If g^2 = e for all g in G, then G is abelian

If g2=eg^2 = e for all gg in GG, then GG is abelian

Proof. Assume that for all gg in GG that g2=eg^2 = e holds. Let a,bGa,b \in G. Then since GG is a group, we know that abGab \in G. Further, we know that a2=ea^2 = e and that b2=eb^2 = e. Now take (ab)2=abab(ab)^2 = abab. Because (ab)2=e(ab)^2 = e, we have that abab=eabab = e. Now, multiply b1a1b^{-1}a^{-1} on both sides on the right side of abab=eabab = e, then we get ab=b1a1ab = b^{-1}a^{-1}. As a2=ea^2 = e, we have that a=a1a = a^{-1}. The same holds argument for bb. So we get ab=b1a1=baab = b^{-1}a^{-1} = ba. Wrapping everything together, we can write the proof as
(ab)2=e    abab=e    ababb1=b1    aba=b1    abaa1=b1a1    ab=b1a1    ab=babecause a=a1 and b=b1.\begin{align*} (ab)^2 = e &\iff abab = e \\ &\iff ababb^{-1} = b^{-1} \\ &\iff aba = b^{-1} \\ &\iff abaa^{-1} = b^{-1}a^{-1} \\ &\iff ab = b^{-1}a^{-1} \\ &\iff ab = ba \quad \text{because } a = a^{-1} \text{ and } b = b^{-1}. \end{align*}

Leave a Reply