Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2014/paper-2/14/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2014 Paper 2 14 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Writing the two coefficients as , their mixed derivatives satisfy , so the smooth form is exact on . Integrating the first coefficient with respect to gives . Matching gives . One potential is thereforeThe integral curves of are its level curves. Absorbing a factor of two into the constant giveson real graph branches. The initial condition fixes and selects the positive branch:This is the maximal smooth graph interval containing ; at either endpoint the level curve has a vertical tangent, so cannot remain finite.
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