Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2010/ii/paper-2/3f/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 ii Paper 2 3F Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Let and . The Euclidean isometry fixes the origin and preserves norms. The polarization identity therefore gives . In particular, are an orthonormal basis. The coefficients of in this basis are , so . Thus is a linear map represented by an orthogonal matrix, and . Conversely, every such map preserves distances because .
When , the real eigenvalues of the two-dimensional orthogonal matrix are . Choose corresponding unit eigenvectors , and write . In these coordinates . This is reflection in the line , followed by translation along that line. It is a Euclidean reflection if , and a glide reflection if .
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