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Algebra Difficulty 5.1 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

Let GG be a group and let mm and nn be relatively prime positive integers. Show that, if the functions f:GGf: G \to G, f(x)=xm+1f(x) = x^{m+1}, and g:GGg: G \to G, g(x)=xn+1g(x) = x^{n+1}, are both surjective endomorphisms, then GG is commutative.
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Solution

Since ff is a morphism, (xy)m+1=xm+1ym+1(xy)^{m+1} = x^{m+1}y^{m+1}, so (yx)m=xmym(yx)^m = x^m y^m for all xx and all yy in GG. Further, ym+1xm+1=(yx)m+1=(yx)m(yx)=(xmym)(yx)=xmym+1xy^{m+1}x^{m+1} = (yx)^{m+1} = (yx)^m(yx) = (x^m y^m)(yx) = x^m y^{m+1}x, so ym+1xm=xmym+1y^{m+1}x^m = x^m y^{m+1}. Since ff is surjective, the latter shows that xmx^m is in the center of GG. Similarly, xnx^n is in the center of GG. Finally, since mm is coprime to nn, it follows that every element of GG is in the center, so GG is commutative.

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