Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 27I c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 27I b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
With continuous dividend yield , it is the discounted total gain from the stock, including dividends, that must be a martingale. The ex-dividend stock drift under the risk-neutral measure is therefore . Replace in the exponential representation by and repeat the chain rule. The discount rate remains , givingThe terminal payoff condition is unchanged.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 27I a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Under the given risk-neutral measure, the option price is . Thus is a martingale. This valuation also follows from delta hedging: cancel the Brownian exposure with units of stock, after which absence of arbitrage makes the locally riskless remainder earn .
Set . The stated Brownian martingale identity and the chain rule giveThe drift vanishes because discounted option value is a martingale. Consequently the Black-Scholes equation isFor bounded measurable payoffs, the conditional-expectation solution is smooth for ; terminal values are interpreted in the usual limiting sense at continuity points, or in the bounded measurable pricing sense.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 26J c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The proposal must connect the whole positive posterior support by moves with nonzero reverse probability. Use the full Metropolis–Hastings acceptance probability for asymmetric proposals; dropping the reverse proposal factor generally targets the wrong distribution. Compute likelihoods and acceptance ratios on a logarithmic scale to avoid overflow and underflow, and handle zero weights explicitly. A lazy step prevents periodicity when distributional convergence is needed.
Finite-chain convergence does not guarantee a useful run length: separated modes and narrow bottlenecks can make mixing extremely slow. Tune proposals to explore efficiently, inspect several starting points and chains, and assess autocorrelation and Monte Carlo uncertainty rather than treating correlated draws as independent observations. Discarding an initial segment can reduce initialization effects, but diagnostics do not prove that every posterior mode has been visited. Thinning is not required for correctness and often throws away useful information. The model and prior must themselves be specified correctly; an exact sampler from an incorrect posterior cannot repair the model.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 26J b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Restrict to the positive-weight support. From a state , propose according to and accept with probabilityOtherwise stay at . For distinct states, the accepted transition kernel satisfiesThus detailed balance holds, and summing over proves stationarity. Irreducibility of the accepted kernel makes this stationary distribution unique. Proposal irreducibility by itself is insufficient if proposed edges have zero reverse probability and are always rejected.
For convergence of the distribution from an arbitrary start, also require aperiodicity, which can always be supplied by making the chain lazy. In a finite irreducible aperiodic chain, some power has all entries positive. Its rows then share a fixed positive probability component, so repeated application contracts total variation distance geometrically. This proves that the chain's distribution approaches .
The stronger fact needed for averages isOne can justify this directly by returns to a chosen state. Successive excursions are independent identically distributed cycles by the Strong Markov property. In a finite irreducible chain, return times have finite mean: from every state there is a path of uniformly bounded length and uniformly positive probability to the chosen state, giving a geometric tail bound. Apply the strong law of large numbers to cycle lengths and accumulated rewards. Their ratio converges; the mean visits per cycle, normalized by the mean cycle length, form a stationary distribution and hence equal . The unfinished final cycle is negligible. This proves the displayed average law, even when the chain is periodic. Under these conditions, Metropolis–Hastings delivers the required posterior expectations.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 26J a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
In Bayesian inference, a finite parameter space has posterior probabilities , with the product of the prior probability and likelihood and the evidence. Although each weight may be easy to evaluate, summing a large parameter space can be impractical. The Metropolis–Hastings algorithm constructs a Markov chain with posterior stationary distribution, allowing posterior expectations, probabilities and credible regions to be estimated from its trajectory. Its acceptance ratios cancel , so direct enumeration of the normalizing constant is unnecessary. Posterior sampling alone does not automatically provide the evidence for comparing models.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 24J c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Condition on . The normal characteristic function gives , whose Gaussian integral is . A second Gaussian integral gives , taking the square-root branch continuous from one at . Independence of and therefore gives
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 24J b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Independence gives for . Taking real parts shows . The integrand is nonnegative, so it vanishes almost surely for each such .
Choose a countable sequence of positive in that interval, and intersect the corresponding probability-one events. On their intersection, a nonzero difference would give for large , contradicting . Thus almost surely, and part (a) proves is almost surely constant.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 24J a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Choose a bounded strictly increasing function, for example . Independence and identical distribution imply . If almost surely, the left side is zero. Therefore is almost surely constant; injectivity of makes almost surely constant. Using a bounded function avoids any unassumed second moment of .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 23H b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
If the Gauss map is a diffeomorphism onto , the surface is compact and is invertible everywhere. Its Gaussian curvature is continuous and nowhere zero, so has constant sign on the connected surface. To determine that sign, maximize a height function . At a maximum, is parallel to the normal and the Hessian of the height function is semidefinite. Thus the second fundamental form is semidefinite, up to a sign. Its determinant is nonnegative and cannot be zero because is invertible. Hence at that point and therefore everywhere.
The converse is false under the stated hypotheses. An open hemisphere of the unit sphere is a connected oriented surface with , but its outward Gauss map has only that hemisphere as its image, and is not a diffeomorphism onto all of . The missing compactness hypothesis matters.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 23H a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The Gauss map sends each point of an oriented surface to its chosen unit normal . Both and are the plane orthogonal to , so the derivative is an endomorphism of that plane. In local coordinates , differentiating gives . Since , this equals . Bilinearity then gives for all tangent vectors. The derivative of the Gauss map is self-adjoint.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 19F c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The dual representation on is . The bilinear form on is nondegenerate and invariant under SU(2), because every group matrix has determinant one. Thus it gives an equivariant isomorphism . Taking the th symmetric power gives an equivariant isomorphism between its th symmetric power and its dual. Since homogeneous polynomials realize , this proves
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 19F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Use the Clebsch-Gordan decomposition for SU2, which states that . Here this givesTo determine symmetry, realize the tensor product as polynomials in two pairs of variables. A highest-weight vector in the th summand can be chosen proportional to . Exchanging the two factors multiplies it by , and hence multiplies the entire irreducible summand by that sign. Even belong to the symmetric square, odd to the exterior square. ThusTheir dimensions are respectively and , as required for a four-dimensional space.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 19F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For , define . This preserves the space of degree- homogeneous polynomials and satisfies . The diagonal torus of SU(2) acts on the monomials with distinct weights .
If a nonzero subspace is invariant, averaging against each torus character projects onto the individual weight spaces. Therefore contains at least one monomial. Invariance also implies invariance under differentiated Lie-algebra operators and their complex linear combinations. The complexified algebra contains the operators and , up to harmless signs. They carry each monomial to its adjacent monomial with a nonzero coefficient unless already at the appropriate endpoint. Repeated application produces every monomial, so . The representation is irreducible.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 16H b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For each positive integer , the finite ordered interval has a greatest and a least element, and these intervals form a chain of substructures. Their union is , which has neither. An inductive first-order theory must be preserved by such unions, as proved above. The theory with both endpoints cannot be axiomatized inductively, even though it has an ordinary first-order axiomatization with existential–universal endpoint sentences.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 16H a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The reflexivity, antisymmetry, transitivity and totality axioms for a total order are universal with quantifier-free formula matrices, and hence inductive with an empty existential block. Add and , with strict inequalities expressed using and inequality. These exclude least and greatest elements. This theory is inductive.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 15C ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For fixed , the Euler-Lagrange equation for the meridional coordinate requires . Combining this with and givesThe resulting motion is a conical pendulum. The positive-depth condition is necessary for a nondegenerate constant-latitude orbit in gravity; the bottom point is the limiting zero-speed equilibrium.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 15C i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Grazing the equator makes it a turning point, so at . Conservation of energy gives . ThereforeTo check that no earlier turning point prevents reaching the equator, put . On , is strictly convex. Its two endpoint values are equal for this speed, so its interior values are smaller. The trajectory can therefore move between the launch point and the equator. The equator is genuinely a turning point since there.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 14E c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
First assume and nonsingular parameters, so the two infinity solutions and , obtained by exchanging , are independent. Write . Since the power series at starts at one, and .
In the parameter region , let in the Pfaff transformation. The term vanishes after multiplication by , while and . The supplied value at one of the Gauss hypergeometric function therefore givesAnalytic continuation in the parameters extends this coefficient to the nonresonant parameter domain. Exchange to determine . Hence the hypergeometric connection formula at infinity isThe branch is . The existence of alone does not exclude integer . At such resonant values the two separate displayed terms can be singular; the correct statement takes their combined parameter limit, which can contain logarithms. This qualification is essential, for example when .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 14E b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For , the exponents at are , , and . The substitution exchanges zero and infinity, giving at , at one, and at infinity. Multiplication by shifts the zero exponents by and the infinity exponents by . The resulting Papperitz symbol is again , , . Therefore satisfies the same hypergeometric equation, with the stated branch .
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