 Solution

A normal subgroup $H$ satisfies $gH{g}^{-1}=H$ for every $g\in G$. A group homomorphism preserves multiplication, $\Phi (ab)=\Phi (a)\Phi (b)$. It follows that $\Phi (e_1)=e_2$ and $\Phi (g^{-1})=\Phi (g{)}^{-1}$.

The kernel of a group homomorphism $K=\{g:\Phi (g)=e_2\}$ contains the identity and satisfies $a{b}^{-1}\in K$ for $a,b\in K$, so is a subgroup. For $k\in K$, $\Phi (gk{g}^{-1})=\Phi (g)e_2\Phi (g{)}^{-1}=e_2$. Thus $gK{g}^{-1}\subseteq K$, and applying the same inclusion to $g^{-1}$ gives equality. Hence the kernel is a normal subgroup.

The product $f={\prod }_{i<j}(x_i-x_j)$ is a Vandermonde determinant up to a fixed overall sign. A transposition exchanging $x_p,x_q$ reverses their mutual factor. Every other factor involving one of these variables is paired with the corresponding factor involving the other; those paired products are unchanged. ThereforeIf a permutation has decompositions into $r$ and $s$ transpositions, they act as $(-1{)}^{r}f$ and $(-1{)}^{s}f$. This polynomial is nonzero, for example at pairwise distinct real inputs, so the signs must agree. Thus all decompositions have the same parity, and an even decomposition forces every decomposition to be even. This defines the sign of a permutation; its kernel is the alternating group, linking the parity argument to the normal-kernel result above.