Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2021/prelims/mathematics-iv-resit/3/c/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2021 Prelims Mathematics IV resit 3 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Use the parametric curveHere , so the ellipse stays strictly above the axis of rotation . Rotating in three dimensions gives a surface of revolution with parametrizationThe two parameter tangent vectors are orthogonal, with Euclidean norms and . Hence the area element of a surface isThe generating ellipse is simple and has positive distance from the axis of rotation; its rotation sweeps the surface once, apart from the identified parameter endpoints. AlsoWriting , the surface area is therefore . Since and ,ConsequentlyThe cancellation is an instance of the surface area of revolution of a centrally symmetric curve: the surface area is the generating curve’s arc length times the distance traveled by its center.
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