Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 5C c ii Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 5C c i Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 5C b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
The PDF gives , the Heaviside step function; the TeX incorrectly changes this to . A unit voltage step has derivative the Dirac delta function, so the current is the causal Green function for .
The current must be continuous at zero: a jump would create a delta derivative through , absent on the right-hand side. Integrating across zero therefore gives , so and . PutThese distinct negative characteristic roots give the overdamped RLC responseTogether with for , this solves the step response. The eventual current is zero: the capacitor charges and blocks steady current in the series RLC circuit.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 5C a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
With no electrical resistance or applied electric potential difference, divide the equation by the inductance to get a simple harmonic oscillator with angular frequency . Its general real solution isEach nonzero solution has period . Here is an angular frequency; the ordinary frequency in cycles per unit time is .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 4F ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
The conditional density givesusing either integration by parts or the expected value of an exponential distribution. HenceThis is a finite value for almost every realization of , but not an integrable random variable: . Since , its conditional expectation remains well-defined in the nonnegative, extended-expectation sense; the tower property of conditional expectation then gives .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 4F i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Integrate the joint probability density over to obtain the marginal density of :Thus has an exponential distribution of rate one. Dividing the joint probability density by this marginal density gives the conditional densityEquivalently, has an exponential distribution of rate . The value at can be assigned arbitrarily: it is a probability-zero conditioning value and the density ratio there is not meaningful.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 1C b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Put , so the same definition includes . Since and every is nonzero,The factor is a discrete integrating factor for this variable-coefficient affine recurrence. Sum the increments as a telescoping series and multiply back by :The identity requires no assumption that the coefficients have the same sign.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 1C a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Subtract successive terms and use a telescoping series:Thus the linear recurrence relation has solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 12F c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Couple the walk on the cycle graph to a simple symmetric random walk on the integer line by taking , using the same increments. The visited integer interval has distinct residues until its length reaches ; an interval of exactly consecutive integers contains every residue once. Consequently the cover time on the cycle is exactly in this coupling.
Since , telescope the range-expansion times and use linearity of expectation, without assuming those times are independent:This is the expected cover time of a cycle. The restriction makes the two neighbours distinct, matching the supplied transition rule.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 12F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
The vertices visited by a simple symmetric random walk form an integer interval: nearest-neighbour steps cannot skip a vertex. At the stopping time , write that interval as , with . The walk is at one of its endpoints, because the th new vertex must extend the earlier interval. This also covers , when both endpoints coincide.
The Strong Markov property restarts the walk from this endpoint. Visiting a new vertex is exactly exiting , or reaching or . Translate these absorbing boundaries to . The starting point becomes either or , so the expected duration of symmetric gambler's ruin is in both cases. Taking conditional expectations and then expected values gives the expected time to expand a random-walk range:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 12F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Write and . The expected duration of symmetric gambler's ruin satisfies and, by conditioning on the first step,These expected values are finite: from any interior state, consecutive right steps ensure absorption, an event of probability at least . Blocks of steps therefore bound the survival probability by a decreasing geometric sequence. The candidate has the required boundary values and satisfies . HenceFor completeness, the difference of two solutions of this linear recurrence relation has zero second difference and is affine in ; its two zero boundary values force it to vanish.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 11F c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
If exactly spins equal , then . Therefore its possible values are , with for . Choosing the positive spins gives the binomial coefficientEvery such configuration has the same Curie–Weiss model weight because . The probability mass function of this spin magnetization is consequentlyand zero elsewhere. Grouping the original partition function by the same count also giveswhich verifies normalization without counting any configuration twice.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 11F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Let , using the supplied correlation property of the Curie–Weiss model. Since and each spin has zero expected value,Divide by to obtainThe expression assumes , as required for to exist. It makes the connection between the spin correlation and the requested conditional probability explicit.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 11F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Use the positive exponent in the PDF. The TeX introduces a minus sign in the numerator while retaining the positive-sign normalizing constant, which would not define the stated probability distribution. The Curie–Weiss model assigns equal weights to and , since is unchanged by simultaneous reversal. This spin inversion symmetry pairs every configuration with one having the opposite value of , so
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 10F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Use the rate convention for the exponential distribution. By convolution of independent random variables, the probability density function of is, for ,It is zero for . The expression is nonnegative whichever rate is larger, and defines a two-stage hypoexponential distribution. As a check, its limit as is , the shape-two gamma distribution.
For , independence gives the survival function for . Differentiating its complement givesThus the minimum has an exponential distribution whose rate is the sum of the rates.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 2 10F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Apply Markov's inequality to the nonnegative random variable , since implies :This exponential Markov bound remains true, though uninformative, when the expected value is infinite. For a standard normal distribution, completion of the square gives its moment-generating functionMinimize over positive ; the choice gives the Chernoff bound
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 1 9D c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Set . ThenThe extreme value theorem gives a minimum of on . If it occurs in , the two-sided difference quotient gives . If it occurs at , either or a negative right derivative contradicts minimality; the endpoint is analogous. Hence some satisfiesThis proves the Darboux theorem for derivatives in the stated case without assuming that is continuous.
Because a differentiable function is continuous, defineThe fundamental theorem of calculus gives . At the endpoints,whileApplying the result just proved to yields with
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 1 9D b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
A function is differentiable at when the finite limitexists. A derivative need not be continuous. For example,is differentiable everywhere and , but for ,which has no limit at zero.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 1 9D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The intermediate value theorem states that if is continuous and lies between and , then there exists such that .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 1 8C b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
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