Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2008/ii/paper-1/32d/a/solution

Write , so . Repeated use of the product rule for the commutator gives . Summing the exponential series yields
These manipulations hold for bounded operators, or as identities on a common invariant domain where the series and derivatives are justified.
The same commutation relation implies : its derivative is and its initial value is . Put . Then
For the specified , the operator commutes with . Indeed conjugation by sends to , and subsequent conjugation by restores . Therefore
so . At this proves the central-commutator case of the Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formula:
The last equality holds because commutes with .

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