Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2016/paper-2/8/c/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2016 Paper 2 8 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
For every positive integer , the group laws give . ConsequentlyThe sets of positive exponents returning the two elements to the identity element are identical. If this set is nonempty, its least member is the order of a group element in both cases. If it is empty, neither element has finite order. Therefore, including the infinite-order case,For a direct divisibility argument in the finite case, if has order , then , so its inverse’s order divides . Reversing the roles shows divides that order, forcing equality. This is the general fact that an element and its inverse have the same order; it also reflects as cyclic subgroups.
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