Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2014/ia/paper-3/5d/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 3 5D ii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Place the cube at the origin with face normals , and label opposite faces by . Every cube symmetry is a signed permutation matrix: there are choices. Its group action on faces is faithful because fixing all faces fixes all their normal directions. Central inversion exchanges every opposite pair and therefore acts as . Since commutes with every linear cube symmetry, the face-action image lies in . The preceding count gives , so the faithful face action is onto this centraliser:For the remaining isomorphism, let be the rotational symmetry group of a cube. Half the signed permutation matrices have determinant , so . Central inversion has determinant , and every orientation-reversing symmetry is for a unique . Since is central and , multiplication gives a direct product of groups:The group action of on the four body diagonals is faithful. To prove this, choose direction vectors . They span , and their only linear relation is that their sum is zero. A rotation fixing all four diagonal lines sends each listed vector to itself or its negative. Applying the relation forces all four signs to agree. The all-negative choice is , which is not in , so the rotation is the identity. Thus embeds in ; both have order , giving . Finally from part (i). ConsequentlyThe direct-product decomposition of the cube symmetry group supplies the second isomorphism, while the first comes from the specified face action.
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