\documentclass[10pt,a4paper]{report} \usepackage[latin1]{inputenc} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \author{-} \begin{document} First, let $\pi$ be some K-cycle on $[n] = \lbrace 1, \ldots, n \rbrace$ \[ \pi = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 2 & \ldots & k & k+1 & \ldots & n \\ 2 & 3 & \ldots & 1 & k+1 & \ldots & n \end{pmatrix} \] Let $\langle a, b \rangle$ be the transposition that switches the contents of $a$ and $b$. By hypothesis $\pi$ is generated by DISTINCT switches on $[n]$. \\ \\ Introduce two ``new bodies'' $\lbrace x, y \rbrace$ and write \[ \pi^\star = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 2 & \ldots & k & k+1 & \ldots & n & x & y \\ 2 & 3 & \ldots & 1 & k+1 & \ldots & n & x & y \end{pmatrix} \] For any $i = 1, \ldots , k$ let $\sigma$ be the (L-to-R) series of switches \[ \sigma = \left(\langle x, 1 \rangle \langle x, 2 \rangle \ldots \langle x, i \rangle \right) \left( \langle y, i+1 \rangle \langle y, i+2 \rangle \ldots \langle y, k \rangle \right) \left( \langle x, i+1 \rangle \right) \left( \langle y, i \rangle \right) \] Note each switch exchanges an element of $[n]$ with one of $\lbrace x, y \rbrace$ so they're all distinct from the switches within $[n]$ that generated $\pi$, and also from $\langle x, y \rangle$. By routine verification, \[ \pi^\star \sigma = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 2 & \ldots & n & x & y \\ 1 & 2 & \ldots & n & y & x \end{pmatrix} \] i.e. $\sigma$ inverts the K-cycle and leaves $x$ and $y$ switches (without performing $\langle x, y \rangle$). \\ \\ Now let $\pi$ be an ARBITRARY permutation on $[n]$: it consists of disjoint (nontrivial) cycles, and each can be inverted as above in sequence, after which $x$ and $y$ can be switched if necessary via $\lbrace x, y \rbrace$, as was desired \end{document}