Paper 305 1 ii Solution 2026-09-24
Let be the eigenvalues of the positive semidefinite matrix . The potential isFor and , each summand is minimized atso . A symmetry transformation preserves the representative precisely when , givingThe number of broken generators is , so the Goldstone theorem predicts modes, each a Goldstone boson.
Paper 305 1 iv Solution 2026-09-24
For Hermitian , the continuous transformations preserving the field space act by conjugation,with the central acting trivially; there is also the discrete symmetry . The vacuum equation is , so every vacuum is unitarily conjugate toBecause the integer cannot change continuously, the vacuum manifold has disconnected componentsOn the th component the unbroken continuous group is , and the Goldstone theorem givesGoldstone bosons. The discrete sign symmetry exchanges the components and but produces no Goldstone mode.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 305 1 Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
A global symmetry is spontaneously broken when it preserves the action but does not preserve a chosen ground state. If is broken to the stabilizer , the degenerate vacua form a vacuum manifold . The Goldstone theorem states that a relativistic theory has one massless scalar mode for each broken continuous internal generator, so the standard counting gives Goldstone bosons.