Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/ib/paper-1/4b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 ib Paper 1 4B Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Use the position four-vector and Minkowski signature . Along a massive particle's timelike path,Thus its four-velocity is , and multiplying by the invariant rest mass givesIts temporal component is , and the invariant relation is .
For a massless particle, use the null energy–momentum relation rather than substituting into : a massless particle has no proper-time parametrization of a timelike rest frame. With positive energy, implies . HenceThe original PDF retains the spatial vector in this expression; the TeX conversion incorrectly replaced it by its magnitude.
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