For a prime divisor of the order of a finite group, rotate the tuples whose product is the identity. Rotation preserves that constraint even for a nonabelian group, by conjugating the product. Every nonfixed orbit has elements, while the fixed tuples correspond to . There are tuples, so the number of fixed tuples is divisible by . Since the identity is one, another solution exists and has order exactly . This supplies an elementary proof of Cauchy theorem for groups.
If every nonidentity element of a finite group has order equal to a prime , its order is a power of . For any prime divisor of the group order, Cauchy theorem for groups gives an element of order , forcing . This statement does not imply that the group is abelian; odd-characteristic upper unitriangular groups provide counterexamples.
We first prove the needed instance of Cauchy theorem for groups, rather than invoke it. Let a prime number divide and consider the set
There are such tuples: choose the first entries freely, and the last is forced. Cyclic rotation preserves this set, because moving the first entry to the end conjugates the product, which remains . Each rotation orbit of a group action has either one or elements. Indeed a nontrivial shift fixing a tuple generates all shifts, since its step has an inverse modulo the prime . The fixed tuples are precisely with .
Counting nonfixed orbits in multiples of , and using , shows that the number of solutions of is divisible by . The identity supplies one solution, so there is a nonidentity solution. If its order of a group element is , divide by : the remainder would give a smaller positive exponent producing the identity, so . Hence . This proves the required prime-order existence result by the cyclic-tuple proof of Cauchy theorem.
Our hypothesis says that this nonidentity element has order , so . Every prime divisor of is therefore , which gives
Thus a finite group of prime exponent has prime-power order. The case includes the trivial group. No group-theoretic counting theorem was assumed in the tuple argument.
Multiplicativity of the determinant gives and , so is a linear character. Its finite image is a cyclic group of roots of unity. If it contains , its order is and the character of a representation maps onto . The kernel of a group homomorphism is the preimage of its identity, so is a normal subgroup of index . The subgroup itself need not have index .
By Cauchy theorem for groups, a group of order has an involution . In the regular representation, left multiplication by is a permutation consisting of disjoint transpositions, so its determinant is when is odd. The preceding argument gives a normal subgroup of index two.
For a nonabelian simple group of order below , Burnside's theorem requires at least three distinct prime factors. An odd order with three factors is at least . An even order with exactly one factor of has a normal subgroup of index . Thus its order must be divisible by and by at least two odd primes. Below the only possibility is , since the next is . Hence .
Every finite quotient of the abelian group is abelian. Part iii excludes elements of prime order by the Cauchy theorem for groups, so any finite quotient is a finite abelian -group. If its exponent divides , the quotient map kills and therefore factors through
Every quotient of a cyclic group is cyclic, so the finite quotient is isomorphic to for some . Conversely, reduction modulo gives a surjection . Thus these are exactly the nontrivial finite quotients, together with the trivial case .
If , choose with by the Bezout identity. The Lagrange theorem gives for every , so and . Thus is bijective, even though it need not be a homomorphism.
Conversely, if a prime divides both and , the Cauchy theorem for groups gives with . Then , so the power map sends both and the identity to the identity and is not injective. This proves the power-map criterion for a finite group.
A group action of on is a map such that and . The orbit and stabilizer of are
For a finite group, the map
is a well-defined bijection from the left cosets of to . Each coset has elements, so the orbit-stabilizer theorem is
The Cauchy theorem for groups says that if a prime number divides , then has an element of order . To prove it, let
The first entries determine the last, so , which is divisible by . The cyclic group acts on by cyclically rotating the entries; rotation preserves the product condition because
Every orbit has size one or . The fixed points are exactly the tuples with . Their number is therefore divisible by . Since the identity gives one fixed point, there is another, and its entry has order .
Now let . Cauchy's theorem gives a subgroup of order . Let act by the conjugation action on the set of subgroups of order . It fixes . If it also fixed , then would normalize ; since , the product would be a subgroup of order , which is impossible. Every other -orbit in therefore has size , so
Distinct members of share only the identity and each contributes ten nonidentity elements. Hence , forcing . Thus is a normal subgroup.
Conjugation now defines a group homomorphism
Because , its automorphism group has order . By the Lagrange theorem, the image has order dividing both and , so the image is trivial and lies in the center of . Cauchy's theorem also supplies of order . If generates , then and commute and has order . Therefore
The Lagrange theorem states that divides for every subgroup of a finite group , with . The left cosets partition , and multiplication by a representative bijects with each coset, proving the formula.
The intersection contains the identity and is closed under , so it is a subgroup. Its order divides both and ; if these are coprime, .
The order is the least positive with . Division , , shows that exactly when , so exactly when .
If commute and have coprime orders , then . Conversely implies lies in , so and . Hence .
Cauchy theorem for groups says that every prime divisor of occurs as the order of an element of . For , the Sylow -subgroup is unique and normal, and Cauchy's theorem supplies a complement . Thus . The homomorphism is either trivial or has the unique image of order two, inversion. These give exactly and the dihedral group of order .
The Cauchy theorem for groups says that if a prime divides , then contains an element of order .
Consider
The first entries determine the last, so , which is divisible by . Cyclic rotation acts on : if the product is one, then
Every orbit has size one or . The fixed points are exactly the constant tuples satisfying . Since , the number of fixed points is divisible by . The identity supplies one, so there is a nonidentity with . Its order divides the prime and is not one, hence is .
For a finite group , the map is bijective exactly when is coprime to . If the two numbers are coprime, an inverse exponent modulo gives an inverse map. If a prime divides both, the Cauchy theorem for groups supplies a nonidentity element sent to the identity.