Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2016/ib/paper-3/19d/c/solution

The Peano kernel theorem says that if a continuous linear error functional annihilates all polynomials of degree less than and permits the required interchange with integration, then for ,
It follows by applying to the integral-remainder Taylor formula with integral remainder. Here choose and
This functional annihilates constants and linear functions (indeed quadratics too), and its Peano kernel is
Thus and . The integral representation gives
For the first inequality, continuous functions with can approximate away from its zeros, making arbitrarily close to . Such derivatives integrate twice to admissible functions, proving no smaller works. For the second, use continuous of norm one concentrated near or , where , with the sign of there. This makes approach , proving optimality of .
For , , and . Both right-hand bounds equal nine, so both inequalities hold.

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