Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 20 1 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For , let be the left-invariant vector field with value at the identity. Its integral curve through the identity is the unique one-parameter subgroup with . It exists for all real time: local existence followed by translation and the identity extends it indefinitely. The Exponential map of a Lie group isIt is smooth and , because differentiating at zero gives . The inverse function theorem therefore makes it a local diffeomorphism at zero.
If is abelian, the product is a one-parameter subgroup with initial tangent . Uniqueness gives , henceConversely, if this additive homomorphism identity holds, all and commute. Differentiating their adjoint action shows . Alternatively, their commuting images contain an identity neighbourhood; that neighbourhood generates the identity component of a Lie group, so the identity component is abelian. Conversely, if the Lie algebra is abelian, its left-invariant vector fields commute, so their flows commute. Hence all one-parameter subgroups commute; their product with initial tangent is the one-parameter subgroup for . The Lie exponential map is therefore additive, and its image generates an abelian identity component. Thus the stated equivalence holds for connected . Without connectedness the exact assertion is that the Lie exponential map is a homomorphism precisely when is abelian. The converse implication to all of is false: in the Lie algebra consists of , whereRotations satisfy , but a reflection satisfies , so the full orthogonal group is not abelian.
Now take a connected abelian Lie group of dimension . Its Lie exponential map is a homomorphism whose image contains an identity neighbourhood, hence an open subgroup. A connected group has no proper open subgroup, so this map is onto. Its kernel is discrete, since it is injective on a neighbourhood of zero. The induced map is a bijective local diffeomorphism and therefore a Lie group isomorphismHere is the needed classification of . Let be the dimension of its real span. Choose that form a real basis of that span. Their integer span has finite index in : subtract integer multiples of the to put each coset representative in a compact parallelepiped. Only finitely many points of lie there, since discreteness at zero gives a uniform positive separation between distinct points. Thus is finitely generated and torsion-free, and the structure theorem for finitely generated abelian groups makes it free abelian of rank . Its integer basis is a real basis of the span. A linear change of coordinates consequently sends to in .
This proves the classification of connected abelian Lie groups:The isomorphism depends on the choice of lattice basis and complementary vector space. Compactness is equivalent to .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 20 2 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
By part (i), finite-dimensional continuous unitary representations separate points of the compact group. More explicitly, if every representation sent some to the identity, all their matrix coefficients would take the same values at and . Uniform density would force every continuous scalar function to do so, contradicting separation of points on a compact Hausdorff space. HenceEach representation kernel is a closed normal subgroup. We claim that the intersection can be reduced to finitely many kernels. Begin with . If , choose and a representation with . ThenAn indefinite continuation would violate the descending chain condition for closed subgroups. Thus after finitely many steps, .
The direct sum is consequently a finite-dimensional faithful representation, with continuous injective homomorphismCompactness of makes this a homeomorphism onto a compact, hence closed, image. The closed-subgroup theorem makes that image an embedded Lie subgroup of the finite-dimensional unitary group. Transporting its smooth structure to provesThis is the mechanism behind the assertion that compact groups with a descending chain condition are Lie groups: the chain condition turns an arbitrarily large separating family into one finite-dimensional faithful representation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 20 3 iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A Lie algebra homomorphism always defines a local group homomorphism near the identities by the exponential charts:for sufficiently small . Preservation of the BCH multiplication law makes this a local homomorphism. The issue is extending it consistently around all paths and periods in the source.
Suppose first that is connected and simply connected. For a piecewise smooth path from to , letbe its left logarithmic velocity. Solve in the differential equationThe equation exists throughout the finite path interval: bounded smooth body velocity gives a uniform local existence interval at the identity, and left translation repeatedly continues the solution. Define the proposed map by the endpoint .
Bracket preservation makes this endpoint invariant under fixed-endpoint homotopy. To see the mechanism, for a two-parameter path write and , using the Maurer-Cartan form rather than literal multiplication for nonmatrix groups. The Maurer-Cartan equation givesAfter applying , the same identity holds for and . If , the transport equation impliesBoth have zero initial value because the path starts at a fixed identity. Uniqueness gives . At the fixed endpoint, , hence . The endpoint is therefore unchanged by the homotopy. Simple connectedness then makes it independent of the chosen path.
For paths to and , concatenate the first with the left translate by of the second. Its transported endpoint is , because left logarithmic velocity is unchanged by left translation. It follows that . Near the identity, choose ; transport yields . Thus is smooth near the identity and, by translation, everywhere, and its differential is . The uniqueness argument from the root solution givesThis is integration of a Lie algebra homomorphism.
For a connected source that is not simply connected, first integrate on its universal cover . The resulting map descends exactly whenIndeed two lifts of one element differ by a kernel element, so this condition is both necessary and sufficient for their images to agree. It is the period obstruction to integration of a Lie algebra homomorphism. For , identify the Lie algebras with and take . The integrated map on the cover is , which respects the source period precisely when . Therefore half-scaling is a valid Lie algebra homomorphism but does not integrate to a circle homomorphism. If both groups are written as simply connected covers modulo central subgroups, the equivalent descent condition is that the integrated cover map send into .
For disconnected , first solve this problem on , obtaining . One must then assign images to representatives of the component group. These assignments must satisfy the conjugation and multiplication relations. Explicitly, with and for , the conditions areWhen these can be solved, is a smooth global homomorphism. They may prevent existence or allow several extensions with the same differential. Thus a bracket-preserving linear map gives local data; global integration requires the source's periods and, when present, its component relations to be respected.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 20 3 Solution 2026-10-14
The Lie group–Lie algebra correspondence separates local differential structure from global topology. For a Lie group , define as a real vector space. Extend each to the left-invariant vector fieldThe commutator of two such vector fields is again left-invariant. SetThe vector-field commutator is bilinear, antisymmetric and satisfies the Jacobi identity, so this makes a Lie algebra. For a matrix group this bracket is .
For a smooth Lie group homomorphism , its differential at the identity is the linear mapThe identity shows that the corresponding left-invariant fields are -related. Brackets of related vector fields are related, henceThe chain rule also gives and . Thus differentiation is a functor from Lie groups and smooth homomorphisms to real Lie algebras and bracket-preserving linear maps.
To see what information the differential retains, apply to a one-parameter subgroup. Its initial tangent is , so uniqueness yieldsIf is connected, a small exponential neighbourhood generates it. Every is a finite product , and thereforeFor an already existing homomorphism this expression is independent of the chosen product because it equals . Two homomorphisms with the same differential agree on that neighbourhood and hence everywhere. This proves that a Lie group homomorphism determined by its differential requires a connected source.
On a disconnected source only the restriction to is determined. For instance a nontrivial finite discrete group has zero Lie algebra, so its identity and trivial endomorphisms have the same zero differential but are different maps. The discussion of all components must therefore include additional global data. The remaining parts explain the corresponding existence and topology conditions.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 21 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The determinant-one cyclic quotient of the affine plane has the closed embeddingHere denotes the cyclic group generated by the given diagonal matrix. We establish the presentation of the polynomial invariant ring and verify that its fibres really are the group orbits.
On the coordinate ring , the inverse-pullback action multiplies by . Since these monomials are a basis, a polynomial is invariant precisely when each of its nonzero monomials satisfies . If , such a monomial is ; if , it is . ThereforeThese generators give a surjective homomorphism , and lies in its kernel of a ring homomorphism. To prove there are no further relations, reduce any monomial using . The result is a linear combination ofTheir images are respectively , and . All have distinct exponent pairs, so they are linearly independent in . Any polynomial in the kernel of a ring homomorphism has zero reduced expression and hence belongs to . ConsequentlyThis proves the claimed closed subvariety embedding of the affine quotient.
For surjectivity of , if choose and set . Then . If , the relation forces ; choose and any th root of for . If two points have the same image and , equality of their th powers gives and equality of gives . If , both first coordinates vanish, and the same argument using gives the orbit relation; the case has only that one point in its fibre. Thus every fibre is exactly one group orbit.
The map is finite: and satisfy the monic equations and , and the finitely many monomials , , span as a module over its polynomial invariant ring. A finite morphism is closed when it is surjective as here and therefore gives the quotient topology. For a principal open subset defined by an invariant , its regular functions pull back to andIndeed, because is invariant, an invariant fraction with denominator has invariant numerator. These principal open subsets cover the affine hypersurface, proving the required local equality of invariant regular functions. Together with the orbit fibres, this verifies the geometric quotient, not merely a bijection of underlying sets.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ib Paper 2 2C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
A group automorphism is a bijective group homomorphism from to itself. The multiplication in is composition: . Composition is associative, the identity map is the identity element, and each inverse bijection is again a homomorphism, so these maps form the automorphism group.
For conjugation by , multiplication is preserved becauseConjugation by is its inverse, so is an group automorphism. MoreoverHence is a homomorphism, with image the inner automorphisms. Its group homomorphism kernel is the group center of , since is the identity precisely when for every .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ib Paper 1 10E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Use the following standard facts: has order and is a nonabelian simple group; the coset action on the cosets of an index- subgroup is a transitive homomorphism into . If has index , that action is nontrivial. Its kernel is a normal subgroup, hence is trivial by simplicity. It would therefore embed in . For this is impossible since . There are no subgroups of indices 2, 3 or 4.
An index-5 subgroup has order by Lagrange's theorem. Consider its natural action on the five letters. It cannot be transitive, since an orbit of size 5 would divide its order by the orbit-stabilizer theorem. If it had no fixed letter, its orbits would have sizes 2 and 3. It would then be a subgroup of the permutations preserving that partition, namely . Exactly half of those 12 permutations are even, so has order 6, too small to contain .
Thus fixes a letter . The stabilizer of in is the copy of consisting of even permutations of the other four letters; it has order 12. Containment and equality of orders force to equal that stabilizer. Conversely each such stabilizer has index 5. ConsequentlyThese five subgroups are distinct: for , a three-cycle on letters other than can move , so it belongs to the stabilizer of but not that of .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 16 1 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For the closed orientable surface , use the fundamental group presentationSince , define a homomorphism to by sending to and every other displayed generator to zero. All commutators map to zero, so the relation is respected, and the map is surjective. Its kernel has index . The classification of connected covering spaces supplies a connected -sheeted covering space, including the identity cover when .
Every connected finite covering space of is a closed orientable surface: compactness follows from finite degree, and the base orientation lifts through local covering charts. Lift a finite cell decomposition of the base. Every cell has lifts, so the Euler characteristic under a finite covering gives . If the covering surface has genus , this reads . ThereforeThis genus of a finite cover of a closed orientable surface depends only on the sheet number, not on the particular subgroup used to construct the cover.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 29 1 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Write . The Hasse bound isWe prove it using isogeny degrees of endomorphisms, with no assumption about a pre-existing Frobenius eigenvalue estimate. The standard elliptic isogeny facts we use are these: isogeny degree is multiplicative under composition; ; assigning isogeny degree zero to the zero homomorphism makes isogeny degree a quadratic form, satisfying the degree parallelogram law; and the isogeny degree of a separable isogeny equals the number of its geometric kernel of an isogeny points.
Let be the -power Frobenius isogeny. It has isogeny degree and zero differential. Therefore has differential the identity and is a separable isogeny. Its kernel of an isogeny consists exactly of the points fixed by Frobenius, including the identity, soPut . Polarization of the isogeny degree quadratic form gives, for all integers ,The cross coefficient is fixed by the case , where the isogeny degree is ; the coefficients of are and .
Every isogeny degree is nonnegative. For , divide by to obtain for every rational . Continuity and density of the rationals imply the same inequality for real . Its minimum, attained at , is , so . This is precisely the stated bound. Equality is allowed; a zero value of the quadratic form can occur when the two endomorphisms involved are rationally dependent.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 29 2 v Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
We can use reduction instead of expanding a very large rational addition formula. Modulo , both and reduce to , which generates the three-element reduced group. The reduction homomorphism therefore givesThe rational point is not any of the three torsion points just found, so it has infinite order. In particular : otherwise multiplication by three would give .
If had integral coordinates, its affine integral representative would reduce to an affine point modulo , not to the point at infinity. This contradicts its reduction to . ThusIndeed, it is not even integral at . This is a reduction certificate for a nonintegral elliptic point, with the crucial nonidentity condition verified by the torsion calculation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 29 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
To compute the rank of an elliptic curve, translate the rational point of order two to and put the curve in the form , with after clearing denominators and . Its two-isogenous partner and the elliptic isogeny areThe maps extend over their exceptional points. The dual isogeny isThe two-torsion square-class homomorphism is , defined by , , and otherwise. Define similarly on with .
Here are the ingredients behind the descent procedure. For a generic chord , the cubic of intersection coordinates has root product . As the third intersection is the negative of the group sum and negation leaves unchanged, this proves the square-class homomorphism property. For a line through , the two nonzero intersection coordinates have product , so the assigned class gives the same multiplicativity. A vertical line has two equal coordinates and contributes their square, and has identity class. These observations also cover tangencies and the exceptional sums. Its kernel is . Indeed, the displayed formula gives . Conversely, if a point on has , the possible preimage coordinates satisfyIts elliptic-curve discriminant is , a rational square. A root and , with the sign chosen appropriately, give a preimage. The identity is always in the image. The point is in the image exactly when is a square: its nonzero preimage coordinates are , with . Thus the exceptional points satisfy precisely the same kernel statement. Interchanging the curves similarly gives .
A prime not dividing can occur only with even valuation in an -coordinate. If its valuation is positive, the factor is a unit and ; if negative, dominates that factor and . Thus square classes in have signed square-free representatives dividing , giving finitely many candidates. To test a candidate , put and . The curve equation becomesA nontrivial rational solution, including the appropriate limiting points, is exactly a realization of the class. Clear denominators and arrange for congruence tests. Do the same for with .
The factor in the two-isogeny rank formula can also be checked directly. Let , and . The index of in is , while the map from onto has kernelThe numerator has order two. Moreover , since , and the latter has order . Hence this quotient has order , andThe Mordell-Weil theorem gives , where is the rank. Cancelling yieldsIn practice, local congruence and real-solubility tests remove many candidate quartics, giving an upper bound, while rational point searches realize classes and give a lower bound. These often coincide. Local solubility alone is not a proof of a rational point: an everywhere locally soluble covering can still fail globally, so a remaining gap must be reported rather than treated as an exact rank.
For the curve at hand, , , , andThe first image is contained in and contains , the latter from the point . To exclude , its quartic would require coprime withModulo , an odd fourth power is and an even fourth power is . If is odd and even the right side is ; if is even and odd it is ; if both are odd it is . None is among the square residues . Thus is impossible. The image is a subgroup, so is also impossible: its product with the known class would be . We obtain .
For , its quadratic factor is . Every nonzero rational -coordinate is therefore positive. Prime support leaves only as possible classes; and are supplied by and the two-torsion point. The explicit point is on becauseIts class is . Multiplying classes supplies , so . The two-isogeny rank formula now provesAs an additional concrete point on the original curve, the dual isogeny sends to . The descent calculation proves the rank; it does not by itself certify that this point generates the full free quotient.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 3 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A group is a finitely presented group if there is an epimorphism from a finite-rank free group whose kernel is the normal closure of finitely many words . Equivalently, with both and finite. Normal closure means that every kernel element is a finite product of conjugates of the chosen relators or their inverses.
For independence of finite presentation from finite generators, suppose , and let be any other finite generating set. Choose words representing and words representing . Consider the finite presentationSending each to its actual element gives a surjection . Conversely, send to ; the substituted relators make this a homomorphism . Their composition on fixes every , and their composition on fixes every by the extra relations. They are inverse isomorphisms. Hence finite presentability is independent of the chosen finite generating set.
For subgroups and an isomorphism , adopt the conventiona quotient of the free product . The generator is the stable letter of this HNN extension. Fix right coset transversals for and for , each with representing the subgroup itself. Thus each has a unique decomposition with , and a unique decomposition with .
A normal form is a stringwhere whenever . The case is just . The prohibition removes adjacent inverse stable letters that would cancel. The following permutation proof of HNN normal form uniqueness proves both existence and uniqueness.
Let be the set of these formal strings. A base element acts by left multiplication on the initial coefficient ; call this permutation . To define , decompose the initial coefficient as , with . Unless and the old first stable letter is , replace the initial segment byIn the exceptional case, if the old string begins , cancel the new with that and obtain the string beginning . These operations use the defining identity .
Define similarly: write with , prepend , and cancel with an old first exactly when . The resulting strings satisfy the normal-form conditions. These two maps are inverses. If the first operation inserts a letter, the reverse operation decomposes its new initial coefficient in the associated subgroup and cancels that letter. If the first operation cancels a letter, the reverse coset decomposition recovers the removed representative and reinserts it; an additional unwanted cancellation is excluded by the original normal-form condition.
The permutations satisfy andIndeed, in the decomposition , multiplying on the left by leaves its representative unchanged and changes to . Its image under is , exactly the coefficient produced by multiplying the normalized result on the left by . The cancellation case has the same representative and the same conclusion. ThereforeAll defining relations of the HNN extension hold in this action, so it induces a homomorphism from into the permutations of .
Starting with the empty string, successive left multiplications normalize any word, and every normalization step uses a defining relation. This proves existence. If two normal words represented the same group element, their induced permutations would agree. Applied to the empty string, each normal word gives exactly its own formal string, since its representatives are already chosen and all forbidden cancellations have been excluded. Thus the strings are equal. This proves the normal form theorem for an HNN extension, including the injectivity of the base group .
A reduced sequence in an HNN extension is a wordwith no pinch for and no pinch for . Equivalently, if adjacent exponents are , their intervening coefficient is outside ; if they are , it is outside .
Normalize such a word from right to left using the procedure above. Inductively its stable-letter length does not change. To see why, suppose the next letter has exponent . Moving an associated-subgroup factor through it contributes to its left an element of when , or of when . If the preceding exponent is , this factor belongs to that preceding letter's pinch subgroup. Multiplying an intervening coefficient outside that subgroup by an element inside it cannot put the product inside the subgroup. Hence no cancellation occurs; when the two exponents agree, cancellation is impossible anyway. Thus a reduced word with has a normal form still containing stable letters, which cannot be the identity normal form. This is Britton's lemma:
For the final example, write the centralizing extension asIt is generated by . Suppose it were finitely presented. By the finite-generator independence already proved, the kernel of would be normally generated by finitely many words. Each of these kernel group generators is a finite product of conjugates of the displayed defining relators, so only finitely many indices occur in all their expressions. Choose at least as large as all of them. The full kernel would then equal the normal closure of the first relators: one inclusion follows from those expressions, and the reverse inclusion follows because all these relators already belong to the kernel.
But the group with only those first relators is the identity HNN extension over . Since the are a free basis of , . The word is reduced in this partial extension, so Britton's lemma makes it nonidentity there. It is identity in , contradicting equality of the kernels. ThereforeThis is the free-basis instance of the general fact that finite presentation of a centralizing HNN extension detects finite generation of its associated subgroup.