Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/iii/paper-4/3/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 4 3 ii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Number the simple roots of the G2 root system so that is short and is long. In the Euclidean plane chooseTheir squared lengths are one and three, and their angle is degrees. The six positive roots areTogether with their negatives these form the twelve-root diagram: two regular hexagons of radii one and , rotated by degrees relative to one another. Solving the fundamental weight equations givesIn particular is the highest short root and the highest long root. The root diagram below marks both weights.
To evaluate the Weyl dimension formula, put , and . The Weyl vector is . In the order of positive roots listed above, their coroots have simple-coroot coefficient pairsFor example the short root has coroot , while the long root has coroot . Pairing with and dividing by the same factors at gives the G2 dimension polynomialThe denominator is . As checks, the fundamental representations have dimensions seven and fourteen, and gives the trivial representation of dimension one.
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