9.

NORMAL SUBGROUPS AND FACTOR GROUPS 127

Theorem (9.5 — Cauchy’s Theorem for Abelian groups). Let G be a finite

Abelian group and let p be a prime such that p |G|. Then G has an element
of order p.
Proof.
Clearly, the theorem is true if |G| = 2. We use the Second Principle of Induction
on |G|. Assume the staement is true for all Abelian groups with order less than
|G|. [To show, based on the induction assumption, that the statement holds
for G also.]
Now G must have elements of prime order: if |x| = m and m = qn, where q is
prime, then |xn| = q. Let x be an element of prime order q. If q = p, we are
finished, so assume q 6= p.
Since every subgroup of an Abelian group is normal, we may construct G =
|G|
G/hxi. Then G is Abelian and p |G|, since |G| = . By induction, then, G
q
has an element – call it yhxi – of order p.
For the conclusion of the proof we use the following Lemma: ⇤
Lemma (Page 204 # 67). Suppose H C G, G finite. If G/H has an
element of order n, G has an element of order n.
Proof.
Suppose |gH| = n. Suppose |g| = m. Then (gH)m = g mH = eH = H, so by
Corollary 2 to Theorem 4.1, n|m. [We just proved Page 202 # 37.] Then
9 t 2 Z 3 m = |g| = nt = |gH|t
so, by Theorem 4.2,
m m
|g t| = = = n.
gcd(m, t) t
⇤
Example. Consider, for k 2 Z, hki C Z. 1 + hki 2 Z/hki with |1 + hki| =
k, but all elements of Z have infinite order, so the assumption that G must be
finite in the Lemma is necessary.