Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2009/ii/paper-4/6a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ii Paper 4 6A Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Substitute , . The derivatives giveFor a nontrivial spreading similarity solution, equality at all times requires . The conserved total number of molecules isA finite nonzero constant therefore requires , giving . In one dimension the same diffusion length exponent is , but conservation gives amplitude exponent ; generally it is in dimension .
The profile equation is consequentlyMultiplication by puts it in the integrated form . For the regular localized Gaussian heat kernel profile, the constant is zero at the origin, so . Integrating givesThe second expression chooses the optional normalization . Its mass is , and its width tends to zero with while its mass stays fixed, so it approaches times a Dirac delta distribution at the origin as .
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