Past exam of the groups and representations course of the University of Oxford / 2020 / 1 / c

Now $m_1=m_2=n$ and the first two matrix representations agree in the chosen bases. Each of $P_{11},P_{12},P_{21},P_{22}$ is therefore a commuting endomorphism of that common irreducible representation, so each is scalar by the Schur lemma. All blocks connecting either of these copies with the third vanish, since the third irreducible representation is inequivalent. HenceEvery such matrix commutes with $R(g)$. In particular the off-diagonal scalars $b,c$ can mix the two identical copies. The commutant of a semisimple representation is $M_2(\mathbb{C})\oplus \mathbb{C}$, of complex dimension five. If the first two representations were merely equivalent, rather than literally equal, the mixed blocks would instead be scalar multiples of a fixed invertible intertwiner and its inverse.