Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2016/ib/paper-2/1f/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 2 1F Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Use completing the square rather than computing the eigenvalues of the symmetric matrix. Successively removing the mixed terms givesThus one suitable invertible linear change of coordinates isThe coordinate matrix is upper triangular with determinant one, so the change is an invertible linear map. Its inverse is , , . Hence the diagonal coefficients can be taken as . This is a matrix congruence of a quadratic form; an orthogonal transformation was not required.
New to topics? Read the docs here!