Problem Solutions -1

· ¸
cos θ − sin θ
1. Let θ ∈ R, set Rθ = and fix v0 = (x0 , y0 ) ∈ R2 , and define
sin θ cos θ
2 2
f : R → R by f (v) = Rθ v + v0

a) Show that f is an isometry.

b) Show that if v0 = 0, then f (u) · f(v) = u · v for every u, v ∈ R2 .
c) (Bonus) Show that if g : Rn → Rn is an isometry and that g(0) = 0, then
g(u) · g(v) = u · v for every u, v ∈ Rn .
· 2 2
¸ · ¸
cos θ + sin θ 0 1 0
Solution: a) First note that Rtθ Rθ = = .
0 cos2 θ + sin2 θ 0 1
Now let u, v be (column) vectors in R2 . Then,

||f (u) − f (v)||2 = ||Rθ u + v0 − (Rθ v + v0 )||2

= ||Rθ (u − v)||2
= (Rθ (u − v)) · (Rθ (u − v)) (dot product)
= (Rθ (u − v))t Rθ (u − v) (matrix product)
= (u − v)t Rtθ Rθ (u − v)
= (u − v)t (u − v) (matrix product)
= (u − v) · (u − v) (dot product)
= ||u − v||2 .

Hence, f is an isometry.
b) This part follows from part c) if we note that when v0 = 0, then f(0) = 0.
c) Recall the theorem proven in class: If f : Rn → Rn is an isometry and
P, Q, R ∈ Rn , then

(f (Q) − f(P )) · (f (R) − f (P )) = (Q − P ) · (R − P ).

Take P = 0 and f = g in this and we obtain

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(g(Q) − g(0)) · (g(R) − g(0)) = (Q − 0) · (R − 0).

Since g(0) = 0, this reduces to

g(Q) · g(R) = Q · R,

as required.

2. a) Show that every isometry f : Rn → Rn is a one-to-one function. (i.e show

that if P 6= Q are 2 different points in Rn , and f is an isometry, then f (P ) 6= f (Q).)
b) Assume that an isometry f : Rn → Rn has an inverse f −1 : Rn → Rn (i.e.
f (f −1 (P )) = P and f −1 (f (Q)) = Q for all P, Q ∈ Rn . Show that f −1 must also
be an isometry.
Solution: a) If f is an isometry, we show that f (P ) = f(Q) ⇒ P = Q for
any P, Q: If f (P ) = f (Q), then d(f (P ), f(Q)) = 0. But f is an isometry, so
0 = d(f (P ), f(Q)) = d(P, Q). This implies that P = Q.

b) We assume that f : Rn → Rn is an isometry and that there is a function

g : Rn → Rn satisfying g(f (P )) = P and f (g(Q)) = Q for all P, Q ∈ Rn
(Such a function g is called the inverse of f and is denoted f −1 ). We show that
g is also an isometry. Let P, Q ∈ Rn . Then,

d(g(P ), g(Q)) = d(f (g(P )), f(g(Q))) (since f is an isometry)

= d(P, Q) (since f (g(A)) = A for all A ∈ En ).

Hence, g = f −1 is an isometry.

3. Fix P ∈ E2 and r > 0. Let C = {Q ∈ E2 | d(P, Q) = r} be the circle with

centre P and radius r. If f : E2 → E2 is an isometry, prove that f(C) is the circle
with center f(P ) and radius r. (i.e. show that isometries of E2 map circles to
circles).
Solution: First we will assume that f has an inverse f −1 which is also an
isometry. (This can be shown as follows: We know there is A ∈ O(2) and b ∈ E2
such that f (x) = Ax + b, and At A = I2 . Then the formula for f −1 is f −1 (u) =
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At (u − b) = At u − At b. Thus f has an inverse f −1 which is also an isometry, by

2(b).)
Now, fix P ∈ E2 and r > 0. Let C = {Q ∈ E2 | d(P, Q) = r} be the circle with
centre P and radius r. We show that if f : E2 → E2 is an isometry, then f (C) is
the circle with center f (P ) and radius r.
Let C 0 = {Q0 ∈ E2 | d(f(P ), Q0 ) = r}’and recall that f (C) = {f (Q) | Q ∈ C}.
We will show that C 0 ⊆ f (C) and f (C) ⊆ C 0 , which implies that f (C) = C 0 .
1. C 0 ⊆ f (C) Let Q0 ∈ C 0 . We show that Q0 ∈ f(C) as follows. Set Q =
f −1 (Q0 ), so that f (Q) = Q0 . Then,

d(P, Q) = d(f (P ), f (Q)) (since f is an isometry)

= d(f (P ), Q0 )
=r (since Q0 ∈ C 0 ).

This show that Q ∈ C. But Q0 = f (Q), so Q0 ∈ f (C). This proves that

C 0 ⊆ f(C).

2. f(C) ⊆ C 0 Let R ∈ f(C). We show that R ∈ C 0 as follows. Since R ∈ f (C),

we know that R = f (Q) for some Q ∈ C. Then,

d(f (P ), R) = d(f (P ), f (Q)) (since R = f(Q))

= d(P, Q) (because f is an isometry)
=r (since Q ∈ C).

This shows that R ∈ C 0 , so f (C) ⊆ C 0 .

This completes our argument establishing that if f is an isometry and C is the
circle with centre P and radius r, then f(C) is the circle with center f(P ) and
radius r. (i.e. isometries map circles to circles).

4. a) Suppose R2 3 (a, b) 6= 0 and c ∈ R. Find a formula for the reflection

RL : R2 → R2 in the line

L = {(x, y) ∈ R2 | ax + by + c = 0}.
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b) Check that your formula in (a) really does define an isometry.

2
c) Check that your formula in (a) satisfies RL (P ) = RL (RL (P )) = P for all P ∈ R2 .
Solution: a) Suppose (a, b) 6= 0 and c ∈ R. Let L = {(x, y) ∈ R2 | ax+by +c =
0} be a line in R2 . We find a formula for the reflection R : R2 → R2 in L as follows.
First note that the vector n = (a, b) 6= 0 is perpendicular to L, since if v1 =
(x1 , y1 ) and v2 = (x2 , y2 ) are 2 different points on L, then (a, b) · (v1 − v2 ) =
(ax1 + by1 ) − (ax2 + by2 ) = c − c = 0. We may then write the equation for L is
vector form: L = {v ∈ R2 | v · n + c = 0}.
If u = (x, y), let u0 ∈ L be the point on L which is closest to u. Then, we know
that (u0 −u) is perpendicular to L, and R(u) = u0 +(u0 −u) = 2u0 −u = 2(u0 −u)+u.
We find an expression for u0 as follows.
Since (u−u0 ) is perpendicular to L, we may write u0 = u+sn for some s ∈ R. We
can solve for s, since we know that u0 ∈ L, so −c = u0 ·n = (u+sn)·n = u·n+s||n||2 .
Thus,
c+u·n
s=− ,
||n||2
and so
(c + u · n)
(u0 − u) = sn = − n.
||n||2
Hence,

(c + u · n)
(1) RL (u) = u − 2 n.
||n||2
n c
We could have simplified our lives by setting m = ||n|| , e = ||n|| , and noticing
that L = {v ∈ R2 | v · n + c = 0} = {v ∈ R2 | v · m + e = 0}. Then, ||m|| = 1, and
our formula (1) can be written as

(2) RL (u) = u − 2(e + u · m)m.

b) Let’s use the easier formula (2) here: If u, v ∈ R2 , then

RL (u) − RL (v) = u − 2(e + u · m)m − (v − 2(e + v · m)m

= u − v − 2[(u − v) · m]m
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Now let w = u − v, so that

||RL (u) − RL (v)||2 = (RL (u) − RL (v)) · (RL (u) − RL (v))

= (w − 2(w · m)m) · (w − 2(w · m)m)
= ||w||2 − 4(w · m)2 + 4(w · m)2
= ||w||2
= ||u − v||2 .

Hence, ||RL (u) − RL (v)|| = ||u − v||, and so RL is an isometry.

c) Once again we use (2):

RL (RL (u)) = RL (u) − 2(e + RL (u) · m)m

= u − 2(e + u · m)m − 2(e + (u − 2(e + u · m)m) · m)m
= u − 2em − 2(u · m)m − 2em − 2(u · m)m + 4e(m · m)m + 4(u · m)m
= u,

as required.