I feel so lost on finding the order of a permutation. I understand the definition is the # of transpositions it can be "broken down" into, but how do I go about actually finding these transpositions?
For instance:
Find the order of (1 2 5)(3 4), (1 2 5)(3 4 7), and (1 2 4)(3 4 7 8 9).
Is there a "trick" to finding these orders? I have an exam next week on this material and I really need some help understanding it. Thanks!
EDIT: I have the solutions (6, 3, and 7), but I don't know how the book got to these answers.