Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2025 / Paper 1 / 6 / d / ii

Let $K(t)=e^{tR}S{e}^{-tR}$. The product rule and differentiation of the matrix exponential givewhere brackets are the operator commutator. Evaluating at zero gives $K(0)=S$, $K^{\prime }(0)=[R,S]$ and $K^{\prime \prime }(0)=[R,[R,S]]$. The Taylor series at zero is consequentlyIn particular $[R,[R,S]]=R^{2}S-2RSR+S{R}^2$, which also follows by multiplying the two matrix exponential series through quadratic order. For fixed finite matrices the remainder has the stated Big O notation in any matrix norm.