Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 iii Paper 48 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Use signature , the numerical matrices and given in the question, and raise genuine tensor indices with . A real Minkowski spacetime vector corresponds to the Hermitian matrixFor SL(2,C) matrices, is Hermitian and has the same determinant. It therefore induces a real linear Lorentz transformation; composition of the congruence actions agrees with matrix multiplication. The kernel consists of : preservation of makes a kernel element unitary, and preservation of every Hermitian makes it scalar.
Polar decomposition of an invertible complex matrix connects every determinant-one complex matrix to its unitary factor, so the group is connected. The action gives the Lorentz spinor double cover of the proper orthochronous Lorentz group. It covers rotations via and boosts via the positive Hermitian matrices below. Every proper orthochronous transformation is a boost followed by a rotation, since one can first match its image of the future unit time vector and then use its rotation stabilizer. The congruence construction does not cover spatial parity or time reversal. In particular parity has determinant as a four-vector transformation; all transformations continuously produced from SL(2,C) have determinant .
Set , and . The Pauli matrix multiplication law gives . The proposed boost matrix is , with eigenvalues , determinant one and . Split . The perpendicular Pauli part anticommutes with , so multiplication givesThis is an active Lorentz boost. The image of a rest worldline has velocity , fixing the velocity sign convention.
For two nonzero boosts, write and . Their product isThe last term is anti-Hermitian. Thus is not Hermitian unless the axes are collinear; a pure boost has Hermitian lifts , so it cannot give the same Lorentz transformation. The noncollinear boost obstruction from Pauli products is thereforeThat rotation is a Wigner rotation. A zero-rapidity factor is the trivial exception, regardless of the arbitrary axis assigned to it.
Define and . The printed Lorentz algebra brackets giveSet , . ThenThis is the chiral decomposition of the complex Lorentz algebra. The two copies are the complexifications of the SU(2) algebras conventionally labelled left and right. They are not two independent compact real subalgebras of the real Lorentz algebra: are complex linear combinations of the real generators. The distinction is needed for noncompact boosts.
To verify the infinitesimal two-component action, putIts trace vanishes by antisymmetry, so . The Pauli matrix multiplication law impliesSince , antisymmetrizing this identity yieldsConsequently , exactly the claimed infinitesimal coordinate transformation with .
The two Weyl spinor representations transform asBoth maps preserve group multiplication. For , choose its spin lift and write the finite matrices asFor rotations these coincide as the SU(2) doublet; for boosts their generator signs are opposite. Any complex-linear intertwiner would commute with all rotations and hence be scalar by the Schur lemma, but a nonzero scalar cannot intertwine the opposite boost matrices. They are therefore inequivalent. Infinitesimally their matrices are and , while their matrices are both . Thus they have chiral labels and . The finite matrices are representations of the spin cover; choosing or matters for spinors even though their four-vector transformations coincide.
Using the supplied block gamma matrices, the generator of the Dirac spinor isThe antisymmetry of removes the symmetric Clifford part. Hence
There is a conjugation-order error in the last displayed gamma identity in the PDF. The Clifford algebra gives, with ,Exponentiating this linear commutator action proves the inverse Lorentz action on gamma matricesThe second identity is the order required for the requested bilinears when . An explicit countercheck to the printed order is a positive boost along the third axis: giveswhereas the printed right side has a plus sign. This cannot be repaired by dropping index raising; the same raising convention is needed in the preceding coordinate transformation.
The adjoint relation supplied in the question gives , hence the Dirac spinor pseudo-unitarity identity . The Dirac adjoint therefore transforms as . It now follows that the Dirac scalar bilinear isthe vector isand the antisymmetric second-rank tensor isThese are respectively a Lorentz scalar, Lorentz four-vector and Lorentz tensor. The source's inconsistent gamma identity is replaced by its correct inverse/order pair; all three transformation laws then follow with the stated spinor transformation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 2 18D b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Contractions of Lorentz tensors have no free indices and are Lorentz scalars. The antisymmetry and the components in part (a) giveThus and are the two electromagnetic field invariants under proper Lorentz transformations. The second contraction uses the orientation-dependent epsilon tensor: strictly, is a pseudoscalar, changing sign under an improper transformation such as spatial parity. Under the boosts in this question it is invariant.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 301 4 iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
For the active Lorentz transformation of a vector field, coordinates are held fixed and . Its field strength transforms as a two-index Lorentz tensor. The index contractions in the Maxwell Lagrangian are invariant by , so the density transforms as a Lorentz scalar:For , its inverse is . Expanding the coordinate argument therefore givesSet . Part (iii) implies . The product rule then converts the variation into a total derivative:Its integral changes the action only by a boundary term, which is the condition needed for Noether's theorem.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ii Paper 1 36D Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Use the Minkowski metric and define the electromagnetic field tensor byAs a rank-two Lorentz tensor, it transforms under a Lorentz transformation asTwo independent quadratic electromagnetic field invariants are
With , , and , the components areDirect contraction giveswhere the sign of changes if the opposite spacetime orientation is chosen. Since both are complete tensor contractions, and are Lorentz scalars.
For a constant uniform field, the relativistic Lorentz force is a constant-coefficient linear ordinary differential equation. Its solution is the matrix exponential
Now implies that the field is a null electromagnetic field:The stated axes allow us to choosePut . On the coordinates, the mixed tensor divided by isThe particle starts with four-velocity , so the exponential terminates after its quadratic term and givesIntegrating with the particle initially at the origin gives the relativistic trajectory in a constant null crossed fieldEliminating yieldsIf the original positive direction is opposite to , both the sign of and the displayed signed coefficient reverse.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 307 3 vi Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The antisymmetric transforms as a Lorentz tensor, so its complete contractionis a Lorentz scalar. HenceParts ii and v give . It therefore commutes with every generator of the Super-Poincaré algebra and is a Casimir element, called the superspin Casimir.