Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 4 11F c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Choose continuous argument lifts for the two curves. Their sum is a lift for their pointwise product, becauseSubtract its initial value from its final value to obtainIn particular, winding numbers subtract under pointwise division of curves avoiding zero.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 4 11F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 4 11F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Let , a continuous map into the unit circle. By uniform continuity, partition so finely that on each interval beginning at , . This ratio lies in the right half-plane and has a continuous complex argument with value zero at . Starting from , add these local arguments successively, matching endpoint values. This constructs a continuous real lift with .
Any two such lifts with the same initial value differ by a continuous function taking values in , and hence coincide. Since the curve closes, . Define its winding number byChanging the chosen initial argument adds a constant multiple of to the whole lift, so the winding number is independent of that choice. No differentiability of the curve is required.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 4 10G c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Both forms have discriminant of a binary quadratic form . The reduction algorithm for a positive definite binary quadratic form gives and for a reduced positive definite representative. Enumerating givesThe second and fourth forms are imprimitive and represent only even integers. Every odd prime represented by a form of discriminant of a binary quadratic form must therefore be represented by or .
For a prime , quadratic reciprocity givesEvery prime has this symbol equal to one and hence is represented by one of the two primitive forms, by part (b). But an odd prime represented by and different from three is , so these primes must be represented by . Similarly, primes have both symbols equal to , and are represented by , since a prime represented by is . Both residue classes are coprime to 15, so Dirichlet theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions proves each form represents infinitely many primes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 4 10G b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Write an integral binary quadratic form as , with discriminant of a binary quadratic form . If is prime, then : any common divisor would have its square dividing . Complete to a matrix in using Bezout identity. After the associated integral change of variables, the properly equivalent form has leading coefficient , say . Its discriminant of a binary quadratic form gives , hence .
Conversely suppose . Since is an integral-form discriminant of a binary quadratic form, or . Choose with even integer parity for and odd integer parity for . This is possible because is odd. Then is divisible by , andis an integral form of discriminant of a binary quadratic form representing . This proves the discriminant criterion for prime representation by a binary quadratic form, including the case ; no assumption that is a fundamental discriminant was used.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 4 10G a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Dirichlet theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions states that if positive integer and integer satisfy , then infinitely many prime numbers satisfyThe coprimality hypothesis is essential: if and have a common factor greater than one, a prime in the progression must divide that factor, giving at most finitely many possibilities.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 9C b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
The baryon-to-photon ratio is extremely small, of order . Thus even when the typical photon energy is below , the high-energy tail of the blackbody radiation contains enough photons above the ionization energy to reionize almost every newly formed hydrogen atom. Cosmological recombination becomes effective only when this exponentially small tail is also small compared with the baryon-to-photon ratio. Consequently recombination occurs at a temperature much lower than , consistent with . The exact freeze-out history also depends on reaction rates and expansion; the equilibrium estimate explains the large suppression of the temperature.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 9C a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Chemical equilibrium imposes . For blackbody photons, . Define the positive Hydrogen binding energy by , approximately . Multiplying the two Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution number densities and dividing by the neutral-hydrogen density givesUse and to obtain the Saha ionization equationThe assumptions are nonrelativistic, dilute, nondegenerate species at a common temperature, ground-state hydrogen with the stated degeneracy factors, negligible mass correction in the prefactor, and sufficiently rapid reactions to maintain chemical equilibrium.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 4H c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Context-free languages are closed under union: use a new start symbol with alternatives for two renamed context-free grammars. If they were closed under complement in , De Morgan's laws would givecontradicting the preceding intersection example. Therefore some CFL has a non-context-free complement. This is an existence argument; it does not assert that both complements of the particular are non-context-free.
A concrete choice is . Words outside form a regular language. Among words inside it, membership in means the first two counts or the last two counts differ. Each unequal-count comparison has a context-free grammar: for with , use , ; for , replace by . Append any number of 's, or prefix any number of 's for the analogous comparison. Taking these unions gives a context-free language whose complement is the non-context-free equal-three-count language. These productions are definitions of the example, not a restriction to strict Chomsky normal form.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 4H b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Their intersection is . Suppose satisfied the pumping lemma for context-free languages with length . In a decomposition with and , the window cannot meet both the and blocks. Pumping down changes at least one count and leaves at least one count unchanged. Thus the three counts are unequal, or the word order is invalid, contrary to the pumping lemma for context-free languages. Hence CFLs are not closed under intersection.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 4H a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
In strict Chomsky normal form, every production of a context-free grammar is or , with nonterminal symbols and a terminal symbol. Such a derivation cannot produce the empty word: it starts with one nonterminal symbol, and every step either increases the symbol count or replaces one symbol by one symbol. The context-free language , generated by , is therefore not generated by any strict CNF grammar.
The convention matters: extended Chomsky normal form permits with excluded from right-hand sides. Under that convention every context-free language has such a grammar, so the requested example would not exist.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 39A iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Two consecutive steps multiply by the polynomial of the symmetric matrixThe Chebyshev polynomial bound on gives , and the actual endpoints attain it. At the dominant eigenvalue, . ThusFor a small prescribed error relative to a fixed initial-component factor , the number of matrix-vector iterations is approximately . The three leading denominators are . Therefore the iteration counts are in the ratio : the single shift halves and the alternating double shift quarters the leading count. A pair of double-shift steps costs two matrix-vector products, already accounted for by using per iteration rather than .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 39A ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
With shift , the unwanted eigenvalues lie in , and both endpoints occur. The dominant shifted eigenvalue is . HenceThe negative endpoint can alternate in sign, but the norm error has this factor, and the even-iteration comparison removes the alternation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 39A i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Expand the initial vector in the orthonormal eigenbasis. After unshifted steps, the coefficient ratio of mode to the dominant mode is . Since and , the sharp asymptotic contraction factor isNormalization only changes the dominant coefficient by a higher-order error; its eventual sign is the sign of .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 36D iv Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
In Minkowski spacetime with metric , takeIts tangent vector is , with metric tensor square . Its acceleration is , nonzero and not proportional to the tangent because its time component is zero. Thus it is a regular null curve which is not a geodesic under any reparametrization.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 36D iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Let be the smooth nonzero tangent along a regular null curve, and . Metric compatibility gives . In a two-dimensional Lorentzian manifold, the orthogonal complement of a nonzero null vector is its own span; this follows directly in the preceding null basis. Therefore .
Consequently every regular null curve is a geodesic up to reparametrization. To obtain an affine parameter , write and solve . Then . A solution exists locally and along any nonsingular parameter interval. The original parameter need not be affine; the literal assertion of zero covariant acceleration for every parameter would be false.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 36D ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Write the nonzero tangent vector as . Since and , nullness gives . Thus exactly one coefficient can be nonzero, proving . This pointwise argument does not require the curve to be a geodesic.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 36D i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
At , choose local normal coordinates with . Let be their coordinate basis. The vectors and have zero metric tensor square, and their component matrix has determinant . Thus two independent null vectors form a basis of the tangent space. Normal coordinates are only needed at the chosen point, not on a whole neighbourhood with flat metric.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 34D b iv Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 34D b iii Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
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