Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 54 2 Solution 2026-10-14
Use , and , where are the Pauli matrices. The translation and Lorentz generators obey the Poincare algebraOne can derive the additional relations by realizing the supercharges as differential operators on superspace. With left Grassmann derivatives and , takeUsing , the two mixed derivative-coordinate terms each give . The remaining terms cancel by Grassmann anticommutation. Equal-chirality terms cancel in the same way. HenceAll coefficients are independent of , so direct differentiation gives . This also shows that supercharges commute with translations and preserve the four-momentum of a state.
For the Lorentz generators, define the left-handed spinor matricesThe identity gives their Lorentz commutation relations. Acting on the spinor superspace coordinates and their dual derivatives then gives, in a column-component convention,Here dotted index values are identified with the conjugate undotted values, and . The second formula also follows directly by taking the adjoint of the first, using Hermitian . For example, , so and for . This explicit component convention avoids reversing signs by mixing state matrices with operator-component matrices. Covariance of the mixed anticommutator follows by applying these matrices to .
These are the minimal Super-Poincaré algebra relations. In the ordinary particle algebra a possible scalar term in would be proportional to , but an anticommutator is symmetric in its two labels; with only one supersymmetry such a central term vanishes. Extended algebras can instead use an antisymmetric internal index tensor. Tensor charges associated with extended objects are not part of this minimal particle algebra.
For a positive-energy massless supermultiplet, choose with , so andPositivity of the Hilbert-space norm implies that both and annihilate every state: their squared norms sum to zero. SetFor momentum along the positive third axis, helicity is . The Lorentz commutators give and . Choose a highest-helicity Clifford vacuum with . Its partner has unit norm if the first state does and has helicity . No further state is generated because . ThereforeThe two states have opposite fermion parity. A CPT completion of a supermultiplet adds helicities and conjugate internal charges when necessary. Taking produces a complex scalar and a Weyl spinor after CPT completion; taking produces the massless vector multiplet. This construction assumes ordinary finite-helicity particle representations, rather than continuous-spin representations.