diff --git a/src/automorphism_groups.jl b/src/automorphism_groups.jl
index e214c44..b7d9644 100644
--- a/src/automorphism_groups.jl
+++ b/src/automorphism_groups.jl
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using Permutations
 
+import Base: convert
 export AutSymbol, AutWord, rmul_AutSymbol, lmul_AutSymbol, flip_AutSymbol, symmetric_AutSymbol
 
 immutable AutSymbol <: GSymbol
@@ -36,8 +37,7 @@ function change_pow(s::AutSymbol, n::Int)
     end
 end
 
-inv(f::AutSymbol) = change_pow(f, -1*f.pow)
-(^)(s::AutSymbol, n::Integer) = change_pow(s, s.pow*n)
+inv(f::AutSymbol) = change_pow(f, -f.pow)
 
 function rmul_AutSymbol(i,j; pow::Int=1)
     gen = string('ϱ',Char(8320+i), Char(8320+j)...)
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ end
 
 typealias AutWord GWord{AutSymbol}
 
+convert(::Type{AutWord}, s::AutSymbol) = GWord(s)
+
 function simplify_perms!(W::AutWord)
     reduced = true
     for i in 1:length(W.symbols) - 1
diff --git a/src/free_groups.jl b/src/free_groups.jl
index 8e34932..bc149f5 100644
--- a/src/free_groups.jl
+++ b/src/free_groups.jl
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ hash(s::FGSymbol, h::UInt) = hash(s.gen, hash(s.pow, hash(:FGSymbol, h)))
 IdSymbol(::Type{FGSymbol}) = FGSymbol("(id)", 0)
 FGSymbol(x::String) = FGSymbol(x,1)
 
-inv(s::FGSymbol) = FGSymbol(s.gen, -s.pow)
 convert(::Type{FGSymbol}, x::String) = FGSymbol(x)
 change_pow(s::FGSymbol, n::Int) = (n==0 ? i=one(s) : FGSymbol(s.gen, n))
+inv(s::FGSymbol) = change_pow(s, -s.pow)
 
 typealias FGWord GWord{FGSymbol}