Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 ia Paper 3 7E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Lagrange's theorem states that for a subgroup of a finite group , ; in particular divides . This follows by partitioning into cosets, each in bijection with .
If is prime, take any . Its cyclic subgroup has order dividing , but its order is not one. Thus it has order and equals . HenceThis describes a single group isomorphism type for each prime.
Now let have order , and let be any subgroup. Choose the least positive integer with ; this exists because , even when is trivial. Divide with . Since , minimality forces , so divides . Likewise, dividing an exponent for any shows . Therefore .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 ia Paper 3 6D i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Always true. Suppose . If is nontrivial, let be the least positive integer with . For any , divide with . Since , minimality forces . Hence is a cyclic group. The trivial subgroup is cyclic as well. Every coset in is , so the quotient group is generated by . This proves the subgroups and quotients of a cyclic group assertion.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2005 Paper 2 9 Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
A group homomorphism preserves multiplication, . A group isomorphism is a bijective homomorphism. An isomorphism from a group to itself is a group automorphism.
The automorphism group contains the identity map. Composition is associative, and if are automorphisms, ; composition is also bijective. For and , , proving the inverse bijection is a homomorphism. These facts establish all group axioms.
A finite cyclic group is with of order . The map is well defined modulo , bijective onto the roots of unity, and preserves multiplication. It identifies with the multiplicative group of th roots of unity.
For prime , Lagrange's theorem leaves only subgroup orders one and : there is no nontrivial proper subgroup. The trivial subgroup is nevertheless proper when , so that qualification is necessary in the printed claim. The characterization of groups with no proper nontrivial subgroups makes the distinction explicit.
For composite , choose a prime divisor and take , of orders and . They are distinct proper subgroups, with nontrivial. If the question intended two nontrivial proper subgroups, that demand is not always possible: a cyclic group of order has only the one of order . The subgroups and quotients of a cyclic group are controlled by its divisors. The order-one group is a separate trivial case, with no proper subgroups.
For the intended finite nontrivial case, let have composite order . Choose a prime divisor of , with . Thenis a nontrivial proper cyclic subgroup of order . Indeed , and no smaller positive power is the identity because has order . Thus .
If the source also allows an infinite cyclic group, is a proper cyclic subgroup: its powers have even exponents and do not include . The trivial group, of order one, is an exception to the literal formulation “not of prime order”: it has no proper subgroup at all. The nontriviality assumption is therefore necessary for that general wording. These facts are instances of subgroups and quotients of a cyclic group.