Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2015/prelims/mathematics-i/5/a/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2015 Prelims Mathematics I 5 a ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Lagrange's theorem states that if is a subgroup of a finite group , thenwhere the index of a subgroup is the number of distinct left cosets.
Every lies in , since . By i, distinct left cosets are disjoint, so these sets form a partition of a set . Each has cardinality : the function from to is a bijection, with inverse , by cancellation in a group. Counting the elements in this finite partition of a set gives , proving the theorem.
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