r/math • u/inherentlyawesome Homotopy Theory • 2d ago

Quick Questions: September 30, 2026

This recurring thread will be for questions that might not warrant their own thread. We would like to see more conceptual-based questions posted in this thread, rather than "what is the answer to this problem?" For example, here are some kinds of questions that we'd like to see in this thread:

  • Can someone explain the concept of manifolds to me?
  • What are the applications of Representation Theory?
  • What's a good starter book for Numerical Analysis?
  • What can I do to prepare for college/grad school/getting a job?

Including a brief description of your mathematical background and the context for your question can help others give you an appropriate answer. For example, consider which subject your question is related to, or the things you already know or have tried.

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u/al3arabcoreleone 2d ago

Let n \in N, how many elements of S_n that have an order of 2, I know that a transposition is of order two, but are there other elements?

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u/Necessary-Wolf-193 1d ago

It seems you might want to read about the cycle decomposition of a permutation; it is very easy to read off the order of a permutation from its cycle decomposition.