# Are the orders of these group elements relatively prime?

Suppose that $a$ and $b$ are elements of finite order in a group such that $ab=ba$ and $\langle a \rangle \cap \langle b \rangle = \{e\}$.

Is this true or false: 'the orders of $a$ and $b$ are relatively prime'.

-
the condition on <a>\cap <b> is missing. –  Ittay Weiss Jan 9 '13 at 9:45
what do you mean? :) $\langle a \rangle$ mean subgroup generated by a –  chihiroasleaf Jan 9 '13 at 9:46
what do you mean by "ab=ba and <a>\cap <b>"? I understand what ab=ba means but what else are you trying to say? –  Ittay Weiss Jan 9 '13 at 9:48
ahh..., sorry... it's not complete... $\langle a \rangle \cap \langle b \rangle = e$ it's what I mean... –  chihiroasleaf Jan 9 '13 at 9:49
please edit your post then (and you mean <a>\cap <b>={e}) –  Ittay Weiss Jan 9 '13 at 9:51

Consider the Klein Group: $$V=\{e,a,b,c\}$$ where in $$a^2=b^2=c^2=1$$ and $$ab=ba=c,bc=cb=a,ca=ac=b$$ We have $|a|=|b|=|c|=2$ and we can see that $$\langle a\rangle=\{e,a\}\\ \langle b\rangle=\{e,b\}\\ \langle c\rangle=\{e,c\}$$ Now, check if your claim is true or not.
This example generalises. If $G$ is the direct product of the cyclic groups $A=\langle a\rangle$ and $B=\langle b\rangle$, $G=A\times B$, then $ab=ba$ and $A\cap B=1$. In the example here, $A$ and $B$ are both cyclic of order two. –  user1729 Jan 9 '13 at 11:38