Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2025/paper-2/10/c/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2025 Paper 2 10 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
For the symmetric group representation in part (a), the identity and three transpositions contribute to . The two 3-cycles contribute . ThusMore generally, the central average of representation matrices at squares commutes with the representation, because conjugation permutes the summands. For a complex irreducible representation, Schur's lemma therefore gives . Taking the trace yields , proving the claimed formula under its correct hypotheses.
For the Klein four-group there is no two-dimensional irreducible representation, as established in part (b). Its genuine one-dimensional irreducibles have and , so .
If the intended alternative is the real quarter-turn representation of the cyclic group of order four, its squared matrices sum to . Thus in that example. This equality is a direct calculation; the complex version of Schur's lemma cannot be applied to its reducible complexification.
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