Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2004/iii/paper-2/1/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 2 1 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The Frattini subgroup is the intersection of the maximal subgroups of , with . A useful equivalent property isIndeed, a proper subgroup lies in a maximal subgroup, which also contains . The Frattini subgroup is a characteristic subgroup, since automorphisms permute the maximal subgroups.
The Fitting subgroup is the largest nilpotent normal subgroup. To prove its existence, first form the p-core : the product of all normal p-subgroups. For two such subgroups, their product is normal and has order , a power of . There are only finitely many subgroups, so exists. For distinct primes ,Thus the product of the p-cores is a nilpotent normal subgroup, a direct product of groups of its Sylow subgroups. Conversely, a finite nilpotent normal subgroup has unique Sylow subgroups, each a characteristic subgroup of . Each is normal in and lies in the corresponding p-core. Consequently the required largest subgroup exists, and
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