Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/ii/paper-4/10a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 ii Paper 4 10A Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Here , so the perturbation equation becomes . A trial gives , with roots . ThusThe pure growing mode obeys ; for generic data the decaying component eventually becomes negligible, though the growing-mode normalization must be determined from both initial data.
With , the physical wavelength is . Equating it to the Hubble radius , and using , givesGrowing-mode evolution from crossing to today multiplies the perturbation amplitude by . Hence the supplied horizon-crossing variance givesThis conclusion uses the stated matter-dominated growing-mode approximation over the relevant evolution, rather than an additional radiation-era transfer function.
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