seven intersect only at the identity, giving nonidentity elements of order seven. Only eight elements remain including the identity. Every Sylow two-subgroup has order eight and consists entirely of these remaining elements. Hence all Sylow two-subgroups coincide and the order-eight subgroup is a normal subgroup. Either case gives a nontrivial proper normal subgroup, so no group of order is simple.

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