Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2013 / Paper 2 / 10 / ii

Denote the four listed matrices, in order, by $I,P,Q,W$. As permutation matrices, $P,Q,W$ act on the four basis vectors by $(12)(34)$, $(13)(24)$ and $(14)(23)$, respectively. Direct multiplication givesThese relations prove closure and show that each element is its own inverse. The identity is included and matrix multiplication is associative, so the matrices form a group.

The relations coincide with those of the Klein four-group $D_2$: take its half-turn generator to $P$, a reflection generator to $Q$, and their product to $W$. All four matrices are distinct, so this assignment is a faithful representation of $D_2$. It is the four-point regular representation of the Klein four-group.

Every matrix fixes $v=(1,1,1,1{)}^T$, since it permutes its coordinates. Thereforeis a one-dimensional invariant subspace, nonzero and strictly smaller than the four-dimensional space. This proves the representation is reducible. In fact the four mutually orthogonal sign vectors $(1,1,1,1)$, $(1,1,-1,-1)$, $(1,-1,1,-1)$ and $(1,-1,-1,1)$ give invariant lines and completely diagonalize the representation, as in the normalized Hadamard matrix construction.