Assignment 1 Question 1

Let G be a Group. The axioms of a group merely require that there exists an identity element 1 G.
Prove that the identity element is unique. Also prove that every element 1 G has a unique inverse g 1 .

i) We wish to show that the Identity element in a Group is unique.

Suppose we have two unique identity elements, e1 , e2 G
From this we say that:

e1 6= e2
From this we can say the following:
e1 = e1
e1 e2 = e1 e2
e1 e2 = e2 e1
As e1 and e2 are both Identity elements:
e1 = e2

ii) Now to show that every element in g has a unique inverse in G.

We choose an arbitrary element g G, as we know G to be a group we know an inverse exists, we

suppose G has two inverses: g11 , g21 G
Let us first make the assumption that g11 6= g21

We have the following:

1=1
(g g1 ) = (g g21 )
1

From Inverse in G
g1 (g g11 ) = g11 (g g21 )
1

From Commutativity in G
(g11 g) g11 = (g11 g) g21
From Inverse in G
(1) g11 = (1) g21
From Identity in G
g11 = g21

This contradicts our original assumption that g11 6= g21 and so g11 = g21 which shows that the inverse
in G is unique.