Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 1G iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The quadratic form factors as a sum of two squares:The change of variableshas determinant , so its matrix is a unimodular matrix and it maps bijectively to itself. The original equation is therefore equivalent toThe sum of two squares theorem also decides this systematically: , and every prime factor congruent to modulo occurs to an even power, vacuously here. Thus is a sum of two integer squares. Explicitly,Inverting the change of variables gives, for example, . ConsequentlyThis is the unimodular reduction of a discriminant-minus-four form to two squares.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 1G ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Applying the Euclidean algorithm,Hence . Since does not divide , the linear Diophantine equation solvability criterion gives
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 1G i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The linear Diophantine equation solvability criterion says that has an integer solution exactly when divides . The Euclidean algorithm givesThus , which divides . Therefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 18I c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Put . The roots of are , so its splitting field isThe polynomial is irreducible over by the Eisenstein criterion at , and does not contain . The tower law for field extensions therefore gives .
Define automorphismsThey satisfy and . The eight maps and are distinct, so they exhaust the Galois group. Hencethe dihedral group of order eight.
The Galois correspondence gives all intermediate fields. The full list, with a single generator for each field, isFor example, has stabilizer , and has stabilizer ; the other entries follow similarly. Also has trivial stabilizer, so its orbit has eight elements and the primitive element theorem conclusion holds explicitly.
Finally, the normal subextension criterion says that normal intermediate fields correspond exactly to normal subgroups. In these are , , the two index-two Klein four-groups, , and , which gives exactly the “yes” rows above. This is the subfields of the splitting field of x to the fourth minus seven lattice.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 18I b iii Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 18I b ii Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 18I b i Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 18I a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
A finite extension is normal when every irreducible polynomial in having one root in splits completely over .
Suppose first that is normal. Choose with , and let be the minimal polynomial of over . Every splits in by normality, and is generated by their roots because it is already generated by the particular roots . Thus is the splitting field of .
Conversely, suppose that is the splitting field of . Every -embedding permutes the roots of , so . By the embedding characterization of normality, is normal. This proves the finite normal extension as a splitting field criterion.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 17H b ii Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 17H b i Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 17H a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Fix and sample from the Erdős-Rényi model with . Let count copies of the complete bipartite graph . By the expected subgraph count in the Erdős-Rényi model,
Put and let count independent set of size . If the chromatic number satisfies , some colour class has at least vertices, so . Moreover,because the positive part of the exponent is whereas has order . The first moment method therefore gives .
Using Markov inequality for and the union bound,for all sufficiently large . Hence at least one such contains no and has .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 16H b ii Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 16H b i Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 16H a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The compactness theorem says that a set of first-order sentences has a model if and only if every finite subset of has a model. One direction is immediate: a model of models every subset. Conversely, suppose every finite subset is satisfiable. If had no model, then . The Godel completeness theorem would give a formal proof . Every proof is finite, so it would use only a finite subset , making inconsistent and hence unsatisfiable. This contradiction proves compactness.
The Upward Lowenheim-Skolem theorem says that a first-order theory with an infinite model has models of arbitrarily large cardinality. Fix a cardinal and expand the language by constants for . Add the sentencesto . Any finite subset mentions only finitely many new constants, which can be interpreted as distinct elements of the given infinite model. Compactness therefore gives a model of the expanded theory in which the are all distinct. Its reduct is a model of of cardinality at least . Together with the downward theorem, this gives a model of exactly whenever .
The Downward Lowenheim-Skolem theorem says that if is an infinite -structure andthen has an elementary substructure of cardinality . To see why, first choose elements. For every existential formula, add a Skolem function selecting a witness whenever one exists, and repeatedly close the chosen set under all language operations and these witness functions. There are at most functions of finite arity, so the closure still has size . Every existential statement true in with parameters from the closure has a witness in the closure; the Tarski--Vaught test therefore says that the resulting substructure is elementary.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 15B d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For ,The branch expanding from hasuntil it approaches . With ,Solving this linear equation gives the critical closed radiation--cosmological-constant solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 15B c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Put . Apart from the positive factor ,For , its discriminant is positive and its two roots areBoth are positive. Moreover and , soA universe expanding from follows the allowed region and reaches with . There,so crosses from positive to negative: expansion reverses into contraction.
As on the contracting branch,Hence , so zero scale factor is reached in finite time. The universe therefore undergoes the supercritical closed radiation--cosmological-constant recollapse to a Big Crunch.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 15B b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Separate continuity givesusing the scalings for radiation in cosmology and cosmological constant energy. At , where , the Friedmann equation becomessoAt general ,which rearranges to
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 15B a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Write and . Differentiating the Friedmann equation givesThe cosmological perfect-fluid continuity equation says , so, first where and then everywhere by continuity,Using from the original equation givesSince for the Hubble parameter, this is the Friedmann acceleration equation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 14E iv Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Write with . ThenTake to be a small positively oriented circle around . For , start at , travel to , and avoid the pole at zero by a fixed upper or lower detour. The endpoint factor vanishes at , and the exponential controls .
The finite contour extracts the residue at zero:Only powers occur, and the coefficient of is nonzero. Thus this solution is a polynomial of degree and, up to normalization, is the Laguerre polynomial :This also follows from the recurrence in part (i), because and every later coefficient vanishes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 14E iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Write with . The amplitude is now the rational functionChoose to be a small positively oriented circle around the pole , and choose from along the negative real axis to . At zero the endpoint factor behaves as and vanishes; at negative infinity the exponential decays.
By the residue theorem, the finite-contour solution isEvery derivative term contains times a power of of degree at most , and the highest-degree term is nonzero. Henceup to a constant, where is a polynomial of degree . This is the negative-integer case of the Integer-parameter Laguerre contour residues.
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