Nontrivial center of a finite p-group 2026-09-29
Every nontrivial finite p-group has a nontrivial center. The conjugation action partitions the group into conjugacy classes whose noncentral sizes are positive powers of ; the class equation then implies .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ii Paper 4 20G c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Now let be prime and put and . The Eisenstein criterion applied at gives , while the discriminant of elements of a number field of its power basis iswhere . By the discriminant-index formula for an integral lattice, every prime dividing must therefore be .
Suppose . The finite abelian group is then a nontrivial finite p-group, so it contains an element of order . Consequently there is an such thatwith some not divisible by .
The polynomial is Eisenstein, so total ramification from an Eisenstein polynomial gives a unique prime ideal above with normalized discrete valuationLet be the least index for which . The term has valuation ; every earlier term has valuation at least , and every later term with coefficient prime to has a distinct, larger valuation. The non-Archimedean valuation therefore givesThis contradicts , since an algebraic integer has nonnegative valuation at every prime ideal. Thus , and
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ib Paper 1 10G a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
The group is a nontrivial finite p-group, so the nontrivial center of a finite p-group gives . If , then is already a nontrivial proper normal subgroup, so is not a simple group. If , then is abelian. By Cauchy's theorem for finite groups, it has a subgroup of order ; every subgroup of an abelian group is normal, and this subgroup is nontrivial and proper because . Thus in every case
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 2 19I b ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Using the commutation relations, every element has a normal formOn squaring, equal generators cancel and every interchange contributes only the central element , so . There are at most normal forms, and every element has order dividing four. Hence is a finite p-group with , of order at most .