Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/ia/paper-4/10a/b/iii/solution

For equal in the two cases, their closest distances are conjugate roots expressed with the same . Consequently
At either central-force radial turning point, the velocity is tangential and conservation of angular momentum gives . Thus
These attractive and repulsive inverse-square closest approaches pair a shorter, faster attractive passage with a longer, slower repulsive one. The speed-product conclusion assumes ; at , the attractive orbit hits the singular centre with unbounded speed, so the formal product with the repulsive zero speed is not defined.

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