Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/ii/paper-2/17g/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 2 17G a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Let have order in a finite group. In a complex group representation, its matrix is diagonalizable with eigenvalues satisfying . If each with is conjugate to , the character of a representation is constant on these powers. Henceusing the stated integrality of each Ramanujan sum. Therefore is rational. It is also an algebraic integer, being a sum of roots of unity; a rational algebraic integer is an integer. Thus .
In a symmetric group, raising a permutation to a power coprime to its order preserves each cycle length and therefore its entire cycle type. Since cycle type determines the conjugacy class, the hypothesis holds, and all character values of symmetric groups are integers.
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