Proof Verification: Group Theory (Exponent Properties)

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Can anyone please verify this proof:

Prove that $(g^m)^n = (g)^{mn}$

Proof: $(g^m)^n = \underbrace{g^m*g^m....*g^m}_{\text{n times}}$

$= \underbrace{[\underbrace{(g*g*g...*g)}_{\text{m times}}*\underbrace{(g*g*g...*g)}_{\text{m times}}....\underbrace{(g*g*g...*g)]}_{\text{m times}}}_{\text{n times}}$

Then this is $m$ $g's$ $n$ times

$= g^{mn}$

Does this proof work? If not, then what alternative proof is there? Thanks.

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This is the basic idea, yes. You might want to write it out as an induction proof, as an exercise. That's the usual way of taking "$\cdots$" out of proofs.

In this case, it's clear that $(g^{m})^1=g^{m\cdot 1}$ (because both expressions are simply equal to $g^m$). So you can assume that, for some $n$, we have $(g^m)^n=g^{mn}$, and then use that to show that $(g^m)^{n+1}=g^{m(n+1)}$. You'll want to use a theorem telling you that $g^ag^b=g^{a+b}$. Have you got that available?