Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / iii / Paper 103 / 2 / b / ii

First exclude the short patterns $(a,a+1,a)$ and $(a,a-1,a)$ in the joint spectrum. In the first pattern, the local spectral rules for Young–Jucys–Murphy elements make $s_r$ act by $+1$ and $s_{r+1}$ by $-1$ on the same simultaneous eigenvector. The two sides of the braid relation in a Coxeter group then act by opposite signs. The second pattern gives the same contradiction with signs reversed.

Now induct on the length of a spectral vector. A prefix of length $i-1$ is spectral for $S_{i-1}$: decompose the restricted group representation and retain a nonzero component of the simultaneous eigenvector. If $a_i$ differed by neither $+1$ nor $-1$ from every earlier entry, move it left using the allowed adjacent interchanges. Encountering an equal entry would contradict the distinctness of consecutive eigenvalues. Otherwise it reaches the first position, forcing $a_i=0$. For $i>1$ the original first entry was also zero, so an equal entry would indeed have been encountered. ThusThis argument uses only the stated local rules. In particular, iterating the result from $a_1=0$ also shows that all coordinates are integers.