Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2014 / Prelims / Mathematics I / 6 / c

Suppose $\sigma \ne e$. Choose a symbol $i$ moved by $\sigma$ and write $j=\sigma (i)\ne i$. Since $n\ge 3$, choose a third symbol $k$ distinct from $i,j$. Let $\tau =(jk)$, a transposition that fixes $i$. ThenThus ${\tau }^{-1}\sigma \tau \ne \sigma$, proving that the conjugacy class of any nonidentity permutation has more than one element. By part (a)(iii), no such permutation lies in the center of a group. The identity always does, soThe restriction on $n$ is necessary: $S_2$ is an abelian group and equals its own center.