Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2022/ia/paper-2/6a/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ia Paper 2 6A b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The stationary equations areThus and , givingThe Hessian matrix isAt either nonzero stationary point,so both are strict local minima.
Along a line through the origin,whereWhen and ,Consequently the origin is a local minimum along the line whenincluding the equality cases because the positive quartic term then leads. It is also a minimum on the vertical line. It is a local maximum along the line whenIn the first case the graph is locally bowl-shaped. In the second it initially bends downward from the origin, but the positive quartic term eventually turns it upward, producing the usual double-well profile.
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