Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2004/iii/paper-2/3/d/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 2 3 d Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
By 3(a), identify with and let . Four-transitivity means is transitive on ordered triples of distinct nonzero vectors, and in particular on ordered pairs of distinct nonzero vectors.
If and , the pairs with and with linearly independent cannot be interchanged by a linear map. Thus if . Then , whereas pair-transitivity on the nonzero points requires . This forces , incompatible with four-transitivity, whose degree is at least four.
Hence . If , the triples and for linearly independent cannot be interchanged: the first is linearly dependent and the second is not. Thus . The general affine group has order . Four-transitivity on four points requires , and . Consequently
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