Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2015/prelims/mathematics-i/6/b/solution

The complete classification up to group isomorphism is
Here is the trivial group. The prime number cases follow from i. For four elements, an element of order of a group element four generates . If there is none, Lagrange's theorem makes every nonidentity element have order of a group element two. Then iv produces a four-element subgroup, which must be all of , giving the Klein four-group.
For six elements, an element of order of a group element six gives . Suppose there is none. If there were no element of order of a group element three either, all nonidentity elements would have order of a group element two. Part iv would then produce a subgroup of cardinality four, contradicting Lagrange's theorem. Thus choose of order of a group element three. There is also an involution : otherwise the five nonidentity elements could be paired into distinct pairs , impossible for an odd number of elements.
The subgroup has index of a subgroup two, so it is a normal subgroup. Indeed, for , both and are the complement of , and for both equal . Consequently is either or . The first possibility makes commute, and then has order of a group element six: forces , so both and divide . This contradicts our assumption. Therefore
Every element is uniquely or , with , and the relation determines all their products. Sending to and to gives a group isomorphism with the symmetric group . This completes the classification of groups of order at most six.
Of these groups, exactly embed in . Concrete subgroups are
There is no subgroup, since does not divide . There is no subgroup either: the order of a group element in a symmetric group is the least common multiple of the lengths in its disjoint cycle decomposition, and on four letters the only possibilities are .

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