Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 15 1 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Define the cotangent space and the cotangent bundle , with projection . A coordinate chart gives the dual basis . Write and define the induced local trivialization byIf and , the chain rule gives . Therefore the cotangent coordinate transition isThe inverse Jacobian matrix is smooth wherever its determinant is nonzero, so this transition and its inverse are smooth. The cocycle follows either from the chain rule or by dualizing the tangent transitions.
Use these product charts to define the topology and smooth atlas. The Hausdorff and second-countability arguments are the same as for the tangent bundle: separate distinct fibres using the base, separate distinct covectors in one product chart, and use a countable coordinate cover. The fibre transitions are smooth linear isomorphisms, so the projection is a smooth vector bundle of rank . Using every compatible base coordinate chart shows that this structure is natural and independent of chart choices.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 15 1 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Yes, the two real smooth vector bundles are isomorphic, although the choice is not canonical. A standard smooth manifold is Hausdorff and second countable, hence admits a smooth locally finite partition of unity. Choose Euclidean Riemannian metrics on coordinate neighborhoods and take their partition-of-unity sum. At each point at least one positive coefficient occurs, so the resulting smooth symmetric tensor is positive definite.
The resulting musical isomorphism isIt covers the identity of and is linear on every fibre. In coordinates it is , where is a smooth positive-definite matrix. Its inverse uses the smooth inverse matrix , giving the map . Thus it is a smooth vector bundle isomorphism.
The Riemannian metric supplies the extra choice: no positive-dimensional real vector space has a linear identification with its dual invariant under all changes of basis. Indeed a scalar change acts by on vectors and on covectors, so an equivariant map would satisfy for every , forcing . An isomorphism therefore exists without being a metric-free canonical one.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 15 2 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For fixed , the covariant derivative is linear in its tangent-vector input, so , , is a well-defined linear map. Its trace defines the divergence of a Riemannian vector field. In the given Riemannian orthonormal frame, write . The Levi-Civita connection product rule givesAt , the second sum vanishes by the normal orthonormal frame hypothesis. Thus the th diagonal coefficient of is , andEquivalently one can take ; the trace does not depend on the orthonormal basis chosen.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 2 2 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Fix the quantum enveloping algebra of sl2 conventionThe printed pair of matrices contains an error. On its first basis vector, the printed matrices give , whereas the defining commutator gives . Since is not a root of unity, : would give , and would give . Thus the two printed matrices cannot represent this algebra. Keeping the printed matrix requires exchanging the two nonzero entries of the printed matrix. We derive that corrected pair rather than assume a classification theorem.
As is not a root of unity, successive applications of multiply eigenvalues by . Finiteness of the spectrum therefore makes a nilpotent operator. Start from a eigenvector and apply until the last nonzero vector ; then and , with . The defining commutator gives the highest-weight string for quantum sl2For completeness, at this is the commutator applied to . To advance from to , write , use , and combine the two coefficients; their sum is the displayed coefficient at .
Let be the first index with . Such an index exists because nonzero have distinct eigenvalues . The linear span of is stable under , so simplicity makes it all of . The distinct eigenvalues make these vectors independent; hence . Applying the string formula to givesAs and , , so with .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 2 2 b Solution 2026-10-14
Use the comultiplication , , of the quantum enveloping algebra of sl2. Choose a basis for with , , and . Choose a basis for withand all terminal raising or lowering actions zero. This is one of the corrected bases from part (a).
In the tensor product of modules, putThe vector is killed by and has eigenvalue . Direct application of the comultiplication givesand the string formula gives , , . Also . Thus is a submodule isomorphic to .
The other highest vector and its lowered partner areIndeed , , , and . Therefore is a submodule isomorphic to .
To verify that this is a direct sum, in the weight space the determinant of the coefficients of is . In the weight space, the coefficient determinant of is . The extreme weight spaces are spanned by . Hence these six vectors form a basis of the entire tensor product of modules. Each summand is a simple module: projecting a nonzero vector onto one of its distinct weight spaces and applying the nonzero raising and lowering coefficients recovers its entire basis. Consequently
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 24 1 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Take two solid tori , each with a meridian-longitude basis on its boundary. Use opposite boundary-basis orientations on the two sides, so that a determinant-one coefficient matrix describes an orientation-reversing gluing map. For choose a torus homeomorphism inducingand define . The linear map on realizes the matrix. Torus homeomorphisms with the same action on first homology are isotopic, and an isotopy extends over a boundary collar, so the resulting three-manifold depends only on . Specifying opposite boundary conventions is necessary: gluing two identically oriented boundary bases by a determinant-one map would not describe the usual oriented gluing.
We now identify this gluing directly in the quotient from part (a). Split into the two invariant solid tori and . On write , . The quotient coordinatesidentify with . They are invariant under ; choosing a th root of reconstructs , and different choices are exactly the same cyclic orbit. Thus this is a genuine solid-torus coordinate model.
On the common boundary, measure arguments in turns as . Its quotient lattice isThe meridian and longitude of the first quotient torus can be chosen as and . They form a lattice basis, since . The meridian of the second torus is precisely that loop. Consequently
The determinant condition is . Put , so . On , the analogous quotient coordinates use and , and a longitude is . Choose its negative for the second boundary-basis convention. Thensince . Thus the two quotient tori are glued by exactly . This proves the genus-one gluing model of a lens space andDifferent choices of satisfying the determinant condition differ by . This changes by a meridional Dehn twist on , which extends over : in solid-torus coordinates it is . Therefore there is no hidden dependence on that choice of longitude.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 24 4 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Each component is an unknot, so its closed exterior is a solid torus. Choose the usual boundary basis , where is a meridian of the component and its Seifert longitude. In the exterior's fundamental group, generates and is trivial, since it bounds a meridian disk of that exterior.
Every essential embedded circle on a torus represents a primitive homology class with . If it bounds a disk in the exterior, it is null-homotopic there, so . Primitivity then forces . Essential simple curves of the same primitive unoriented slope on a torus are isotopic: lift them to the plane and straighten their parallel primitive lines, or cut the torus along one curve to obtain an annulus. ConsequentlyThis is the preferred longitude of an unknot. The disk is only required to lie in the complement of its own solid torus; it may meet the other link component, so no additional disjoint-disk assertion is being used.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 2 4 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Use the quantum plane and the quantum enveloping algebra of sl2 comultiplication from Question 2. The generator actions are , , , , , . Extend them by the module algebra rulesThese descend to : and , while preserves . For the ordered monomial basis, induction with gives the quantum enveloping algebra action on the quantum planeTerms with a negative exponent have zero coefficients and are interpreted as zero.
We now verify the defining relations explicitly on every basis vector, rather than infer them merely from the generator actions. The weight changes by under and under , so and . AlsoThe middle identity follows by inserting and cancelling the terms and ; the remaining numerator is . Finally . Thus all the rank-one defining relations hold. The phrase “Serre relations” here refers to these rank-one presentation relations; there are no additional relations involving distinct simple roots for .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 2 4 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 2 6 d Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Let be the supplied coevaluation morphism, , and let be the supplied evaluation morphism with diagonal coefficients . The tangle obtained by inserting the given crossing between the created strand and a through strand, then evaluating, is a removable curl. The first Reidemeister move gives the identityWe calculate this map on both basis vectors. The crossing matrix givesFor input , applying , then , then givesFor input , the off-diagonal evaluation vanishes and the result is . Therefore the removable-curl identity requiresSolve the first equation to obtain ; substitution in the second gives . HenceFinally the closed identity strand is represented by . Its value is , so the quantum dimension isIt is a weighted categorical contraction, rather than the ordinary vector space dimension . Using a framed category without imposing the removable-curl identity would require additional twist data; the ordinary tangle category and the specified crossing normalization determine these coefficients.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 52 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For a finite-dimensional Lie algebra, the Killing form is defined using the Adjoint representation on the algebra itself, rather than the given Lie algebra representation :The Jacobi identity gives . Using the cyclic property of the trace,The same trace identity makes the Killing form symmetric. For a basis , the lowered structure constants of a Lie algebra are . Antisymmetry of the Lie bracket gives , while invariance gives . The two adjacent transpositions generate every permutation, proving the antisymmetry of Killing-lowered structure constants: is totally antisymmetric, even if the Killing form is degenerate.
A semisimple Lie algebra has no nonzero solvable ideal; equivalently, its solvable radical is zero, or, in characteristic zero, its Killing form is nondegenerate. A real compact Lie algebra is the algebra of some compact Lie group, equivalently an algebra admitting a positive-definite invariant bilinear form on a Lie algebra. For a real semisimple Lie algebra the compactness criterion from the Killing form says precisely that is negative-definite. A compact algebra with a nonzero abelian center has a degenerate Killing form, so the semisimplicity qualification matters.
For a semisimple Lie algebra, let denote the inverse matrix of . Its Casimir operator in isThis contraction is independent of the chosen basis. To prove centrality directly, put . Invariance gives , hence . The Lie algebra representation property and the product rule for a commutator now giveIndeed, the coefficient of in this expression is . Thus for every . No irreducibility of is required.
The matrix units obey . Consequently the general linear Lie algebra hasFor its Killing form, write and , so that . Left multiplication acts identically on each of the columns, and right multiplication identically on each of the rows. Thus . The diagonal coefficient of on is , giving ; the other mixed trace is identical. This proves the Killing form of the general linear Lie algebra:The scalar matrices form a nonzero central abelian ideal, so is not semisimple for any . More explicitly, the radical of the Killing form is , since vanishing against every forces by nondegeneracy of the trace pairing. For , take . Then , whereas a positive-definite invariant inner product would make every adjoint map skew and hence give . Therefore is not compact when . For the allowed exceptional value , the abstract abelian algebra is a compact Lie algebra, being isomorphic to the algebra of ; the particular matrix group is nevertheless noncompact. This distinguishes compactness of an algebra from that of a chosen group realizing it.
For the final algebra, the printed basis specifies strictly upper triangular matrices. If and , the first term in can be nonzero only when , and then is strictly upper triangular; the second can be nonzero only when , and then is strictly upper triangular. Bilinearity proves closure under the Lie bracket. To compute its own Killing form, grade by the positive integer . Bracketing with any basis element increases that degree whenever the result is nonzero. In a basis ordered by degree, all adjoint maps are strictly triangular, as are their products. Every such product has zero trace, so the Killing form of a nilpotent Lie algebra vanishes here. Therefore the subspace denoted by a prime in the PDF isThis is the defined radical of the Killing form, not the derived algebra; for both and this radical are zero.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 5 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The objective is a continuous faithful representation of a uniform pro-p group in some . The proof proceeds from the intrinsic Lie lattice to a small matrix group, then extends the resulting representation to all of . This last step matters: a representation defined only on an open subgroup does not yet establish linearity of the original group.
Let be the Lie algebra of a uniform pro-p group and put . The uniform-group/Lie-lattice correspondence identifies the group law on with BCH. The substantial finite-dimensional Lie-theoretic input is the Ado theorem: every finite-dimensional Lie algebra over a characteristic-zero field admits a faithful finite-dimensional representation. Apply it to obtainAn Adjoint representation would not suffice here, since it kills the centre; Ado supplies injectivity even in central directions.
Choose a p-adic lattice spanning . Since has finitely many lattice generators, their representing matrices have bounded denominators. There is therefore an integer such thatOn this matrix lattice the series and converge and are inverse. For example , so the valuations of the exponential terms tend to infinity with this choice of ; the logarithm terms do as well. They take values in and in respectively. The formal identity holds for the convergent series.
Under the correspondence, has Lie lattice and is an open characteristic subgroup. Definewhere denotes the identification of with . A Lie homomorphism preserves BCH, so the exponential identity proves . If , the matrix logarithm gives ; faithfulness of gives . Thus is a continuous faithful integral representation of .
To extend it, take the moduleValues on a transversal of determine , so is a free module over of rank . These functions are continuous, since on each open coset they are given by the continuous representation . Define . The equivariance condition is preserved, and . In a transversal basis each is a permutation of blocks followed by matrices from , so it belongs to and depends continuously on .
Faithfulness can be checked directly. If , right multiplication moves the coset to a different coset, so moves a function supported on one block and cannot be the identity. If and , evaluation at gives for every , whereas equivariance gives . Since is arbitrary, , and hence . ThereforeCompactness of makes this continuous injection a homeomorphism onto its closed image. This proves the linearity of a uniform pro-p group for the full group, including its centre, and explains why taking a sufficiently small power lattice permits matrix integration before finite-index induction restores the whole group.