Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2022 / ia / Paper 3 / 5E / Solution

A group action of $G$ on $X$ is a map $(g,x)\mapsto gx$ such that $ex=x$ and $(gh)x=g(hx)$. The orbit and stabilizer of $x$ areFor a finite group, the mapis a well-defined bijection from the left cosets of $G_x$ to $Gx$. Each coset has $|G_x|$ elements, so the orbit-stabilizer theorem is

The Cauchy theorem for groups says that if a prime number $p$ divides $|G|$, then $G$ has an element of order $p$. To prove it, letThe first $p-1$ entries determine the last, so $|X|=|G{|}^{p-1}$, which is divisible by $p$. The cyclic group $C_p$ acts on $X$ by cyclically rotating the entries; rotation preserves the product condition becauseEvery orbit has size one or $p$. The fixed points are exactly the tuples $(g,\dots ,g)$ with $g^p=e$. Their number is therefore divisible by $p$. Since the identity gives one fixed point, there is another, and its entry has order $p$.

Now let $|G|=33$. Cauchy's theorem gives a subgroup $H$ of order $11$. Let $H$ act by the conjugation action on the set $\mathcal{X}$ of subgroups of order $11$. It fixes $H$. If it also fixed $K\ne H$, then $H$ would normalize $K$; since $H\cap K=\{e\}$, the product $HK$ would be a subgroup of order $121$, which is impossible. Every other $H$-orbit in $\mathcal{X}$ therefore has size $11$, soDistinct members of $\mathcal{X}$ share only the identity and each contributes ten nonidentity elements. Hence $1+10|\mathcal{X}|\le 33$, forcing $|\mathcal{X}|=1$. Thus $H$ is a normal subgroup.

Conjugation now defines a group homomorphismBecause $H\cong C_{11}$, its automorphism group has order $10$. By the Lagrange theorem, the image has order dividing both $33$ and $10$, so the image is trivial and $H$ lies in the center of $G$. Cauchy's theorem also supplies $x$ of order $3$. If $h$ generates $H$, then $h$ and $x$ commute and $hx$ has order $\mathrm{lcm}(11,3)=33$. Therefore

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