Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2015 / Prelims / Mathematics I / 6 / a

Let $|G|=p$, with $p$ a prime number, and choose $g\ne e$. By Lagrange's theorem, the order of a group element $g$ divides $p$ and is greater than one. It is therefore $p$, and $G=⟨g⟩$. Hence a group of prime cardinality is a cyclic group.

The converse is false: the cyclic group $C_4$ has four elements, and $4$ is not a prime number.

If $G=⟨g⟩$, any two elements are $g^a,g^b$, andThus every cyclic group is an abelian group.

For the converse, the Klein four-group $C_2\times C_2$ is an abelian group, with componentwise multiplication. Each nonidentity element has order of a group element two, so none generates its four elements. It is therefore not a cyclic group.

The hypothesis implies $x^{-1}=x$ for every $x\in G$, including $e$. For $a,b\in G$,Thus $G$ is an abelian group. This is the group of exponent two is abelian argument.

The converse is false: the cyclic group $C_3$ is an abelian group, but its two nonidentity elements have order of a group element three.

Choose distinct $a,b\ne e$, possible because $|G|>2$. By iii, $a$ and $b$ commute, and $a^2=b^2=e$. The four elementsare distinct: $ab=e$ would give $a=b$, while $ab=a$ or $ab=b$ would make $b=e$ or $a=e$. Commutativity and $a^2=b^2=e$ show that products stay in $H$, and every element is its own inverse. More explicitly,is a group isomorphism, with addition of exponents modulo two. Hence $G$ contains a subgroup isomorphic to the Klein four-group.

The converse is false. The direct product of groups $C_2\times C_2\times C_3$ contains $C_2\times C_2\times \{e\}$, but it has elements of order of a group element three. Thus the existence of the specified subgroup does not force every nonidentity element to have order of a group element two.