Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 2 4F i Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 2 3F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
Expand around the expectation :Thus variance as the minimum mean squared error of a constant givesThe finite second moment also guarantees the finite first absolute moment needed below.
For a probability density function , splitting at givesLet be the cumulative distribution function. Since a density gives no mass at a singleton, differentiating under this integral yields . This derivative is nondecreasing, so is convex andThis is the median minimizes expected absolute loss property. The minimizer need not be unique: a gap in the density can give an interval of medians, all with the same loss.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 2 2A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
Set . The chain rule gives , so the transformed equation is the forced harmonic oscillator , with and . ThereforeThis real solution is defined only where its logarithm has positive argument. Put and . Then , and the connected interval containing zero is .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 2 1A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
The characteristic polynomial factors as , so the complementary solution is . Each exponential forcing resonates with a homogeneous mode; the method of undetermined coefficients therefore uses and . Substitution gives the particular solution . ThusThe initial conditions give and . HenceThe factors of in the particular solution are essential: an unmodified exponential trial lies in the kernel of the differential operator.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 2 12F b Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 2 12F a Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 2 11F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
Use the positive-support geometric distribution, for , . Differentiating the geometric series suppliesFor the jar, let be the waiting time to remove one red ball when exactly red balls remain. Every draw has success probability , so is geometric with that parameter. The are independent: after each success, fresh independent draws begin a new stage, and its conditional waiting distribution depends only on the deterministic count , not on earlier waiting times. Replacing a green ball leaves that stage's count unchanged.
Thus the coupon collector problem decomposition is , andThis is the coupon collector waiting-time variance. For , the formula correctly gives zero variance and a deterministic one-minute completion.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 2 10F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
For the probability generating function , differentiation givesThe second derivative is a factorial moment, not the raw second moment.
In the Galton-Watson process, condition on . The next generation is a sum of independent offspring counts, and so its conditional generating function is . Averaging over givesThe conditional mean is and the conditional variance is . Thus iterated expectation gives from one ancestor, and the law of total variance gives , . Iterating yields the branching-process generation momentsFor the critical case , the correct limiting value is . If , nonnegative offspring are zero almost surely, so every later generation has zero mean and variance; handle this directly rather than use an ambiguous zero power. At generation zero the mean is one and variance zero.
The branching-process extinction criterion states that extinction probability is the smallest fixed point of in : probabilities of extinction by successive generations are the iterates of from zero, increasing to that fixed point. Here the equation is , factoring as . The two admissible roots are and one, so
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 9D b Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 9D a Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 8B c Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 8B b Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 8B a Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 7B b Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 7B a Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 6A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
For a linear map , its kernel and image of a linear map areThe kernel is a subspace of the domain and the image a subspace of the codomain. Given the stated bases, define the matrix of a linear map byIts th column is the coordinate vector of ; if , the output coordinates are .
For the change of basis, write and . The matrices are invertible. Input coordinates change by and output coordinates by , soThe domain and codomain basis changes need not be the same matrix.
For , the two input vectors form a basis of , so its image is the span of and . The vector is orthogonal to both, since . Every possible output therefore satisfies , whereas the target itself is and . Hence there is no with the required output. This uses an image obstruction by an annihilating functional, rather than an inconsistent guessed input.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 5C ii Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 5C i Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 4F b Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ia Paper 1 4F a Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
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