Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2026 / iii / Paper 111 / 1 / e / Solution

By the assumed transitivity on fundamental systems, some $w_0\in W$ sends $\Delta$ to $-\Delta$. It therefore sends the entire positive system of a root system $\Pi$ to $-\Pi$. Part d then givesFor every $w\in W$, its inversion set is contained in $\Pi$, so $\ell (w)\le |\Pi |$ and $w_0$ has maximal length.

If $u$ also has maximal length, then $N(u)=\Pi$, so $u(\Pi )=-\Pi$. Hence $w_0^{-1}u$ preserves $\Pi$ and has no inversions. Part d makes its Coxeter length zero, so it is the identity. Thus $u=w_0$, proving that the longest element of a finite Coxeter group is unique and has length $|\Phi |/2$.