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Work with $x$ modulo $p-1$ and $u$ modulo $p$. By Fermat's little theorem, $a^{p-1}=1$ in ${\mathbb{F}}_p$, so the factor $a^y$ is independent of the chosen representative of $y$. The proposed multiplication is therefore well defined on the stated Cartesian product. Its two associative bracketings have the same second component:and both have first component $x+y+z$. The identity element is $(0,0)$, and the two-sided inverse element isThus the multiplication defines the twisted cyclic pair group, of order $p(p-1)$.

If $a=1$, multiplication is coordinatewise addition, so the group is abelian. If $a\ne 1$, then $p>2$ and both $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$ are available; their products in opposite orders are $(1,1)$ and $(1,a)$. They differ. HenceBoth $H$ and $K$ contain the identity element and are closed under the multiplication and inverses: they are the cyclic groups of orders $p-1$ and $p$ respectively. Conjugation gives, with all coordinates reduced in the appropriate modulus,so $K$ is a normal subgroup. For $H$, the corresponding calculation isWhen $a=1$ this lies in $H$. Conversely, for $a\ne 1$, take $x=0$, $u=1$, $y=1$: the second coordinate is $a-1\ne 0$, so $H$ is not normal. Thus $H$ is normal precisely when $a=1$.

Finally, the projectionis a surjective group homomorphism because the first coordinates add. Its kernel of a group homomorphism is exactly $K$. At $p=2$, $a=1$ is the only possibility and the first factor is trivial, consistent with every conclusion. No assumption that $a$ generates the multiplicative group of the finite field is needed.

Both factors being normal subgroups places cross-commutators in their intersection, forcing cross-commutation.

Lagrange's theorem states that for a subgroup $L$ of a finite group $G$, $|G|=[G:L]|L|$. In particular $|L|$ divides $|G|$; the equal-sized cosets partition $G$.

Apply the theorem to $H\cap K$ inside both subgroups. Its order divides both coprime orders, so $H\cap K=\{1\}$. For $h\in H$ and $k\in K$, the group commutator $hk{h}^{-1}{k}^{-1}$ lies in $K$ by $K$ being a normal subgroup, and in $H$ because $k{h}^{-1}{k}^{-1}\in H$. It is therefore the identity. Thus every element of $H$ commutes with every element of $K$.

Define $\theta :H\times K\to G$ by $\theta (h,k)=hk$. The cross-commutation just proved gives $\theta (h,k)\theta (h^{\prime },k^{\prime })=h{h}^{\prime }k{k}^{\prime }=\theta (h{h}^{\prime },k{k}^{\prime })$, so this is a group homomorphism from the direct product of groups. The product assumption makes it surjective. If $hk=1$, then $h=k^{-1}\in H\cap K$, so both entries are the identity and the kernel of a group homomorphism is trivial. HenceThis proves the internal direct product theorem in the present coprime-order setting, rather than merely matching the numbers of elements.

Place the cube's vertices at $(\pm 1,\pm 1,\pm 1)$. Its full symmetry group of a cube consists of signed permutation matrices. To see completeness, a cube symmetry fixes its center of a group and permutes the six face normals, so it sends coordinate axes to signed coordinate axes; conversely every such matrix preserves the cube. Coordinate permutations and sign changes take any edge to any other edge, so this is a transitive group action on edges.

Choose the edge $e=\{(1,1,z):-1\le z\le 1\}$. A symmetry stabilizing it must preserve its axis direction and its midpoint $(1,1,0)$. It can swap the first two coordinates and independently reverse the third coordinate, but cannot change the signs of the two fixed coordinates. HenceThere are twelve edges and four elements of the stabilizer subgroup. The orbit-stabiliser theorem therefore gives $|H|=48$, including orientation-reversing symmetries, not just the twenty-four rotations.

The action defines a group homomorphism $H\to S_{12}$. If an element fixes every edge as a set, it fixes every vertex, since each vertex is the unique common point of its three incident edges. A cube isometry fixing all vertices is the identity. Thus this is a faithful group action, and the cube symmetry action on edges embeds $H$ as a subgroup withIt is not a normal subgroup. Central inversion $\mathbf{x}\mapsto -\mathbf{x}$ belongs to $H$ and swaps the twelve edges in six opposite pairs. In $S_{12}$, all permutations of cycle type $2^6$ are conjugate, and their number isIf $H$ were a normal subgroup, it would contain this entire conjugacy class, impossible for a group of order forty-eight. This avoids relying on a classification of normal subgroups of the symmetric group.

Use the dihedral group presentation $G=⟨r,s:r^{2n}=s^2=1,srs=r^{-1}⟩$. Every element is $r^j$ or $s{r}^j$. A nonidentity rotation has order two only when its exponent is $n$, while $(s{r}^j{)}^2=1$ for every $j$. Thus the complete list isThe half-turn $r^n$ is central, so its conjugacy class is the singleton $\{r^n\}$ and its normal closure is $\{1,r^n\}$.

For reflections, $r^k(s{r}^j)r^{-k}=s{r}^{j-2k}$ and $s(s{r}^j)s^{-1}=s{r}^{-j}$. Hence the conjugacy class is exactly the $n$ reflections whose exponents have the same parity as $j$:The subgroup generated by this class contains $r^2$, as the product of two consecutive listed reflections, and contains $s{r}^j$. Conversely those two generators contain every listed reflection. Their subgroup is invariant under conjugation by both $r$ and $s$, so the smallest normal subgroup containing $s{r}^j$ isof order $2n$ and index two. This involutions in an even dihedral group classification distinguishes the two reflection classes from the central half-turn.

If $H\le G$, induction gives $H^{(i)}\le G^{(i)}$, because commutators of elements of a subgroup are also commutators in the larger group. Thus termination of the derived series of $G$ forces termination for $H$.

For a normal subgroup $N$, the quotient map sends $[x,y]$ to the commutator of their images. Surjectivity then givesConsequently subgroups and quotient groups of a soluble group are soluble. The assertion about a quotient uses a normal subgroup; it is not a quotient by an arbitrary subgroup.

We prove Hall subgroup existence in soluble groups by induction on $|G|$. The trivial group is immediate. Choose a nontrivial minimal normal subgroup $N$, elementary abelian of order $p^a$ by part (c). Induction gives a Hall $\pi$-subgroup of $G/N$; let $K$ be its full preimage.

If $p\in \pi$, then $K$ itself is the required subgroup. If $p\notin \pi$ and $K<G$, apply induction inside the soluble subgroup $K$ to obtain a Hall $\pi$-subgroup $H$ of $K$. Since $[G:K]$ and $[K:H]$ are both ${\pi }^{\prime }$-numbers, $H$ is Hall in $G$ too.

It remains to treat $p\notin \pi$ and $K=G$. Then $G/N$ is a $\pi$-group. If $G=N$, the subgroup one works. Otherwise choose a minimal normal subgroup $M/N$ of $G/N$, an elementary abelian $q$-group with $q\in \pi$. Let $Q$ be a Sylow $q$-subgroup of $M$. As $|M|=|N|q^b$ and $p\ne q$, we have $M=NQ$. The permitted Frattini argument givesThe last equality uses $Q\le N_G(Q)$ and the normality of $N$.

If $T=N_G(Q)<G$, then $[G:T]=[N:N\cap T]$ is a power of $p$, hence a ${\pi }^{\prime }$-number. Apply induction to $T$ and multiply indices as before. If $T=G$, then $Q$ is a nontrivial normal $\pi$-subgroup. Induction in $G/Q$ gives a Hall $\pi$-subgroup whose full preimage in $G$ is Hall, since its additional factor $|Q|$ is a $\pi$-number. These cases exhaust the possibilities, proving existence for every prime set. No unproved complement theorem or conjugacy theorem for Hall subgroups was inserted into the proof.

Use the Sylow theorems. The number $n_p$ divides $qr$ and is congruent to one modulo $p$. Since $q,r<p$, it is either one or $qr$. Suppose $n_p=qr$. Different subgroups of prime order intersect trivially, so their nonidentity elements occupy $qr(p-1)$ places, leaving only $qr-1$ nonidentity elements of other prime orders.

If neither the Sylow $q$-subgroup nor the Sylow $r$-subgroup is normal, then $n_q\ge p$ and $n_r\ge q$. Indeed $n_q$ divides $pr$, and its possible divisor $r<q$ cannot satisfy the Sylow congruence; the smallest remaining nontrivial possibility is at least $p$. Likewise any nontrivial divisor of $pq$ is at least $q$. Their elements would require at leastplaces, since the excess is $(p-1)(q-1)>0$. Hence some Sylow subgroup of order $s\in \{q,r\}$ is normal.

In the quotient by this normal subgroup, the largest prime $p$ has a normal Sylow subgroup: for a group of order $pt$ with $p>t$ its Sylow count divides $t<p$ and so equals one. Pulling back gives a normal subgroup of order $ps$. Inside it, the subgroup of order $p$ is again the unique Sylow $p$-subgroup. It is characteristic in that normal subgroup and therefore normal in $G$, contradicting $n_p=qr$. Thus $\boxed{n_p=1}$.

Let $P$ be this normal Sylow subgroup. In $G/P$, of order $qr$, its subgroup of order $q$ is normal by the same argument. Its preimage $K$ is a normal Hall $\{p,q\}$-subgroup. The serieshas factors of orders $p,q,r$, hence cyclic and abelian. Therefore $\boxed{G\text{ is soluble}.}$ This establishes solubility before using any Hall-existence conclusion that itself assumes solubility.

Put $n=|\Omega |\ge 2$, and let $H=G_{\alpha }$. Sharp two-transitivity gives $|G|=n(n-1)$ and $|H|=n-1$. A nonidentity element fixes at most one point. Counting the nonidentity elements in the $n$ stabilizer subgroups shows that there are $n-1$ fixed-point-free elements. Let $N$ be this set together with the identity. We first prove it is a normal subgroup, rather than presuming that fixed-point-free elements are closed under multiplication.

For $n=2$, $G=C_2$ and $N=G$ directly. Otherwise use complex characters of a finite group. Let $\pi$ be the permutation character and $\psi =\pi -1$, the character of the permutation representation with its constant line removed. For every nontrivial irreducible character $\theta$ of $H$, form the virtual characterIts values are $\theta (1)$ at the identity and at every fixed-point-free element. At an element with one fixed point, conjugate it to $h\in H\setminus \{1\}$; induction gives ${\phi }_{\theta }(g)=\theta (h)$, because there is exactly one fixed coset.

The identity and the $n-1$ fixed-point-free elements together contribute $n\theta (1)\overline{\eta (1)}$ to the inner product. The remaining elements are partitioned into the nonidentity parts of the $n$ stabilizer subgroups. Hence character orthogonality givesA virtual character of norm one is plus or minus an irreducible character: its coefficients in the irreducible-character basis are integers whose squares sum to one. Its positive degree $\theta (1)$ selects the plus sign. Thus each ${\phi }_{\theta }$ is an actual irreducible character.

For a group representation, $\chi (g)=\chi (1)$ holds exactly on its kernel: make the representation unitary and compare the sum of its unit-modulus eigenvalues with its dimension. All of $N$ therefore lies in the intersection of the kernels of the ${\phi }_{\theta }$. Conversely, a nonidentity element fixing a point gives $h\ne 1$ in $H$. Some nontrivial irreducible character of $H$ has $\theta (h)\ne \theta (1)$, since otherwise the regular representation of $H$ would not vanish at $h$. ConsequentlyThis proves normality and subgroup closure. It has order $n$ and no nonidentity element fixing a point, so it is a regular permutation subgroup.

Now $H$ acts transitively by conjugation on $N\setminus \{1\}$: identify an element of $N$ with its image of $\alpha$ and use transitivity of $H$ on the remaining points. Thus all nonidentity elements of $N$ have the same order. Taking a suitable power of one element shows this common order is a prime $p$. By Cauchy's theorem no other prime divides $|N|$, so $N$ is a $p$-group. Its nontrivial center is $H$-invariant, so transitivity forces the center to be all of $N$. Therefore $N$ is elementary abelian of order $p^d=n$.

Since $|H|=p^d-1$ is prime to $p$, $N$ is the unique Sylow $p$-subgroup of $G$. Uniqueness makes it characteristic under every group automorphism. We have provedThe character argument supplies the regular kernel of a finite sharply two-transitive group; the final Sylow argument establishes the stronger characteristic assertion.

Iwasawa's simplicity lemma states the following. Suppose $G$ acts faithfully and primitively on a set, and a stabilizer subgroup $H$ has an abelian normal subgroup $A$ whose $G$-conjugates generate $G$. Then every nontrivial normal subgroup $N$ contains $G^{\prime }$. In particular, if $G$ is nontrivial and perfect, then $G$ is simple.

Indeed a nontrivial normal subgroup in a faithful primitive action is transitive, so $G=NH$. Since $H$ normalizes $A$, all conjugates of $A$ have the same image in $G/N$. Those images generate the quotient, which is therefore abelian. This gives $G^{\prime }\le N$ and proves the stated conclusion.

A subgroup $N$ is a normal subgroup of $G$ if $gN{g}^{-1}=N$ for every $g\in G$. Define multiplication on its left cosets byTo check that this is well-defined, replace $g,h$ by $g{n}_1,h{n}_2$ with $n_1,n_2\in N$. Thenbecause normality gives $h^{-1}{n}_{1}h\in N$. Thus the product depends only on the two cosets. Associativity follows from that of $G$, the identity is $N$, and the inverse of $gN$ is $g^{-1}N$. These are all the group axioms, so $G/N$ is a group under coset multiplication. The natural projection $g\mapsto gN$ is a surjective group homomorphism with kernel $N$.

Take $G=S_3$ and its normal subgroup $N=A_3=⟨r⟩$, where $r=(123)$. Normality follows either from the sign of a permutation or directly from conjugation sending $r$ to $r$ or $r^{-1}$. The quotient group has order two, and $t=(12)$ provides a section $i:C_2\to S_3$ because $t^2=1$ and $tN$ is its nonidentity coset.

However, the map $\Phi (q,n)=i(q)n$ from the direct product of groups is not a group homomorphism. In its domain $(1,r)$ commutes with $(tN,1)$, whereas their images $r$ and $t$ do not commute: $tr{t}^{-1}=r^{-1}\ne r$. This is a split group extension giving a genuine semidirect product instead of a direct product. The pair $S_3,A_3$ supplies the required split but non-direct example.

For the general bijectivity assertion, let $\pi :G\to G/N$ be the quotient projection and assume $\pi \circ i$ is the identity. Given $g\in G$, put $q=\pi (g)$ and $n=i(q{)}^{-1}g$. Then $\pi (n)=q^{-1}q=1$, so $n\in N$ and $g=i(q)n$. This proves surjectivity of $\Phi$. If $i(q)n=i(q^{\prime })n^{\prime }$, applying $\pi$ gives $q=q^{\prime }$, after which cancellation gives $n=n^{\prime }$. ThusThis section normal form for a split group extension does not require finiteness. The obstruction to its being a homomorphism is the nontrivial conjugation action of the section on $N$.