Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2008/ii/paper-1/32d/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2008 ii Paper 1 32D a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Write , so . Repeated use of the product rule for the commutator gives . Summing the exponential series yieldsThese 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 . ThenFor the specified , the operator commutes with . Indeed conjugation by sends to , and subsequent conjugation by restores . Thereforeso . At this proves the central-commutator case of the Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formula:The last equality holds because commutes with .
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