Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-groups-and-representations-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2024/3/a/solution

For a real linear change of coordinates , one has . The Euclidean metric therefore transforms to
It agrees with for every displacement precisely when . For example, equality of the associated quadratic forms determines their symmetric coefficient matrices by polarization identity. The orthogonal group is defined by this condition, so
Taking determinants gives . Thus these matrices are invertible automatically; both signs of the determinant are allowed, since the metric alone does not specify an orientation.

New to topics? Read the docs here!