Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2002 / Paper 2 / 10 / Solution

Definitions and labels. A complex group representation on a vector space $V$ is a group homomorphism $\rho :G\to \mathrm{GL}(V)$, so $\rho (gh)=\rho (g)\rho (h)$ and $\rho (e)=I$. It is an irreducible representation if $V\ne 0$ and its only invariant subspaces are $0$ and $V$.

Read permutation matrices by their action on column basis vectors. The labels in the original PDF areIn particular, the original PDF gives the last row of $C$ as $(1,0,0)$; the provided TeX transcription's $(0,0,1)$ is incorrect and would not give an invertible permutation matrix.

Multiplication and conjugacy. Matrix products act on columns with the right factor first. For example $A^2=B$, $AD=C$, and $DA=E$. The complete multiplication table, with row factor multiplied by column factor, isConjugating a permutation relabels its cycles. Thus the conjugacy classes areof sizes one, two and three. These are respectively the identity, the three-cycles and the transpositions in the symmetric group on three letters.

Dimensions. The sum of squares of irreducible representation dimensions equals the group order, which here is six. A three-dimensional irreducible representation would already contribute nine, so the displayed representation is reducible. There are three inequivalent complex irreducible representations, one for each conjugacy class, including the trivial representation of dimension one. If their dimensions are $1,d_2,d_3$, then $d_2^2+d_3^2=5$, whose positive integer solution is $\{d_2,d_3\}=\{1,2\}$. HenceOne can also see reducibility directly: every permutation matrix fixes $(1,1,1{)}^T$.

Characters. The character of a representation is the trace of its representing matrix, constant on each conjugacy class. The given permutation representation has character equal to the number of fixed basis vectors:in class order $(I;A,B;C,D,E)$. A trivial representation has character $(1,1,1)$. For the second one-dimensional character, a transposition has value $\pm 1$ because its square is the identity. The two three-cycles are conjugate and inverse, so their common value $a$ obeys both $a^2=1$ and $a^3=1$, forcing $a=1$. Character orthogonality with the trivial character then requires $1+2+3b=0$, giving $b=-1$. This determines the sign representation without constructing its matrices.

Write the two-dimensional character as $(2,x,y)$. Character orthogonality with the first two rows givesso $x=-1$, $y=0$. Its squared norm is $(4+2)/6=1$, as required. The complete character table is thereforeThe last row belongs to the standard representation of the symmetric group.

To decompose the given representation, use the character inner productIts multiplicities areThusConcretely the invariant line is spanned by $(1,1,1{)}^T$ and its invariant complement is $\{(x,y,z):x+y+z=0\}$. Their characters are exactly the first and third rows, agreeing with the decomposition obtained entirely from character orthogonality.