Past exam of the algebra course of the University of Oxford / 2010 / B / 4 / a / Solution

For the Abelian case of Cauchy theorem for groups, use induction on $|G|$. Choose $a\ne e$. If $p$ divides $m=|a|$, then $a^{m/p}$ has order $p$. Otherwise $⟨a⟩$ is a nontrivial normal subgroup of order prime to $p$, and $G/⟨a⟩$ has smaller order still divisible by $p$. Induction gives a coset of order $p$; any lift $b$ has order divisible by $p$, because the order of its image divides its own order. A suitable power of $b$ then has order $p$. This uses no classification of finite Abelian groups.

For a finite p-group, the class equation iswhere the sum is over noncentral conjugacy classes. Each index is a positive power of $p$, hence divisible by $p$. Therefore $p$ divides $|Z(G)|$, and the center of a group is nontrivial.

If $|G|=p^n$ with $n>1$ and $Z(G)\ne G$, this is already a proper nontrivial normal subgroup. If $Z(G)=G$, the group is Abelian; the established case of Cauchy theorem for groups gives a subgroup of order $p$, which is normal and proper. Thus