Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2010/ii/paper-2/3f/solution

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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