Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/iii/paper-60/1/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 iii Paper 60 1 ii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Use the Einstein-de Sitter universe relations and . Write and . Since ,The dimensionless first integral with zero velocity at is . On the expanding branch this givesEvaluating the integral gives the inverse-trigonometric expression in the source. Alternatively, differentiate it: , so differentiation of the first integral gives exactly the required equation of motion. At , the integral equals . Thus fixes . The collapsing branch is , not the same increasing inverse function.
For the early-time density contrast, expand the integral directly:The leading coefficient in the printed small-radius approximation needs correction to . The printed coefficient is inconsistent with both the exact integral and approach to the homogeneous background. Indeed, the nonlinear density contrast satisfiesHence . In the Einstein-de Sitter universe the growing linear cosmological density perturbation is proportional to , so its extrapolation isThe formal collapse occurs at , giving the linear spherical-collapse thresholdThe actual nonlinear density contrast diverges at collapse; the finite number is the extrapolated linear amplitude. Equivalently, the full spherical-collapse model has and , with turnaround at and formal collapse at . Combining the half-radius estimate with the background-density decrease up to gives .
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