Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2019/paper-2/20/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2019 Paper 2 20 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
For the Gaussian ansatz, partial differentiation givesCancel the positive exponential and compare the constant and quadratic powers of in the diffusion equation. The two coupled ordinary differential equations areThe initial profile requires and . The second equation is a separable differential equation:Substitute this into the first equation and integrate its logarithmic derivative:Thusand the solution isThis is Gaussian diffusion of a smooth initial profile: its width grows while its peak decreases. The Gaussian integral gives , independent of time, which checks conservation of the total amount under the diffusion equation.
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