Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 1 2 iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
First show that the Cartan subalgebra is orthogonal, for the Killing form, to every nonzero root space. For and , choose with . Invariance and the abelian nature of giveHence .
Now let be in the radical of the restriction to , so for every . The preceding argument also gives for every root. By the root-space decomposition, is orthogonal to all of . The assumed nondegeneracy on forces . Therefore the Killing form restricted to the Cartan subalgebra is nondegenerate.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 1 2 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The Killing form is the bilinear formThe Adjoint representation is linear, giving bilinearity, and the cyclic property of trace gives symmetry. To prove invariance, abbreviate the adjoint matrices of by . The Jacobi identity gives , and cyclic trace then givesThus , equivalently . This is infinitesimal invariance of the Killing form, with no choice of basis affecting the trace.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 1 2 iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Take the basis of , where , and is a matrix unit. For , and . Thus the Adjoint representation matrix isSquaring and taking the trace computes the Killing form directly:The independent identity for the special linear Lie algebra also gives .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 45 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Let on the Lie algebra itself. The Jacobi identity says, for every ,Therefore , proving that the displayed structure-constant matrices form the Adjoint representation of a Lie algebra.
The bilinear form is the Killing form. It is symmetric by cyclicity of trace. Its invariance follows by expanding the two commutators:In components this is preciselyEquivalently, the adjoint action preserves the bilinear form, so it is an invariant tensor.
The invariant abelian subalgebra is an abelian ideal of a Lie algebra . Assume it is nonzero, as required for the conclusion. For and , the map sends into , because it is an ideal. It vanishes on , because preserves the ideal and kills it. Relative to and a vector-space complement, this map has zero diagonal blocks, so its trace is zero. ThusThis proves that abelian ideals lie in the radical of the Killing form. Choose a nonzero in the ideal. Then for every , so the coordinate vector is a nonzero null eigenvector of the Killing matrix. The nonzero-ideal qualification cannot be dropped: the zero ideal is abelian even in a semisimple algebra with nondegenerate Killing form.
Now suppose is invertible and let in any Lie algebra representation. In matrix notation invariance is , where . Multiplying by the inverse form gives . HenceNo commutativity of the representation matrices has been assumed. This proves the centrality of the quadratic Casimir operator formed with the inverse Killing form. Schur lemma makes it a scalar on every finite-dimensional complex irreducible representation.
For SU(2), make the normalization explicit. In a Hermitian angular-momentum basis with , the structure-constant matrices obeyThus . In the compact anti-Hermitian basis , the brackets have real structure constants and the Killing form of the SU(2) Lie algebra is instead ; the inverse contraction gives the same . This sign change is a basis convention, not a different spectrum.
In the complex highest-weight basis used earlier, the same Killing form and its inverse areConsequentlyOn a highest vector of weight , the ladder calculation gives and . Its Casimir eigenvalue is thereforeCentrality gives the same value throughout the irreducible multiplet. This is the Killing-normalized SU(2) quadratic Casimir; the familiar angular-momentum operator has eigenvalue and is twice this inverse-Killing-form contraction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 57 2 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Let be the Killing form. A real semisimple Lie algebra has nondegenerate , and its invariance gives . Translating defines a bi-invariant pseudo-Riemannian metric on the Lie group.
For left-invariant vector fields, all derivatives of their pairwise inner products vanish. The Koszul formula reduces toNondegeneracy gives . With , the Jacobi identity now givesTaking the trace of yields the Ricci tensorThus the Killing-form Einstein metric makes the group an Einstein manifold, allowing an indefinite metric. Its scalar curvature in this convention is .
For a connected compact semisimple Lie group, is negative definite: the adjoint operators are skew-adjoint for an invariant positive inner product, so for . The conventional positive Riemannian metric is instead . Its Ricci tensor is , and its sectional curvature isIt can vanish on commuting two-planes; positivity is not automatic in every direction. With the literal negative metric , the corresponding sectional-curvature signs are reversed.
For a noncompact real semisimple group, a Cartan decomposition has negative on and positive on . The Killing metric is indefinite and cannot be made positive by an overall sign. Its Einstein constant remains for , but that does not assert a uniform sign for sectional curvature of all nondegenerate planes. For connected semisimple groups, negative-definite characterizes the compact case. Disconnected groups require a separate condition on the number of components before compactness follows.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 57 5 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Write for the fundamental vector field of a left Lie group action, and use throughout. Such fundamental fields satisfy . A moment map has linear components satisfyingFor the action to be Hamiltonian, these components can be chosen equivariantly, or, infinitesimally,This identifies the span of the component Hamiltonians with the Lie algebra image, rather than identifying the entire infinite-dimensional Poisson algebra with . For an actual isomorphism with , injectivity is also needed; a faithful infinitesimal action supplies it.
Preservation of alone gives , not necessarily exactness. For example, translation generated by on the symplectic two-torus has contraction , whose period is nonzero. That action has no globally defined component Hamiltonian. Once the contractions are exact, choose Hamiltonians linearly in . On each connected component of , the discrepancyis constant: apply and the fundamental-field bracket. The Jacobi identity makes a Lie algebra two-cocycle. Replacing by changes it to . Thus the exactness condition and vanishing of this moment-map equivariance obstruction are precisely the required infinitesimal conditions.
For a semisimple Lie algebra, both hold. First Cartan's magic formula givesSemisimplicity implies , so every generator is a sum of commutators and has a globally exact contraction. This proves Hamiltonian existence for a semisimple symplectic action.
Next use the nondegenerate Killing form to define by . Antisymmetry makes skew for . The cocycle identity and invariance of imply , so is a derivation. Choose byThen, using cyclicity of trace and ,Hence and . Taking removes the cocycle and proves semisimple moment-map equivariance without merely invoking a cohomology theorem. For a connected group, integrate the infinitesimal equivariance along its one-parameter subgroups to obtain group equivariance. A disconnected group can require an additional discrete-equivariance check.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 45 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
In the finite-dimensional complex semisimple Lie algebra setting, the rank of a semisimple Lie algebra is the dimension of a Cartan subalgebra , equivalently the number of independent commuting Cartan generators. For a compact real algebra, use its complexification and the corresponding maximal torus. Simultaneously diagonalizing the commuting adjoint actions of gives the root-space decompositionThe nonzero linear functionals for which this space is nonzero are the roots of a root system. An invariant inner product identifies them with vectors in a real Euclidean root space. These are the usual semisimple assumptions behind the rank and root language here.
The displayed generators form an sl2 triple. Start with a nonzero lowest-weight element and define . The Jacobi identity givesInduction starting with consequently gives the finite sl2 lowest-weight ladder weightsNow commute the lowering equation with and again use the Jacobi identity:The left side is . Whenever , coefficient comparison givesThe initial condition is , meaning ; directly , so . Summing the recurrence from to yieldsIn fact the vector identity follows inductively from the same Jacobi identity without needing a separately assumed lowering coefficient.
If is the last nonzero element and , apply to this zero next element. The lowering identity givesso , a nonnegative integer. The nonzero endpoint is necessary. Literally allowing would make the printed conclusion false: take in the adjoint representation of . Then , , , . Choosing gives a vanishing next bracket but not . The intended endpoint is the first terminating bracket after the nonzero ladder.
For the plus-sign nested commutators, use , and . The cross relation gives , while . Thus the lowest-weight label is . If the -fold raised element is nonzero and the -fold element vanishes, the preceding endpoint argument gives and henceFor the minus-sign ladder, use the sl2 triple , , and start at . Its lowest-weight equation is again , and its lowering bracket vanishes by the cross relation. The same argument proves exactly the same result, including the endpoint assumption that is explicit in the nested-commutator question.
For arbitrary roots of a root system , choose the normalized sl2 subalgebra associated with a root , whose generators obey and . The coroot normalization givesThe normalization has a concrete construction. Use the nondegenerate Killing form , and define by . Invariance makes root spaces orthogonal unless their roots sum to zero, so there exist and with . Invariance then gives , hence . With , take , and . Their brackets have the required normalization and . Let be a nonzero root vector with weight . Repeatedly apply until reaching a last nonzero vector . Its weight is . This process terminates because different weights are linearly independent and the Lie algebra is finite-dimensional. Starting at , repeatedly raise; this also terminates for the same reason. The proven lowest-weight endpoint formula says for a nonnegative integer . ThereforeThis proves integrality of Cartan integers directly from the finite ladder, rather than assuming the crystallographic axiom.
Finally use the indices actually printed in the PDF: , , , . The converted TeX has corrupted these indices. The prescribed bracket is that of trace-free matrix units. The sum of the diagonal generators is zero, leaving two independent diagonal elements, and their pair brackets giveFor example , and the analogous second pair gives . The cross raising-lowering brackets vanish. A diagonal with entries has . Thus acts on with weights , and acts on them with weights . The negative generators have the opposite weights. In the question's index ordering,This is the Cartan matrix of the A2 root system, and the Lie algebra generated by these matrix units has rank two. As an additional bracket check, whereas , so the nested ladder has and indeed . The negative ladder likewise terminates after one nonzero bracket.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 58 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For the Lie algebra of a Lie group , let . The Killing form is the symmetric bilinear formFor a finite-dimensional real Lie algebra, the Cartan criterion for semisimplicity says that is nondegenerate precisely when is a semisimple Lie algebra. Thus a semisimple Lie group supplies the required condition. Compactness alone is insufficient: an abelian Lie algebra, including that of a torus, has zero Killing form.
The Jacobi identity gives . Cyclic invariance of the trace therefore givesThere is also invariance under the full Adjoint representation of a Lie group: , so .
Define a pseudo-Riemannian metric by translating from the identity:It is smooth and nondegenerate. Left translations preserve it by construction. Right translation, expressed in left-translated tangent coordinates, acts by , so it also preserves the metric. This constructs a bi-invariant pseudo-Riemannian metric.
For left-invariant vector fields, the derivative terms in the Koszul formula vanish. Invariance of then givesUse the Riemann curvature tensor convention . Substituting the Levi-Civita connection and using the Jacobi identity yieldsThe Ricci tensor is the trace of . Since , it follows thatThis is the Killing-form Einstein metric. Rescaling to , with nonzero constant , gives Einstein metric constant .
For a compact semisimple Lie group, is negative definite and is a positive-definite bi-invariant Riemannian metric. For example, has topology and metric signature for , while has the same Lie algebra and metric signature, but topology . The special linear group has metric signature and topology ; its universal covering Lie group has topology and the same Killing form. The real Lie algebra of has metric signature , and the group has topology . Thus the Killing form distinguishes compact from noncompact directions in these semisimple examples, but does not determine global topology or distinguish different covering groups.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 58 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Use ambient quadratic form . The printed sine coordinate has a duplicated superscript: it must be , not another . With that correction the embedding lies on . Put . Differentiating the two timelike coordinates giveswhereas the two spatial coordinates give . Their difference is the induced Lorentzian metricThe polar coordinate collapses at ; this is a coordinate degeneracy, not a degeneracy of the metric.
For the matrix model of anti-de Sitter three-space, defineThen . This linear identification of ambient space with real two-by-two matrices identifies with . Its inverse recovers each by sums and differences of matrix entries, so the identification is global. The identity corresponds to and the other coordinates zero. For a traceless tangent matrix , the induced squared norm isPolarization gives .
The Killing form of is . This normalization can be checked without assuming it: for , and , the brackets are , , . Taking traces of their three-dimensional adjoint matrices gives , , and all other basis pairings zero. These agree with .
Both left and right multiplication by matrices in preserve , hence its polarized ambient bilinear form and the induced metric. Equality at the identity therefore propagates throughout the group:In particular the Killing-form Einstein metric calculation gives , consistent with unit-radius three-dimensional Anti-de Sitter spacetime.
Every element of preserves the ambient quadratic form, hence the hyperboloid and its induced metric, and so acts by isometries. Define the left-right double cover of SO0(2,2) byThis is a group homomorphism, since successive actions multiply the two factors in the same order. It preserves ; as a transformation of the four-dimensional matrix space it has determinant . Thus it takes values in .
If its action is the identity, applying it to gives . Commuting with every matrix then forces to be scalar. The condition leaves only or . HenceThe differential is . A zero differential implies and that is scalar; tracelessness makes . It is therefore an isomorphism onto the target Lie algebra, since both dimensions are six. The image is an open subgroup. Since is connected, the image is connected and is exactly the identity component : an open subgroup of a connected group is also closed and must be the whole group. Thus the precise covering statement isIt is not onto the disconnected full . For example, conjugation , , sends to and belongs to the other component of . It reverses the orientation of the negative two-plane and is not in the image of the connected source.
The Adjoint representation of a Lie group of preserves its Killing form of metric signature and gives a second double cover,Its kernel is the scalar centre; its differential is injective and both dimensions are three, so the same connected-image argument proves surjectivity onto the identity component. The full again has an additional component. Thus is locally the same Lie group geometry as , with its Killing metric, and globally is its central quotient.
With the printed periodic time, the group model has topology and closed timelike curves, since varying at fixed spatial position gives a timelike circle. The causally unwrapped version of Anti-de Sitter spacetime instead has and is the universal covering Lie group. It must not be substituted silently for the periodic spacetime specified here.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 2 5 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The Killing form is the symmetric bilinear formThe facts needed here are its invariance, , and the root space identity . Invariance follows from and cyclicity of the trace:Taking , , provesNo normalization of is needed for this identity. Semisimplicity gives nondegeneracy of the Killing form, but that fact is not needed for this particular equality.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 2 5 iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The weight lattice iswhere the fundamental weights satisfy . The coroots use the normalization fixed above.
The Killing form defines the complex-linear mapBy nondegeneracy of the Killing form on a Cartan subalgebra, this is an isomorphism. For , expand its image in the dual fundamental-weight basis:The coefficients are real by the preceding positivity calculation, and the are in . ConsequentlyIn fact both spaces have real dimension , so this inclusion is equality.