Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2014 / Prelims / Mathematics I / 7

A left group action of $G$ on a set $S$ is a function $\varphi :G\times S\to S$ satisfyingfor all $s\in S$ and $g,h\in G$. Writing $g\cdot s=\varphi (g,s)$, these are $e\cdot s=s$ and $(gh)\cdot s=g\cdot (h\cdot s)$. No commutativity is assumed, so the order of composition matters.

The group action law givesThus ${\varphi }_g$ is a bijection with inverse ${\varphi }_{g^{-1}}$, hence a permutation of $S$. Also, for every $s$,Therefore the assignment $\Phi (g)={\varphi }_g$ takes values in the symmetric group $\mathrm{Sym}(S)$ and satisfiesIt is a group homomorphism, with the group product on the right interpreted as composition of permutations.

Define $g\cdot (g_{1}H)=(g{g}_1)H$ on the set of left cosets. It is well-defined: if $g_{1}H=g_{2}H$, then $g_2=g_{1}h$ for some $h\in H$, so $(g{g}_2)H=(g{g}_{1}h)H=(g{g}_1)H$. The identity fixes each coset, and associativity in $G$ givesHence this is a left group action, and part (a) supplies its group homomorphism $\Phi :G\to \mathrm{Sym}(S)$.

An element of the kernel of a group homomorphism $\Phi$ fixes every coset, in particular $H$ itself. Thus $g\in \ker \Phi$ implies $gH=H$, which implies $g\in H$. ThereforeThe subgroup symbol is justified because a kernel of a group homomorphism is a subgroup, and the argument proves containment.

By Lagrange's theorem, the index of a subgroup is $[G:H]=75/25=3$. Thus the set of left cosets has three elements, and the preceding group action yields a group homomorphism $\Phi :G\to S_3$ after labelling them.

Its image is a subgroup of $S_3$, so its order divides $6$. By the first isomorphism theorem, $|\mathrm{im}\Phi |=|G|/|\ker \Phi |$ also divides $75$. Hence its order divides $\gcd (6,75)=3$, giving possibilities $1$ and $3$. The action on cosets is transitive: $g_2{g}_1^{-1}$ sends $g_{1}H$ to $g_{2}H$. It cannot be the trivial action on a three-element set, so the image does not have order $1$. ThereforeIt follows that $|\ker \Phi |=75/3=25$. Part (b)(i) gives $\ker \Phi \le H$, and $|H|=25$; equal finite orders force equality. A kernel of a group homomorphism is a normal subgroup, soThis is an instance of the fact that a subgroup of index the smallest prime divisor is normal.