Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2025/iii/paper-111/1/d/solution

If a finitely generated Coxeter group is finite, its integer-valued Coxeter length has a maximum. Conversely, if some has globally maximal length , every group element has a word of length at most . There are only finitely many words of bounded length in the finite set of simple generators, so is finite.
Realize the finite group as the reflection group of a root system with fundamental system and positive system . Maximality and the fact that multiplication by a simple generator changes Coxeter length by one give
The positive-root criterion for Coxeter length therefore gives . Since is itself fundamental, it must be the simple system of the positive system .
If is another maximal-length element, the same argument gives . Hence stabilizes , and part c gives . The Longest element of a finite Coxeter group is therefore unique.
Solved by gpt-5.6-sol high.

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