Let G be a group and a,b €G. If o(a)=3 and aba^-1=b^2. Find o(b) if b ...
Solution:
To find the order of element b, we need to find the smallest positive integer n such that b^n = e, where e is the identity element of the group G.
Given that aba^(-1) = b^2, we can manipulate this equation to obtain a^2ba^(-2) = b^2.
Let's consider the expression a^2ba^(-2). We know that o(a) = 3, which means a^3 = e (the identity element). Therefore, we can rewrite a^2ba^(-2) as a^3ba^(-3).
Now, let's multiply both sides of the equation a^3ba^(-3) = b^2 by a to obtain a^4ba^(-3) = ab^2.
Since a^3 = e, we can simplify the equation further to obtain aba^(-3) = ab^2.
Next, we can multiply both sides of the equation aba^(-3) = ab^2 by a^3 to obtain a^4ba^(-3) = a^4b^2.
Since a^3 = e, we can simplify the equation further to obtain aba = a^4b^2.
Now, let's multiply both sides of the equation aba = a^4b^2 by b to obtain abab = a^4b^3.
Since b is not the identity element, we can cancel b from both sides of the equation to obtain aba = a^4b^2.
We can rewrite this equation as a^(-1)aba = a^3b^2.
Since o(a) = 3, we know that a^3 = e. Therefore, we can simplify the equation further to obtain a^(-1)aba = eb^2.
Finally, we can cancel a from both sides of the equation to obtain ba = eb^2.
Since eb^2 = b^2, we have ba = b^2.
Now, let's consider the equation ba = b^2. We can rewrite this equation as ba = b*b.
If we multiply both sides of the equation ba = b*b by b^(-1), we obtain bab^(-1) = b.
Since aba^(-1) = b^2, we know that bab^(-1) = b^2.
Therefore, we have b^2 = b, which means b is idempotent.
Since b is not the identity element, the order of b cannot be 1.
To find the order of b, we can consider the powers of b: b, b^2, b^3, ...
If we continue to raise b to higher powers, we will eventually reach a power n such that b^n = e, where e is the identity element.
Therefore, the order of b is the smallest positive integer n such that b^n = e.
By examining the equation b^2 = b, we can see that b^2 = b*b = b.
Therefore, b^2 = b implies that b^3 = b^2*b = b*b*b = b^2 = b.
Similarly, b^4 = b^3*b = b*b = b^2 = b.
We can continue this pattern and observe that b^n = b for all positive integers n.
Therefore, the order of b is