Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2014/iii/paper-22/1/i/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 22 1 i Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For the first algebraic curve, a hyperbola, use the line through . Substitution and cancellation of the known intersection give . Thus a rational parametrization of an algebraic curve isThe identity follows immediately. Away from its inverse is ; the exceptional point is recovered at . The other point with , namely , corresponds to , while gives the points at infinity on the projective closure. This explains the exceptional parameters rather than discarding them.
For the second algebraic curve, the rational parametrization of an algebraic curvehas inverse where , and gives the cusp. Indeed, if and , then and . Both curves admit rational parametrizations, although the second has a singular point.
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