Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2024/iii/paper-225/1/a/i/solution

This is the Brownian covariance kernel, so its integral operator is a covariance operator. To obtain its eigendecomposition, suppose with . Splitting the integral at gives
Differentiation yields and , with boundary conditions and . Hence the normalized eigenpairs are
The eigenvalues are positive and summable, consistently with positivity and the trace-class operator property of a covariance operator.

New to topics? Read the docs here!