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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2021 Prelims Mathematics I 1 b ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Write and . Because is a diagonal matrix,Thus exactly when for every . The three eigenvalues are distinct, so every off-diagonal entry of must be zero; diagonal entries are unrestricted. Consequently the centralizer of a diagonal matrix here isEvery displayed matrix indeed commutes with , since diagonal matrices multiply entry by entry on the diagonal.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2021 Prelims Mathematics I 1 b i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
For the given real matrix , direct matrix multiplication gives the eigenvectorsPut these eigenvectors into the columns ofSince , is an invertible matrix. The three column identities give , soIn particular, the matrix similarity is established by an explicit change-of-basis matrix.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2021 Prelims Mathematics I 1 a iii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
For any matrix and compatible invertible matrix , the linear map maps onto : a linear combination of rows of is sent to the same linear combination of rows of . Its inverse function is , so these row spaces have equal dimensions. Hence right matrix multiplication by also preserves row rank.
If , ii now givesThis proves the required matrix similarity invariant without needing to assume equality of row rank and column rank.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2021 Prelims Mathematics I 1 a ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
When is an invertible matrix, . Apply i first to and then to :Thus the two row spaces are equal. In particular, invertible left matrix multiplication preserves row rank.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2021 Prelims Mathematics I 1 a i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Write as an matrix and as an matrix, with rows . The rule for matrix multiplication givesEvery row of is therefore a linear combination of rows of . Taking linear spans gives
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V 4 a ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
First let . Substitute in the negative half of the integral. Since is an odd function,The two halves cancel, soFor both limits coincide. For , reverse the limits and apply the result with . Thus the identity holds for every real .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V 4 a i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Write , where is an integer and . The change of variables and the fact that is a periodic function giveSplit at , then substitute in the second piece:ThereforeThis proves translation invariance of an integral over one period without assuming that is differentiable.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V 3 b iii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
The core contributes no change in , since there. Integrating the radial gravitational field across the shell, with , givesUsing the supplied antiderivative,HenceThe negative sign agrees with in the material shell under the paper's gravitational potential sign conventions.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V 3 b ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
On a sphere of radius , the radial gravitational field has constant magnitude. Thus Gauss's law for gravity becomeswhere is the enclosed mass. In the hollow core . In the material shell, put and use the spherical coordinates volume element:Outside the shell the enclosed mass is the totalConsequently,At the displayed value refers to the radial derivative of the constant core value. The expressions match at both shell boundaries. There is no surface sheet of mass, so a jump in the volume mass density does not produce a jump in the gravitational field. The core has zero gravitational field, and the exterior gravitational field equals that of a central point mass , as in the shell theorem.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V 3 b i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
The mass density depends only on , so it has spherical symmetry. For this isolated planet, choose the Newtonian gravitational potential to vanish at infinity, or equivalently choose to do so. There is no imposed external gravitational field. Rotating the mass distribution therefore leaves unchanged: .
The gradient in spherical coordinates consequently has no angular components, and the paper's gravitational potential sign conventions giveAt the centre there is no distinguished radial direction, and spherical symmetry makes .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V 2 d ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Integrate the steady state equation over and use the divergence theorem:The zero heat flux condition makes the boundary term vanish. But and throughout a region of positive volume, soa contradiction. Thus no steady-state solution exists. This is the insulated steady heat balance: positive internal heat generation continually increases the stored thermal energy when no heat can escape.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V 2 d i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Suppose and are two sufficiently regular steady state solutions with the same prescribed temperature on the boundary. Their difference satisfiesThe identical PDE source terms cancel. Apply the product rule and the divergence theorem to ; this is the weighted form of Green's first identity:Since , the nonnegative integrand must vanish, so . Hence is constant on each connected component of , and its zero Dirichlet boundary condition makes each constant zero. Therefore : the solution, if it exists, is unique. This proves Dirichlet uniqueness for variable-conductivity heat conduction; it does not require a constant thermal conductivity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V resit Question 6 c iii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
The trigonometric identityshows that only angular Fourier modes and are required. Differentiating the harmonic expansion on a disk at multiplies the coefficient of each nonconstant Fourier mode by . Thus and , givingEach term is a regular harmonic function, and the radial derivative isThe Neumann compatibility condition for Laplace's equation holds becauseas is necessary by the divergence theorem applied to the gradient of a harmonic function.
The additive constant is undetermined. This Neumann boundary condition is unchanged by , so the paper's blanket uniqueness assertion requires a normalization in this case. The uniqueness of the Neumann problem gives uniqueness up to a constant; prescribing , or zero mean temperature, selects the displayed answer with .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V resit Question 6 c ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
The boundary data consist of the third angular Fourier mode. Its regular radial factor in the harmonic expansion on a disk is , soFor a direct check of Laplace's equation,Also . At the origin the apparent coordinate singularity is harmless: this is the harmonic polynomial . The allowed uniqueness for the Dirichlet problem completes the identification.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V resit Question 6 c i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
The constant function satisfies Laplace's equation and the prescribed Dirichlet boundary condition. In the harmonic expansion on a disk, its only nonzero coefficient is . By the allowed uniqueness for the Dirichlet problem,
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V resit Question 3 d ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
On the unit circle, the positively oriented unit tangent vector is , and . Hence andSince the scalar field has no dependence, the curl product rule for a scalar field givesOn the unit upper hemisphere , the outward unit normal vector is , so its vertical component is . Applying the Stokes theorem to the vector field therefore provesThe smoothness needed here is that extend as a continuously differentiable scalar field to a neighbourhood of the projected unit disk. The left side is a scalar line integral with respect to arc length; the positive boundary orientation is used when identifying it with the vector line integral.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V resit Question 3 d i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Choose the outward orientation on the upper half of the ellipsoid, giving counterclockwise boundary orientation on as viewed from . Parametrize the boundary circle byThen , so the line integral isFor a direct surface integral, use the parametrized surfaceIts outward vector surface element is supplied by the cross productUsing the curl from a,The two integrals agree for every , verifying the Stokes theorem. Only the vertical component of the vector surface element enters, which explains the absence of in the answer.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V resit Question 2 a iv Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
For , the divergence vanishes at every point with , so its ordinary volume integral, ignoring the undefined single point, is zero. Nevertheless, the outward flux integral through the unit sphere is still :The hypotheses of the divergence theorem fail at the origin. Indeed there, so no continuous extension is possible. On the punctured region , the divergence theorem remains valid: the outer flux is and the inner flux is . Unlike iii, this inner contribution does not tend to zero. The discrepancy therefore comes from the persistent flux at the singular point, rather than a failure of the divergence theorem under its hypotheses.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V resit Question 2 a iii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
On the unit sphere, the outward unit normal vector is and . Hence the outward flux integral isUsing spherical polar coordinates and the divergence from ii, the volume integral over the unit ball isThis improper integral converges precisely because . When the vector field is singular or fails to be continuously differentiable at the origin, justify the equality by applying the divergence theorem on . The outward flux through its inner sphere is , soThus the two integrals agree for every , with the limiting interpretation where needed; the classical smoothness hypothesis does not hold for every such .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V resit Question 2 a ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
For , the chain rule gives . Applying the product rule to the components of the vector field yieldsThe calculation is pointwise away from the origin; any extension of the vector field to the origin must be considered separately.
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