Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2015/prelims/mathematics-i/2/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2015 Prelims Mathematics I 2 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Writing the unknown vector as , the first two linear equations give and . Substitution into the third givesThus, when , put . There is exactly one solution:When , the remaining equation is . HenceThe second case is an affine line in a vector space, so it contains infinitely many solutions. These cases exhaust all real numbers .
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