Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/ib/paper-3/2a/solution

Choose orthonormal coordinates with origin and horizontal axis . The Euclidean reflection and planar rotation have matrices
Their function composition therefore satisfies the composition of a plane rotation and a reflection identity
Conjugating by a planar rotation transports the horizontal reflection axis to the line at angle . Equivalently, the vector is fixed, whereas its perpendicular is sent to . Consequently the fixed line is the line through obtained by rotating through , and is reflection in that line. Angles of an unoriented line are understood modulo , so this description is independent of the representative chosen for modulo .

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