Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 31D c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
With , the additive jump is , analytic inside the contour. Its Cauchy integral has and . Therefore , , andThe moment is indeed , as required. The principal-value Cauchy sum is , and the original left side becomes . Thus the recovered function satisfies both the equation and the self-consistency condition, and the homogeneous negative-index argument proves uniqueness.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 31D b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The jump coefficient has one enclosed pole at zero and no enclosed zeros, because are outside. Its winding index is therefore . A homogeneous canonical pair isEach is analytic and nonvanishing in its required finite domain; the exterior growth encodes the negative index. Dividing the unknown by these factors gives an additive jumpThe Cauchy-integral solution for normally has an exterior coefficient . Since must decay, this coefficient must vanish. Thus the solvability condition is . Its only enclosed pole is zero, with residue , soThese are the negative-index scalar Riemann-Hilbert moment conditions for index minus one. There is no arbitrary polynomial addition: an entire addition respecting is zero by Liouville's theorem.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 31D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Let , with interior and exterior boundary values . The Sokhotski–Plemelj formula gives and . Write for the nonlocal scalar moment. Substitution into the integral equation yieldsThus the associated scalar Riemann-Hilbert problem isThe functions are analytic in their respective interior/exterior domains, and must ultimately equal the moment of the recovered jump; it is not an independently specified free constant.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 26I b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
With two offspring always, the backward equation becomes . Separation and the initial value giveThus is geometric on the positive integers, andThis is a Yule process shifted down by one. It is not an inhomogeneous Poisson process. Given , its instantaneous jump rate is , a state-dependent random rate rather than a deterministic function of time. Also whereas , unequal to the mean for . Its mean arrival intensity does not turn its dependent increments and geometric marginals into Poisson ones.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 26I a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Let , with finite offspring mean . Conditioning on the original cell's first exponential lifetime givesEach of its offspring starts an independent copy of the process, which explains the factor . Changing to and differentiating yields , . HenceFinite-mean truncation and this integral bound justify finite expectations and exclude explosion in finite time; it is not necessary to assume a bounded offspring count.
For the probability generating function, let . Independence of offspring populations gives the conditional generating function at a first division time. Thusand differentiation of the changed-variable integral provesFor , the integrand is bounded, so this generating-function argument has the needed convergence even without higher offspring moments.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 24H iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Regard the space of real matrices as , and use the smooth determinant map. For invertible , factor . Expanding the determinant to first order givessince the linear coefficient of is the sum of the diagonal entries of . At every with determinant one, taking makes this derivative . Thus one is a regular value, and part (ii) makes a submanifold of dimension .
Its tangent space is the kernel of this differential. At the identity,Indeed tangent derivatives of curves with constant determinant lie in that kernel, and the local regular-value coordinates show every kernel vector is tangent to the level set.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 24H ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Let , , and . In coordinate charts centered at and , write the map as . Surjectivity of its derivative gives an invertible minor; reorder the domain coordinates so it is the first one. The maphas invertible derivative at the point. By the inverse function theorem, it is a local coordinate change. In these coordinates the fiber is simply the set whose first coordinates are zero, so it is locally a coordinate plane of dimension . These charts are inherited from , provingIf the fiber is empty, it is the empty submanifold under the usual convention. The no-boundary assumptions avoid any extra boundary conditions in this local model.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 24H i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
A point is a critical point of a smooth map if is not surjective. A critical value is the image of at least one critical point. A regular value is a point for which every point of has surjective differential. A point outside the image is therefore a regular value vacuously. These definitions use rank relative to , not merely whether a derivative vanishes in chosen coordinates.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 21H ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For , the sphere is simply connected. The lifting criterion for a covering space says that a based map lifts to a covering whenever the image of its fundamental group lies in the subgroup corresponding to that covering. For the universal cover , the sphere's trivial fundamental group meets this condition. Hence has a continuous lift .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 21H i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The assertion needs connected. Without that assumption, the disjoint union of two tori mapping by the identity on each component is a covering of the torus and is none of the three listed connected spaces. The correct general statement classifies each connected component; here is the intended connected proof.
The universal cover is , and . The classification of connected coverings of a connected, locally path-connected, semilocally simply connected space identifies with for a subgroup , acting by translations. A subgroup of is free abelian of rank zero, one or two. For rank zero the quotient is the plane. For rank one, a linear coordinate change sends its generator to a translation in one coordinate, yielding . For rank two, a linear coordinate change sends a lattice basis to the standard basis, yielding a torus. Thus a connected covering is a plane, cylinder or torus. For arbitrary , its covering components are disjoint unions of these types, rather than necessarily one such space.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 19G iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The symmetric group is transitive on two-element subsets, giving . Its diagonal action on has two orbits, according to whether the point lies in the pair. Thus , and, since , the standard zero-sum representation occurs in once. Its irreducibility follows from the double transitivity of the natural symmetric-group action and the corrected statement of part (ii).
For , ordered pairs of two-element subsets have three possible intersection sizes, zero, one and two, each forming a single orbit. Part (i) therefore gives . After removing the one copy each of and , the remaining character has squared norm , so is itself irreducible. HenceFor , taking the complement of a pair is an equivariant bijection . Thus , with no third constituent. Correspondingly the disjoint-pair orbit is absent and the character norm is two.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 19G ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
There is a missing hypothesis in the printed equivalence. A group acting trivially on a two-point set has a one-dimensional zero-sum subspace , hence an irreducible trivial representation, but its action is not doubly transitive. Thus the assertion as written is false. The intended result holds for a transitive action; more generally the trivial two-point action is the only exceptional case under .
For the intended proof, decompose by separating constant functions from functions with zero sum. If the action is transitive, . HenceOver the complex numbers, complete reducibility and character orthogonality identify this norm as the sum of squared irreducible multiplicities; it is one precisely when is irreducible. By part (i), counts orbits on . Transitivity gives one diagonal orbit, and the norm equals two exactly when all off-diagonal ordered pairs form one orbit, which is double transitivity. This proves both implications with the missing transitivity condition restored.
To check the exact exception, if the action has orbits, then contains an invariant subspace of dimension , from orbitwise constant functions with total sum zero. If is irreducible this makes the one-dimensional trivial representation, so and . Nontransitivity on two points means both are fixed. Therefore irreducibility is equivalent to double transitivity, except for the trivial two-point action.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 19G i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The character of a permutation representation at equals the number of points fixed by , because a permuted basis vector contributes one to the trace exactly when it is fixed. Thus the character inner product isTo identify the last average, count pairs with . Each orbit contributes , since its number of elements times their common stabilizer size is by the orbit-stabilizer theorem. ThereforeThe conjugation in the usual character inner product has no effect here because the permutation characters are real-valued.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 15C ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-11-05
Measure from the downward vertical, so the bob is at . Its squared speed is . Up to a constant potential term, the Lagrangian isThe Euler-Lagrange equations giveAt the downward stable equilibrium, linearization gives and . Eliminating yieldsThere is also a zero-frequency translational mode because the rail fixes no preferred pivot position.
If an external force imposes constantly, the bob's angular equation becomes . Its stable equilibrium therefore hason the branch near the downward vertical. The displaced bob leans opposite the acceleration. The solution differing by is unstable, corresponding to alignment opposite the effective gravitational field in the accelerating frame.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 15C i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-11-05
Consider a smooth variation with . Differentiating the action at zero and integrating the velocity term by parts givesThe boundary term vanishes because the endpoints are fixed. Independent compactly supported variations and the fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations make every bracket zero. Thus the Euler-Lagrange equations areThe required principle is stationarity of the action; an extremal need not be a strict minimum.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 10D c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
If the weak-rate coefficient is reduced, equality with the expansion rate occurs at a higher temperature, since scales as that coefficient times . The freeze-out temperature and interaction strength relation is . The frozen neutron-to-proton ratio is then closer to one, so the primordial helium mass fraction increases, potentially approaching unity if nearly equal numbers survive to nucleosynthesis. If the same weaker interaction also slows free-neutron decay, it reinforces this trend; changing conversion rates alone would instead require a separate treatment of the decay interval.
Less primordial hydrogen means less hydrogen fuel and, for otherwise comparable stellar physics, helium enrichment raises the mean molecular weight, tending to make a fixed-mass star hotter and more luminous and to shorten its hydrogen-burning lifetime. A genuinely weaker weak interaction also changes proton-proton fusion itself, so a quantitative lifetime cannot be inferred from composition alone. Much less hydrogen and fewer long-lived suitable stars would alter planet formation, water availability and the timescales needed for life on Earth. These are physical implications of the changed initial composition, not a numerical prediction of habitability from the helium fraction alone.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 10D b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The weak-conversion rate per expansion time falls as . Below the stated threshold it becomes less than one, so neutron-proton interconversion cannot track the rapidly changing equilibrium ratio: cosmological weak freeze-out occurs. Free neutrons subsequently decay, reducing their abundance until nuclei can survive photodissociation. Once the deuterium bottleneck is passed, nuclear reactions rapidly assemble neutrons into the strongly bound helium-4 nucleus. The short available time, low density and missing stable mass-five and mass-eight nuclei impede extensive production of heavier nuclei, leaving nearly all surviving neutrons in helium.
If just before helium formation, each helium nucleus uses two neutrons and two protons, so . Neglecting binding-energy corrections to nuclear masses,The remaining protons mainly become hydrogen. Counting all four helium nucleons, rather than only the captured neutrons, is essential to this mass fraction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 10D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For dilute nonrelativistic nucleons in thermal equilibrium, their Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution gives . The neutron and proton spin degeneracies are equal, and their mass prefactor ratio is nearly one. ThusWeak reaction equilibrium imposes . Charge neutrality in an electron-positron plasma, together with the small baryon asymmetry, makes very small. Assuming negligible neutrino lepton asymmetry also makes small. Hence the difference, rather than the absolute baryon chemical potentials, is negligible, yieldingA large neutrino chemical potential would invalidate this last approximation; it is an assumption about the lepton asymmetry, not a general rule that baryonic chemical potentials vanish.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ib Paper 4 4A c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Put . The strict inequality gives , so . This is a closed piecewise-smooth curve in the right half-plane, and part (b) gives . Since , part (a) yieldsThis is the dominated perturbation preserves winding number principle, here derived by logarithmic differentiation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ib Paper 4 4A b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
On the right half-plane a single-valued holomorphic logarithm is , with , and its derivative is . ThusThis proves the conclusion directly from the integral definition of the winding number, without appealing to its homotopy invariance.
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