Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 26J a Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 25F Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
For and , the Zariski tangent space isThe dimension can be defined as . Equivalently, the krull dimension of an affine variety is the supremum of lengths of strict chains of irreducible closed subsets, or the Krull dimension of . A point is singular when .
Forthe differentials give the tangent spaces of a product of two nodal line pairsThe variety is a union of four two-dimensional linear spaces. If both pairs and are nonzero, the two displayed equations are independent and . If exactly one pair is zero, the dimension is three; at the origin it is four. Thus the singular locus is the union of the loci where either coordinate pair vanishes.
For , rank at most one is equivalent to vanishing of all minors:These homogeneous equations prove that is projectively Zariski closed.
The following affine charts show both its dimension and smoothness. On ,so are free. On ,so are free. On ,and on ,These four charts cover , since the point with only nonzero violates the second minor. Every chart is isomorphic to . Hence the smooth projective surface from overlapping rank-one coordinates satisfiesand is nonsingular everywhere.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 24H Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The valency theorem states that for a nonconstant analytic map between compact connected Riemann surfaces,for every target point .
For a rational map on the Riemann sphere, first cancel common factors; then the degree of a rational map of the Riemann sphere isThe analytic isomorphisms are exactly the degree-one maps, namely the Möbius transformations.
The octahedral rotation orbits on the Riemann sphere have possible sizescorresponding respectively to vertices, face centres, edge centres, and generic points.
In the displayed , no numerator factor vanishes at or at a fourth root of one. Hence are poles of order four. The numerator and denominator have degrees and , so at infinity; infinity is also a pole of order four. Thusand
Finally let have stabilizer of order . A local coordinate turns its stabilizer action into rotation by th roots of unity. Since is invariant, the first nonconstant term of its local expansion has exponent divisible by , so . The orbit has points and therefore contributes at least to the fibre through . The valency theorem and leave no room for any further point. The degree-sized invariant separates finite-group orbits, so implies that and lie in the same orbit.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 23G Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-10-03
The Hahn-Banach theorem says that if is a linear subspace of a real normed space and is bounded and linear, then there is a bounded linear extension with .
For , the map is linear on andso and . The assignment is visibly linear. If , define on byIt has norm one, and Hahn--Banach extends it to an of norm one with . ThereforeThus the canonical embedding into the bidual is an isometry and
On , point evaluation has norm one for the norm, because a continuous function's essential supremum equals its supremum. Hahn--Banach extends it to . If were represented by some , thenfor every continuous . Choose continuous with and support in . Absolute continuity of the integral makes the right side tend to zero, while the left side is always one, a contradiction. This singular functional on L infinity proves
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 22G Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The Baire category theorem states that a complete metric space is not a countable union of closed sets with empty interior. To prove it, let be open dense sets and start with any nonempty open set . Inductively choose closed ballswith the first ball inside . The centres are Cauchy. Completeness supplies a limit lying in every ball, hence in . Thus the intersection is dense, which is the equivalent form of the theorem.
Now each is closed and . Baire givesfor some . Symmetry gives . If , then and lie in these two balls; convexity makes their midpoint belong to . Hencewhich proves the closed convex absorbing set has an origin neighbourhood result.
Convexity cannot be dropped. In , setThis is closed and symmetric but has gaps arbitrarily close to zero. For any , choose so that the intervalhas length at least one, and choose an integer in it. Then , so , while is not a neighbourhood of zero. This is a closed symmetric absorbing set without an origin neighbourhood.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 21J Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The cell attachment is the quotientwith the image of as base point. For , take one open set that deformation retracts onto together with a boundary collar, and another that consists of the interior of the disc with a collar and is contractible. Their intersection deformation retracts onto . Its generator maps to in the first set and to the identity in the second. Van Kampen therefore proves the fundamental group after attaching a 2-cell formula
Applying van Kampen to the two circles givesAttach three discs along loops representing , , and . The resulting presentation complex for the symmetric group on three letters has groupSending to and to gives a surjection onto . The relations imply , so every word reduces to one ofThe presented group has at most six elements and surjects onto the six-element group , so this map is an isomorphism.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 20F Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
For ,The field is real quadratic, so the unit rank is one and its only roots of unity are . To see that is fundamental, suppose a positive unit satisfies . If its norm is , its integral trace lies strictly between and ; if its norm is , its trace lies strictly between and . Neither interval contains an integer. Reducing any positive unit by a suitable power of now proves the units of the quadratic field Q square root of five formula
If is finite, the two unit groups have the same rank, namely one. Put and let be the signature of . ThenTherefore and . For a proper extension, nonnegativity forceswith signature .
This degree occurs: take . It is a totally imaginary quadratic extension of , so the unit ranks agree and the quotient is finite. It is nontrivial because but (and its coset has order two). This is the finite relative unit quotient over a real quadratic field example.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 1F Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-10-03
A reduced positive definite binary quadratic form satisfieswith when either or . For or , the class number of a negative discriminant is the number of proper equivalence classes of primitive positive definite integral forms of discriminant , equivalently the number of their reduced representatives.
WritePartitioning the complete prime-power factors between and gives ordered factorizations with . After identifying with , there are choices with . Each gives the primitive reduced formwhose discriminant is . The uniqueness of reduced representatives makes these classes distinct, proving the coprime-factorization lower bound for a quadratic-form class number
The inequality can be strict. For , there is one distinct prime factor, while the reduced primitive forms of discriminant areThus .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 19H Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
Identifying with gives the character of a Hom representationHere the final equality follows after unitarizing the finite-group representation.
On the other hand, the character of
isThe column form of character orthogonality says that this has exactly the same two values above. Complex representations of a finite group are semisimple, and semisimple representations with the same character are isomorphic. Hence the two-sided regular representation decomposition isas a representation.
isThe column form of character orthogonality says that this has exactly the same two values above. Complex representations of a finite group are semisimple, and semisimple representations with the same character are isomorphic. Hence the two-sided regular representation decomposition isas a representation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 18H b Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 18H a Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 17I Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The Turan theorem states that every -vertex graph with no has at most edges, where is the complete -partite graph with part sizes differing by at most one.
Here is an induction on and . If a -free graph contains no , induction on givesOtherwise choose a copy of . Every vertex outside has at most neighbors in , and induction on givesThe last identity is obtained by removing one vertex from every part of . This proves the theorem; the standard equality analysis forces the balanced complete -partite graph.
Now suppose is rhombus-free. If it is triangle-free, the case just proved gives
. Otherwise remove the three vertices of a triangle. No remaining vertex can be adjacent to two vertices of that triangle, since those two triangle vertices and the outside vertex would form a second triangle sharing an edge with the first. Induction therefore givesThis proves the rhombus-free edge bound and hence the requested strict contrapositive.
. Otherwise remove the three vertices of a triangle. No remaining vertex can be adjacent to two vertices of that triangle, since those two triangle vertices and the outside vertex would form a second triangle sharing an edge with the first. Induction therefore givesThis proves the rhombus-free edge bound and hence the requested strict contrapositive.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 16I Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The Hartogs theorem says that for every set there is an ordinal that does not inject into . Indeed, the well-orderings of subsets of form a set, since each is a relation in . By replacement, their order types form a set of ordinals. Its supremum plus one cannot be the order type of a well-ordered subset of , and hence cannot inject into . The least such ordinal is the Hartogs ordinal .
Ordinal exponentiation is defined byfor nonzero limit . Fix and induct on . The zero case is immediate. If the identity holds at , thenAt a limit , continuity of exponentiation and right continuity of ordinal multiplication give
Put . The setis nonempty and bounded, so let . Continuity of multiplication in its right argument gives . There is a unique tail with . If , then
, contrary to maximality. Hence . If
with both remainders below and , thena contradiction. This proves existence and uniqueness in the division by an additively indecomposable ordinal.
, contrary to maximality. Hence . If
with both remainders below and , thena contradiction. This proves existence and uniqueness in the division by an additively indecomposable ordinal.
Now let be nonempty and well ordered. Its least element is not a limit point, so . Every derivative is itself a well-ordered subset. If were nonempty for every , then each differencewould be nonempty. Choosing its least member would inject into , since the nested successive differences are disjoint. This contradicts Hartogs' lemma. Thus some derivative is empty, as asserted by the derived-set iteration of a well-order.
For an ordinal , a point is a limit point exactly when it is a nonzero limit ordinal. Division by writes with ; this is a nonzero limit exactly when and . HenceWithin this derived set, is a limit point exactly when is a nonzero limit ordinal, equivalently for some . Therefore the derived sets of an ordinal satisfyFinally , so the index of is , while
and
, so the index of is .
and
, so the index of is .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 15E d Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 15E c Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 15E b Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 15E a Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 14E c Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 14E b Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 14E a Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-24
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