Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/prelims/mathematics-ii/7/b/iii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2023 Prelims Mathematics II 7 b iii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
No: the unbounded length of the domain matters. Let and define on . These are continuous functions with compact support, and , so the sequence has uniform convergence to zero. However, the change of variables givesThe integral of the limit is zero. The supports widen as the heights decrease; a uniform bound on the heights gives no bound on the total area over an infinite interval.
Concentrating bumps, spreading bumps, and a one-sided approximate identity
. Left: the examples in part (b)(i) converge pointwise to zero while their integrals remain one. Middle: the examples in part (b)(iii) have uniform convergence to zero but retain integral one by spreading across the real line. Right: the nonnegative functions in part (c) concentrate their mass at zero and recover the endpoint value of a continuous function. Details. New to topics? Read the docs here!
