Non-trivial cyclic group with unique generator

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Let $G$ be a non-trivial cyclic group with an unique generator.

Show that $G$ has exactly two elements.


Let $g$ be a generator of $G$. My first idea to approach the problem was to show that if $|G|=n > 2$ then there is an integer $k$ between 1 and $n$ such that $\langle g^k \rangle = G$ or, equivalently, $g \in \langle g^k \rangle$.

My second idea was to analyse the problem in 2 separate cases. For the first one, if $n$ is prime, let $k$ be a positive integer then, by Lagrange's Theorem, $|g^k| \mid n$ and, therefore, $\langle g^k \rangle = n$. Hence, we must conclude that, if $n > 2$ the generator cannot be unique.

For the second case, where $n$ is composite, I was hoping to get to a contradiction, but could not advance any further. Is there a way to develop either of these ideas or is it necessary a new approach?

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Hint: show that if $G=\langle g\rangle$ then we also have $G=\langle g^{-1}\rangle$. If G has a unique generator, then that element must be its own inverse, so the group has order 2.