Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2024 / Paper 2 / 8

The group order is its cardinality, $\boxed{|G|=\#\{g:g\in G\}}$. The order of a group element $g$ iswhere $e$ is the identity element. In a finite group such an $n$ always exists, since two nonnegative powers of $g$ must coincide.

Lagrange's theorem states that for a subgroup $H$ of a finite group $G$,The left cosets of $H$ partition $G$, and multiplication by a coset representative is a bijection from $H$ onto that coset, explaining the formula. If $|G|=p$ is prime, then $|H|$ is either $1$ or $p$, so $H=\{e\}$ or $H=G$. Thus the correct conclusion is no proper nontrivial subgroup. The trivial subgroup $\{e\}$ is proper for every group of prime order, so the wording in the question needs this qualification.

Let $d=\mathrm{ord}(g)$. The powersare distinct: equality of two with exponents between $0$ and $d-1$ would give a smaller positive power equal to $e$. Reducing exponents modulo $d$ proves closure and supplies inverses, so this is a cyclic subgroup of group order $d$. Lagrange's theorem now gives

Choose $g\ne e$ in a group of prime group order $p$. Its order of a group element divides $p$ by (c) and is not $1$, hence equals $p$. Consequently its cyclic subgroup already contains all elements of $G$:Thus every nonidentity element is a group generator.

By (d), every group of group order three is a cyclic group. Writing its elements as $e,a,a^2$, every product is determined by $a^3=e$; the multiplication table isThe map $a^j\mapsto j(\mathrm{mod}3)$ is a bijective group homomorphism to addition modulo three. Thereforeso there is exactly one such group up to isomorphism.

Closure of the componentwise operation follows from closure in each factor. For three pairs, associativity holds coordinatewise:The identity element is $(e_1,e_2)$ and the inverse element of $(g_1,g_2)$ is $(g_1^{-1},g_2^{-1})$. These verify all group axioms for the direct product of groups. Counting independent choices givesThe subset $N=G_1\times \{e_2\}$ contains the identity and is closed under products and inverses, so it is a subgroup. For any $x=(a,b)$ in the product and $(g,e_2)\in N$,Conjugation by $x^{-1}$ gives the reverse inclusion, and henceThis is the definition of a normal subgroup.