Bn Dynkin diagram and affine extension Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-14
For , the Bn root system has simple roots for and . Its Dynkin diagram is a chain with a double terminal bond pointing toward short . The highest root is . In the Extended Dynkin diagram, attaches by a single bond to for . For , both long nodes attach by double bonds to short node . Rank one is the rank-one root system; its affine diagram has two equal-length nodes joined by a double bond without a short-root arrow.
Cn Dynkin diagrams 2026-10-14
For , the finite Dynkin diagram has a chain of short roots with single bonds, followed by a double bond to the long root , pointing toward . The Extended Dynkin diagram adds the long root , doubly bonded to with arrow toward . All other bonds remain. For , the finite diagram is a single vertex; the affine diagram has two equal-length vertices joined by a double bond without an arrow, with Cartan matrix .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 4 2 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Put and . A Cartan subalgebra isThe defining matrix condition says . Using the matrix units, the nonzero root spaces have the following generators:Commuting each generator with gives its stated weight. Together with , these matrices span the Special orthogonal Lie algebra; there are independent generators. Thus its decomposition as a Cartan subalgebra module isThis is the Bn root system. The upper-triangular generators select the positive rootsIts simple roots and highest root, for , areTo see the simplicity assertion, , while and . The coefficient pattern for dominates those of every positive root.
Normalize the inner product so the are orthonormal. The simple coroots are for and . Solving gives the fundamental weightsIn the half-sum of positive roots, the coordinate occurs with total coefficient . Hence the Weyl vector is
The Dynkin diagram is a chain , with single bonds up to and a double last bond pointing towards the short root . In the Extended Dynkin diagram, add . For , and its inner product with every other simple root is zero, so it attaches to by a single bond. For , both long nodes attach by double bonds to short node . These rules give the Bn Dynkin diagram and affine extension drawn below.
For rank one, , , , and . The finite diagram is one node; its affine extension has two equal-length nodes joined by a double bond, without a short-root arrow.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 6 3 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Write , and let denote a matrix unit. The diagonal Cartan subalgebra consists ofFor a diagonal matrix, . Substituting into the symplectic relation shows that the following are root vectors:The zero weight space is spanned by . The symplectic equation pairs the remaining entries exactly as in this table; the displayed vectors and the are independent and span the algebra. This proves the root-space decompositionThere are roots of a root system, each with one-dimensional root space, giving .
The upper triangular root vectors select preciselyThe simple roots of this Cn root system areIndeed, the positive roots of a root system have expansionsThese expansions also identify the highest root:Normalize the coordinate inner product by . The simple coroots are for and . Solving gives the fundamental weightsIn the sum of the positive roots of a root system, the pair contributes , and the long root contributes another . Therefore the Weyl vector isThese are the Positive-root data for Cn.
For , the finite Dynkin diagram is a chain of vertices. The bonds between and for are single. The last bond is double, with its arrow pointing from the long root toward the short root . For the Extended Dynkin diagram, add at the other end, doubly bonded to , with arrow toward . The following Cn Dynkin diagrams include both ends and the low-rank cases.
Finite and extended Cn Dynkin diagrams with arrows toward the short roots and separate rank-one and rank-two cases
. Details. At , there is just the root and one finite vertex. The affine Cartan matrix is ; its two vertices have equal root length, so the double bond has no arrow.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 102 3 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The PDF's is the anti-diagonal identity matrix. Write and . Its diagonal Cartan subalgebra consists ofThe defining matrix identity says . The root spaces have the following root vectors, together with their opposites:The negative short root has vector . Hence the root-space decomposition is , each root space is one-dimensional, and the Bn root system isThere are roots and zero-weight dimensions, giving as a check. Upper triangular matrices giveFor , the highest root is . The fundamental weights and Weyl vector areThese weights pair to with the simple coroots; summing the positive roots gives the displayed .
The Dynkin diagram is the chain , with single edges except a double edge between and , whose arrow points to the short root . In the Extended Dynkin diagram, attaches by a single edge to when . For , both long nodes have a double edge to the short node . The Bn Dynkin diagram and affine extension below distinguishes these small-rank cases.
Ordinary and affine Dynkin diagrams of type B
. Details. For , the system is : , , . Its ordinary diagram is one node; its affine diagram has two equal-length nodes with the usual affine double bond.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 102 3 i Solution 2026-09-28
Write an element of the diagonal torus asand let extract . The root-space decomposition iswith one-dimensional root spaces. Thus the root system is
The upper-triangular choice givesA compatible simple system isThe highest root and Weyl vector areThe fundamental weights are
The Dynkin diagram is the diagram: a chain whose last node is joined to both and . The Extended Dynkin diagram adds joined to . For , the central node consequently has the four leaves .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 102 3 i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
After ordering a symplectic basis in two blocks, writeMatrices in the symplectic Lie algebra have block formThe root-space decomposition isFor example, these one-dimensional spaces are spanned respectively byThus this is the Cn root systemThe upper-triangular choice givesIts simple roots, highest root, fundamental weights, and half-sum of positive roots are
Using the notation requested in the paper, the root lattice and weight lattice areso . This reverses the common notation in which the root lattice is called and the weight lattice is called .


