Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 102 2 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Use the classification of finite-dimensional sl2 representations. In the irreducible representation , choose , , sowith vectors beyond the endpoints interpreted as zero. The invariant form on an irreducible sl2 module isIts anti-diagonal entries are nonzero, so it is nondegenerate. Lie-invariant bilinear form invariance under follows from the sum of the two weights. For , the two potentially nonzero terms are and . For , their coefficients coincide when , and their signs are opposite. These checks prove invariance under the generators of the sl2 Lie algebra.
Interchanging multiplies the form by , givingEquivalently it is a symmetric bilinear form in odd integer dimension and an alternating bilinear form in even number dimension. The Weyl complete reducibility theorem expresses any finite-dimensional representation as a direct sum of these irreducibles. Give each summand the displayed form and make different summands orthogonal. The resulting form is invariant and nondegenerate. On a reducible representation with both parities, this orthogonal sum need not itself be symmetric or alternating; the dichotomy in the preceding part required irreducibility.