Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2011/ia/paper-1/5c/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2011 ia Paper 1 5C Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
In the parametric description, is a point of the straight line and the nonzero vector gives its direction. The real parameter runs through every point of that line. For the cross product description, take another cross product with and use the vector triple product identity:Hence every solution has the representationHere and , as required. Conversely,Thus the perpendicularity assumption is sufficient, and the solutions form a straight line parallel to . When , the vector is perpendicular both to and to every position vector on the line; it is the normal to the plane through the origin containing that line. The point is the perpendicular foot from the origin. Its distance from the origin is , since .
For a general parametric straight line, minimize the squared Euclidean distanceThis strictly convex quadratic function has its unique minimum at , giving the orthogonal projectionFor the cross product description, , so this becomes
For the two planes, put and . Nonparallel unit normals give and . Seek the perpendicular foot in their span, . Its two dot products impose and . Solving gives both requested descriptions of the intersection:andIndeed the vector triple product identity gives . Conversely, since are linearly independent, equality to forces both plane equations. Thus neither description introduces extra points.
New to topics? Read the docs here!