Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2019/paper-1/11/d/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2019 Paper 1 11 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Take and select a complex argument for . To specify the complex exponentiation, use . Expanding its exponent givesIts complex logarithm therefore has valuesThe continuous logarithm obtained by retaining the displayed exponent uses . If the outer logarithm is the principal logarithm, choose to put the imaginary part in instead; the real part is unchanged. In particular one cannot generally assert without checking its imaginary part.
The condition on the real part gives , so the required logarithmic spiral has polar coordinatesAs increases, it runs from the negative real axis near radius through , and to the negative real axis at radius . The angle increases by one complete turn. Using the conventional principal argument , the inner negative-axis endpoint is excluded and the outer endpoint is included. The convention reverses those endpoint choices. If both limiting arguments are admitted by the paper's wording, both limiting endpoints are drawn; the interior curve is the same. The origin is never included because the complex logarithm is undefined there.
One turn of the logarithmic spiral, with an enlarged view near the origin
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