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The longest element of a finite Weyl group is the element sending all positive roots of a root system to negative roots. It is the longest element of a finite Coxeter group. For the G2 root system it is $-I$: its twelve roots form two hexagons, and the dihedral reflection group of a root system contains the rotation through $\pi$. It determines the highest weight of a dual representation.

The reflection group of a root system isEvery generating reflection permutes $\Phi$, so every $w\in W(\Phi )$ does too. If $\Delta$ is fundamental, then $w\Delta$ is a basis contained in $\Phi$. Writingshows thatthe coefficients are unchanged and therefore still have one sign. Thus $w\Delta$ is another fundamental system, and $W(\Phi )$ acts on the set of all fundamental systems.

If a finitely generated Coxeter group $W$ is finite, its integer-valued Coxeter length has a maximum. Conversely, if some $w_0$ has globally maximal length $N$, every group element has a word of length at most $N$. There are only finitely many words of bounded length in the finite set of simple generators, so $W$ is finite.

Realize the finite group as the reflection group of a root system with fundamental system $\Delta$ and positive system $\Pi$. Maximality and the fact that multiplication by a simple generator changes Coxeter length by one giveThe positive-root criterion for Coxeter length therefore gives $w_0\Delta \subseteq -\Pi$. Since $w_0\Delta$ is itself fundamental, it must be the simple system $-\Delta$ of the positive system $-\Pi$.

If $v_0$ is another maximal-length element, the same argument gives $v_0\Delta =-\Delta =w_0\Delta$. Hence $v_0^{-1}{w}_0$ stabilizes $\Delta$, and part c gives $v_0^{-1}{w}_0=1$. The longest element of a finite Coxeter group is therefore unique.