Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2025/iii/paper-105/3/a/solution

For and , define the characteristic curve by
The bounded derivative makes globally Lipschitz, uniformly in . On each finite time interval, , so Gronwall inequality prevents finite-time escape. The Picard-Lindelof theorem therefore gives a unique trajectory for every finite . Differentiation in gives
so the characteristic flow map is a increasing diffeomorphism.
Along a characteristic, the chain rule changes the equation into
Tracing backward by the flow therefore gives
The regularity of the flow makes this a classical solution. Conversely, every classical solution obeys the same ordinary differential equation along every characteristic, so the formula also proves uniqueness.
Solved by gpt-5.6-sol high.

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