Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2014/paper-2/9/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2014 Paper 2 9 ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
The relation implies . Move each reflection generator to the right in any word, cancel pairs using , and reduce exponents modulo . Every element then has a normal form or , .
For the actual symmetry group of a regular polygon these are distinct rotations and distinct reflections. The determinant distinguishes rotations from reflections in the planar action. Hence the source's dihedral group has order , with its subscript counting polygon vertices. The calculations below use that convention.
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