Paper 2, Section II, G

Geometry | Part IB, 2017

Let H={xRnux=c}H=\left\{\mathbf{x} \in \mathbb{R}^{n} \mid \mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{x}=c\right\} be a hyperplane in Rn\mathbb{R}^{n}, where u\mathbf{u} is a unit vector and cc is a constant. Show that the reflection map

xx2(uxc)u\mathbf{x} \mapsto \mathbf{x}-2(\mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{x}-c) \mathbf{u}

is an isometry of Rn\mathbb{R}^{n} which fixes HH pointwise.

Let p,q\mathbf{p}, \mathbf{q} be distinct points in Rn\mathbb{R}^{n}. Show that there is a unique reflection RR mapping p\mathbf{p} to q\mathbf{q}, and that RO(n)R \in O(n) if and only if p\mathbf{p} and q\mathbf{q} are equidistant from the origin.

Show that every isometry of Rn\mathbb{R}^{n} can be written as a product of at most n+1n+1 reflections. Give an example of an isometry of R2\mathbb{R}^{2} which cannot be written as a product of fewer than 3 reflections.

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