Past exam of the options I for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford / 2013 / B / 1

An isometry of the Euclidean plane is a map $T:{\mathbb{R}}^2\to {\mathbb{R}}^2$ preserving all Euclidean distances, $\Vert T(x)-T(y)\Vert =\Vert x-y\Vert$. Such a map of the whole plane is automatically bijective, and has the form $T(x)=Rx+b$ with $R$ an orthogonal matrix.

The classification is identity, translations, rotations about a point, reflections in a line, and glide reflections. Here a glide reflection is a reflection followed by a nonzero translation parallel to its mirror. The cases preserving orientation have $\det R=1$ and are translations or rotations; the orientation-reversing cases have $\det R=-1$ and are reflections or glide reflections. The identity is included by allowing a zero translation or rotation angle.

Put $v=P_2-P_1$ and $w=Q_2-Q_1$. They are nonzero vectors with the same Euclidean norm. Choose the rotation matrix $R$ taking the direction $v/\Vert v\Vert$ to $w/\Vert w\Vert$; equal lengths then give $Rv=w$. DefineThis is a translation by $Q_1-P_1$ followed by a rotation about $Q_1$, so it is an isometry. Direct substitution gives $t(P_1)=Q_1$ and $t(P_2)=Q_1+w=Q_2$.

First use the preceding isometry $t$ to align the first two points, and put $R_3=t(P_3)$. It remains to align $R_3$ with $Q_3$ while fixing $Q_1,Q_2$. Use orthonormal coordinates in which $Q_1=(0,0)$ and $Q_2=(d,0)$, $d>0$, and write $R_3=(r,s)$, $Q_3=(u,v)$. The prescribed distances giveSubtracting yields $r=u$, and then $s^2=v^2$. Therefore $Q_3$ is either $R_3$ or its reflection across the line through $Q_1,Q_2$. In the first case take $s=t$; in the second compose $t$ with that reflection. Both constructions fix the first two images and send the third point to its required image. The argument also covers three collinear points, when the two possible third images coincide. Thus all three points can be matched by one plane isometry.