Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 2 17G a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Let have order in a finite group. In a complex group representation, its matrix is diagonalizable with eigenvalues satisfying . If each with is conjugate to , the character of a representation is constant on these powers. Henceusing the stated integrality of each Ramanujan sum. Therefore is rational. It is also an algebraic integer, being a sum of roots of unity; a rational algebraic integer is an integer. Thus .
In a symmetric group, raising a permutation to a power coprime to its order preserves each cycle length and therefore its entire cycle type. Since cycle type determines the conjugacy class, the hypothesis holds, and all character values of symmetric groups are integers.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 2 17G b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Suppose is an irreducible character of a group of odd order and . Write . Every nonidentity element pairs with its distinct inverse, since there is no element of order . Also . If were nontrivial, character orthogonality with the trivial character of a representation would givewhere is the sum of one character of a representation value from each inverse pair. This is an algebraic integer, so is an integer. Hence is even.
But an irreducible character degree divides the group order, so must be odd. One quick justification of that divisibility is that the central class sum of a conjugacy class acts by the algebraic integer . Its integrality follows from its integer matrix on the regular group representation. Character orthogonality then givesa rational algebraic integer, hence an integer. The parity contradiction proves : the trivial character is the only self-conjugate irreducible character of an odd-order group.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 17G b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Conjugation by partitions into orbits. Each non-singleton orbit has size divisible by , by the orbit-stabilizer theorem. The singleton orbits are exactly . Since is divisible by , . This set contains , so .
For the deduction we also give the representation-theoretic ingredient behind Burnside's theorem: a nonabelian finite simple group has no nontrivial conjugacy class of prime power size. Here is a proof, so no stronger theorem is being assumed without justification. Suppose has class size . For an irreducible character of degree coprime to , the class sum acts as the scalar , which is an algebraic integer: the class sum has an integer-entry matrix in the regular representation, which contains every irreducible representation, so this scalar is an eigenvalue of an integer-entry matrix. Also is an algebraic integer. Bezout's identity then makes an algebraic integer. All its algebraic conjugates have modulus at most , because character values of a representation are sums of roots of unity. An algebraic integer with this property is zero or a root of unity: the monic polynomials of all its powers have uniformly bounded integer coefficients, so two powers must coincide unless it is zero.
Every nontrivial irreducible representation of a simple group is faithful. If were a root of unity, equality in the triangle inequality would force its representing matrix to be scalar, hence central, impossible. Thus whenever , except for the trivial character of a representation. Orthogonality of the identity column and the column in the character table now givesThis would make an algebraic integer, contradicting the fact that rational algebraic integers are integers. The same proof covers class size directly through triviality of the center.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 17G c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Multiplicativity of the determinant gives and , so is a linear character. Its finite image is a cyclic group of roots of unity. If it contains , its order is and the character of a representation maps onto . The kernel of a group homomorphism is the preimage of its identity, so is a normal subgroup of index . The subgroup itself need not have index .
By Cauchy theorem for groups, a group of order has an involution . In the regular representation, left multiplication by is a permutation consisting of disjoint transpositions, so its determinant is when is odd. The preceding argument gives a normal subgroup of index two.
For a nonabelian simple group of order below , Burnside's theorem requires at least three distinct prime factors. An odd order with three factors is at least . An even order with exactly one factor of has a normal subgroup of index . Thus its order must be divisible by and by at least two odd primes. Below the only possibility is , since the next is . Hence .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ii Paper 1 19I b ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
In the abelianization, the relation becomes . Together with this forces , soConsequently there are linear characterswhere .
The representations from part (i), denoted , are irreducible: the two eigenspaces of are its only invariant lines, and exchanges them. The character of a representation agrees for two parameters exactly when their squares agree, so and there are pairwise nonisomorphic two-dimensional representations. Their squared dimensions sum toThe sum of squares of irreducible degrees proves that no others exist. Hence the complete list isThis is the classification of the Irreducible representations of G6n.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 3 19I a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The Mackey's theorem, or Mackey restriction formula, says that if , is a complex -representation, and is a set of representatives for the double cosets , thenHere is the representation of the conjugate subgroup defined by
For the proof, use the group-algebra modelThe partition of into double cosets gives the direct-sum decomposition of -bimodulesPut . For each , defineIf , thenso is well defined. It is visibly -equivariant and surjective, and choosing representatives for shows that both sides have dimension ; hence it is an isomorphism. Summing the proves the formula.
The Frobenius reciprocity theorem states that for an -representation and a -representation ,For the corresponding character of a representation, this is
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 3 19I b Solution 2026-10-03
On the orbit , an element fixes the coset exactly whenThe character of a representation of the corresponding permutation representation therefore isThis is the permutation character of a coset action.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 iii Paper 160 2 c Solution 2026-09-28
Use the character formula for an induced representation. For ,The middle equality uses that a character of a representation is constant on conjugacy classes. This proves the tensor identity for an induced character.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 1 19H Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
Maschke's theorem says that every invariant subspace of a finite-dimensional complex representation of a finite group has an invariant complement. Average any projection over the group to make it equivariant. Induction on dimension therefore decomposes every representation into irreducibles.
The character of a representation is . For a -set , the permutation representation has basis , and its character is the number of fixed points:For the regular action,The multiplicity of an irreducible is the character inner productso
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 19H Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
A complex representation of a finite group is a homomorphismfor a finite-dimensional complex vector space . It is an irreducible representation when its only invariant subspaces are and , and its degree is . Two representations are isomorphic when there is an invertible linear map intertwining their -actions.
Write the dihedral group asIn an irreducible representation choose an eigenvector of , which is possible because . If its eigenvalue is , thenThus is invariant under both and . Irreducibility forces , proving as in irreducible complex representations of a finite dihedral group.
Let . Besides the one-dimensional representations described below, define for each indicated These matrices satisfy the defining relations. Since , the only one-dimensional -invariant subspaces are the two coordinate axes, and interchanges them. Hence is irreducible. Their characters satisfywhose values are distinct in the ranges below, so the are pairwise nonisomorphic. This is the family of two-dimensional representations of a finite dihedral group.
If is odd, a one-dimensional character must send to a scalar satisfying and . Thus , while may independently map to or . These give two one-dimensional irreducibles. Takinggives two-dimensional irreducibles, for a total of
If is even, may map to either or , and again may map independently to either sign. This gives four pairwise nonisomorphic one-dimensional irreducibles. Takinggives two-dimensional irreducibles, for a total ofDifferent dimensions distinguish the one- and two-dimensional families, completing the required construction and justification.
Ramanujan sum 2026-10-05
The Ramanujan sum is . It is an integer: insert , sum the geometric series, and obtain . Here is the Möbius function. Such sums connect roots of unity with integer character of a representation values.
Sunada theorem 2026-10-06
Suppose a finite group acts by Riemannian isometries on a compact Riemannian manifold , and Gassmann equivalent subgroups act freely. The quotient manifolds have equal Laplace-Beltrami operator spectra. For an eigenfunction space , the quotient multiplicity is , and the equality follows by summing its character of a representation over conjugacy classes. Nonconjugacy inside alone does not guarantee that the quotients are nonisometric.