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Algebra Difficulty 5.1 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

Let (G,)(G, \cdot) be a group with no elements of order 44, and let f:GGf : G \rightarrow G be a group morphism such that f(x){x,x1}f(x) \in \{x, x^{-1}\}, for all xGx \in G. Prove that either f(x)=xf(x) = x for all xGx \in G, or f(x)=x1f(x) = x^{-1} for all xGx \in G.

Solution

Assume, by way of contradiction, that there exist a,bGa, b \in G such that f(a)=aa1f(a) = a \neq a^{-1} and f(b)=b1bf(b) = b^{-1} \neq b. Then f(ab)=f(a)f(b)=ab1abf(ab) = f(a)f(b) = ab^{-1} \neq ab, therefore f(ab)=(ab)1=b1a1f(ab) = (ab)^{-1} = b^{-1}a^{-1}. It follows that ab1=b1a1ab^{-1} = b^{-1}a^{-1}, which implies b1=ab1ab^{-1} = ab^{-1}a.

Next, f(ab2)=f(a)f2(b)=ab2f(ab^2) = f(a)f^2(b) = ab^{-2}. If f(ab2)=ab2f(ab^2) = ab^2, then ab2=ab2ab^{-2} = ab^2, therefore either b2=eb^2 = e, which contradicts bb1b \neq b^{-1}, or ord(b)=4\text{ord}(b) = 4, which is impossible. Thus, f(ab2)=(ab2)1=b2a1f(ab^2) = (ab^2)^{-1} = b^{-2}a^{-1}, hence ab2=b2a1ab^{-2} = b^{-2}a^{-1}. It follows that ab2a=b2=(b1)2=ab1aab1aab^{-2}a = b^{-2} = (b^{-1})^2 = ab^{-1}aab^{-1}a, so a2=ea^2 = e, again a contradiction.

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