Group Element to Power of Group Order is Identity

Theorem

Given gG with |G|=n for finite group G

g|G|=idG

Specific examples of this fact being useful include Fermat's little theorem and more generally Euler's theorem.

Of course, in an additive group, we use the notation

|G|g=idG.
Proof

This fact follows simply from the fact that the order of each group element divides the order of the group.

That is for any gG, since G is finite, and the powers up to order in group are distinct, g must have finite order (there are not infinitely many unique elements). Then since ord(G)|G|, we have that ord(G)k=|G| for some integer k. Then

gord(G)k=(gord(G))k=(idG)k=idG.