Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2006 / ii / Paper 2 / 19F (Representation Theory)

The conjugacy classes are specified by cycle type, with sizes $1,6,3,8,6$ for $1,(12),(12)(34),(123),(1234)$. The trivial and sign representations give the first two rows. The permutation representation on four letters contains a trivial line; its orthogonal complement has character equal to the number of fixed letters minus one. Tensoring that representation by the sign gives another row. Finally the quotient $S_4/V_4\cong S_3$ supplies the two-dimensional standard representation. The resulting table isWith the class-size-weighted inner product, these characters have norm one and are pairwise orthogonal, so all are irreducible and inequivalent. Their squared dimensions sum to $1+1+9+9+4=24=|S_4|$, proving completeness.

The classes of $A_4$ are the identity, the three double transpositions, and two classes of four three-cycles. Its quotient by $V_4$ is cyclic of order three, giving characters $1,\chi ,{\chi }^2$, with $\chi$ taking values $1,1,\omega ,{\omega }^2$ on these classes. The restriction of $V$ has character $(3,-1,0,0)$ and norm $(9+3)/12=1$, so it is the three-dimensional irreducible representation $T$. These four representations are complete since $1+1+1+9=12$.

The sign is trivial on $A_4$, soFor the last equality the restricted character is $(2,2,-1,-1)$, the sum of the two indicated one-dimensional characters. Equality of characters proves the decomposition.