Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2009/ia/paper-4/5e/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ia Paper 4 5E b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Choose a right inverse of the surjection , so , and defineFor each , the element then witnesses both and . As in part (a), arbitrary simultaneous choices use the axiom of choice. If is empty, surjectivity and the existence of force to be empty, and the unique empty function already meets the requirement.
Suppose is constant on each fiber of a function of . Since every fiber is nonempty, must be its common -value: any witness in that fiber gives that value. This defines exactly one and yields , an instance of factorization through a surjection.
Conversely, suppose a fiber contains with but . Starting with any admissible , define to agree with it away from , but put and . Both remain admissible, witnessed at by and respectively, yet they are distinct. HenceThe distinction is important: the original existence property asks only for one witness in each fiber. Only when is fiberwise constant does that property force for every .
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