For a transitive finite -set with at least two points, the augmentation subrepresentation of a permutation representation is irreducible if and only if the action is two-transitive. Indeed, writing the permutation character as givesThe augmentation subrepresentation is irreducible exactly when this norm is two. By the character norm of a permutation representation, that means that the diagonal and the off-diagonal are the only two orbits on , which is exactly two-transitivity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 3 19I b i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The vectoris fixed by every element of , so is a trivial representation. The coefficient-sum subspaceis also -invariant, and every vector has a unique decomposition into a constant vector and an element of . HenceHere is the augmentation subrepresentation of a permutation representation.