Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2024/iii/paper-115/1/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 115 1 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
- an atlas whose transition maps have positive Jacobian determinant;
- a smooth choice of one of the two orientations of every tangent space;
- a nowhere-zero smooth top-degree differential form.
A positive chart orients its coordinate frame. Conversely, smoothly oriented frames determine local positive coordinate volume forms. A partition of unity subordinate to an oriented atlas glues these positive forms: at each point they are positive multiples of one another, so their weighted sum cannot vanish. Finally, a nowhere-zero top form declares positive exactly when . These constructions are inverse at the level of orientations.
New to topics? Read the docs here!