Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 17 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Away from the separable differential equation givesOn the interval containing , one has , so the positive initial value selects . Substitution of gives . ThusThe zero solution omitted by division by cannot satisfy the initial value. Although the selected solution tends to zero as , its derivative diverges there; it does not extend through that point as a classical differentiable solution.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 17 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Use the product substitution for a first-order equation . The product rule gives , turning the equation into . Consequently , so .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 16 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Multiply the two defining Gamma integrals. For the nonnegative product integrand allows Tonelli's theorem:Use , , so , and the positive quadrant becomes , . The Jacobian determinant has absolute valueAfter including this factor, the transformed integral separates:This proves the beta-gamma identity,All changes of variables are made inside the open positive domains; their boundaries do not contribute to the integrals.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 16 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Write and set . Since and ,In the last integral put , giving . This yields , and part (a) interchanges the arguments. HenceThe equal-argument beta integral identity holds for every positive real , not only positive integers.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 16 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
In the integral for , put , so and the endpoints are interchanged. ThenThus exchanging the positive parameters leaves the Euler beta function unchanged. Positivity ensures convergence at both endpoints of this improper integral.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 15 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Let . Taking a dot product with reduces the vector equation to . If , this determines a unique scalar and hence a unique vector:Direct substitution verifies it, so necessity has also produced sufficiency. The formula includes , when .
If , the reduced scalar equation becomes . When , there is no solution. When , all solutions are with arbitrary : their dot product with is indeed . Since forces , this is an entire affine line, not a single point. These alternatives are the solvability of an affine rank-one vector equation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 15 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Put and . Taking the dot product of the original equation with eliminates and gives . ThusNext take its cross product with . The term disappears, and the vector triple product identity givesInsert this expression back into . The two longitudinal terms cancel, leaving . ConsequentlyThe denominator is strictly positive for every real , including . Substitution using the same triple-product identity verifies the solution and establishes uniqueness. This is the cross-product operator with a longitudinal rank-one term.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 14 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Rearrange to . A fourth root has modulus and an argument one quarter of . Therefore all four solutions areTheir arguments differ by , so they are distinct. Raising any of them to the fourth power returns .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 12 f Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
First take . The forward object reaches at its th move, while the reverse object reaches that label at its th move. If the forward object wins after reverse moves, then . The final choice is forward; among the preceding choices, exactly are reverse. By the negative binomial stopping argument, this case has probability .
Sum these mutually exclusive cases and equate the result to part (e), using parts (b) and (d). This proves the success-failure stopping identity here:The right side splits the same race into a special meeting at and all meetings beyond ; the left side splits it according to the number of reverse moves at the winning time.
At , both sides are zero with an empty sum and . At , the event has probability one; the right side equals . The printed left side includes and is outside the usual nonnegative-upper-index combinatorial definition. With the explicit generalized convention , its term is one and all terms vanish, so the identity also holds at that endpoint. Without this convention the displayed sum is undefined there; the zero-target race must instead be stated separately. All identities extend to by their polynomial forms.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 12 e Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Let be the meeting label. If , the forward-moving object has already crossed while the reverse-moving object has not yet reached it, so the forward object wins the race to . If , the reverse object passed first. If , the required event is exactly the special meeting from part (d).
These disjoint possibilities giveThis includes the endpoints: for the probability is , and for it is , with the initial positions understood in the unwrapped convention.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 12 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
For the forward-moving object to have been waiting at the meeting position, the last move must be a reverse move. The preceding choices must then contain exactly forward moves and reverse moves. Choosing their order givesAt the probability is zero, since the reverse-moving object was already at that unwrapped position initially. At the displayed formula is , consistent with the forward object waiting at its initial position throughout. Equivalently, use the binomial convention to include this endpoint in the same formula without a negative power of .
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