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Consider the following statements:

$S_1$: If a group $(G, *)$ is of order $n$, and $a \in G$ is such that $a^m = e$ for some integer $m \leq n$, then $m$ must divide $n$.

$S_2$: If a group $(G, *)$ is of even order, then there must be an element $a \in G$ such that $a \neq e$ and $a * a =e$.

Which of the statements is (are) correct?

  1. Only $S_1$
  2. Only $S_2$
  3. Both $S_1$ and $S_2$
  4. Neither $S_1$ and $S_2$
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$\underline{\textbf{Answer:}\Rightarrow}\;(3)$

$\underline{\textbf{Explanation:}\Rightarrow}$

$\underline{\textbf{Proof for statement}\;\mathbf{S_1:}}$

This is the same as proving $\mathbf n$ is a multiple of $\mathbf{O(g)}$.

Let $\mathbf{g^n =e}$, so $\mathbf g$ has a finite order, say $\mathbf{m = O(g)}$.

By the division algorithm, there exist, unique integers $\mathbf {r,\;q}\in \mathbb Z$ such that:

$\mathrm {n = mq + r},\;\;\;\mathbf{0 \le r <m}$

Now, $\mathrm{e = g^n = g^{mq+r} = g^{mq}.g^r = \left (g^m \right )^q.g^r = e^q.g^r = eg^r = g^r}$

$\therefore \mathrm{g^r = e}$, but $\mathbf m$ is the smallest prositive integer such that: $\mathbf{g^m = e}$ and $\mathbf{r < m}$, this makes $\mathbf{r = 0}$

Then, $\mathbf{mq + 0}\Rightarrow \mathbf{n = mq}$

$\Rightarrow \mathbf{ m\mid n}$

$\therefore \mathbf{O(g)\mid n}$


$\underline{\textbf{Proof for statement}\;\mathbf{S_2:}}$

On pairing the each element of $\mathbf G$ with its inverse, and observing that:

$\mathrm{g^2 \neq e \iff g \neq g^{-1} \iff \text{there exists the pair} (g, g^{-1})}$

Now, $\because $ there is one element left which has no pairing, that is $\mathbf {e}\;\;,\text{($\because e = e^{-1} \iff e^2 = e$ )}$

Then, $\because$ the number of elements of $\mathbf{G}$ is even there $\color{red}{\textbf{must}}$ be at least one element more, let $\mathbf{e \neq a, a \in G}$, without pairing.

$\therefore \mathbf{a = a^{-1} \iff a^2 = e}$

$\therefore $ Both the statements are true and the correct option is $\mathbf{(3)}$

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