Past exam of the groups and representations course of the University of Oxford / 2020 / 3 / e / Solution

The commuting direction in solution provides the correct candidate Lie algebra for a gauge group, $\mathfrak{su}(3{)}_c\oplus \mathfrak{su}(2{)}_L\oplus \mathfrak{u}(1{)}_Y$. This is a necessary structural condition for the Standard Model, but it does not by itself establish a viable grand unified theory.

The representations in solution do not give a Standard Model fermion generation with the correct weak hypercharges. Use $Q_{\mathrm{electric}}=T_3+Y$. Identifying $(3,2{)}_1$ with the left-handed quark doublet, whose weak hypercharge is $1/6$, fixes $Y=X/6$. But then the doublet in $(1,3)$ has $Y=1/6$, whereas the left-handed lepton doublet requires $Y=-1/2$. Its singlet has $Y=-1/3$, whereas a right-handed electron requires $Y=-1$. The $(\overline{3},1{)}_0$ is a further concrete mismatch: right-handed quarks written as left-handed antiquarks require $Y=-2/3$ or $1/3$, and a rescaling cannot turn zero into either value. These comparisons use the electroweak representation and hypercharge table.

The charge-$-3$ doublet in $(1,8)$ does have the required lepton weak hypercharge under this normalization, but the same Adjoint representation also brings a doublet of the opposite charge and an extra triplet. Therefore merely adding that representation does not supply the missing chiral generation without additional states and a mechanism for their masses.

Furthermore $SU(3)\times SU(3)$ is a product of two Simple Lie groups, permitting two independent gauge couplings; it does not enforce a common strong and electroweak gauge coupling. Thus the embedding exists, but the displayed matter content does not furnish a viable minimal unification of the Standard Model. A more elaborate model would require additional representations, consistent chiral matter, anomaly cancellation, and a specified spontaneous symmetry breaking mechanism. The calculations here do not prove that every possible extension using this product group is impossible.