Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 52 2 f Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
Density operator controllability cannot defeat unitary invariants: it grants access to the unitary orbit of a density operator, whose members have the same eigenvalues, rather than to every density operator. In the Hilbert-Schmidt inner product orthonormal normalization of this question,Quantum Hamiltonian evolution preserves this norm, so the target is not reachable from the stated initial state. Equivalently, their values of purity of a density operator are and : the initial state is a mixed state and the target a pure state. Dissipation, an appropriate measurement protocol or an auxiliary system with additional resources would be needed to change the spectrum; freely controlling the closed-system Quantum Hamiltonian alone does not suffice.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 52 2 e Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
For a Hermitian Quantum Hamiltonian, . ConsequentlySwapping changes the sign of the commutator, so . The generator is therefore real and antisymmetric. Its last column vanishes because the identity commutes with , so and the traceless block satisfies .
For constant , the Bloch vector evolves by with . Direct differentiation givesHence . Its determinant is continuously connected to one and cannot change between the two possible values , so . This proves that the evolution is a rotation in the special orthogonal group. A time-dependent Hermitian Quantum Hamiltonian has the same conclusion from .
These Hamiltonian rotations of Bloch vectors preserve the Euclidean norm and purity of a density operator. For , not every rotation of the ambient sphere is a physical unitary conjugation: the higher-dimensional positivity constraints and full spectrum of the density operator impose further restrictions.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 52 2 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
Let denote the Lindbladian. Substituting and projecting with the Hilbert-Schmidt inner product givesFor the Quantum Hamiltonian term, cyclicity of the trace yieldsFor each Lindblad dissipator, the same cyclic rearrangement givesThese are the required coefficient matrices, so . They are real because both generators map Hermitian matrices to Hermitian matrices, whose coordinates are real by (a).
The trace of a commutator vanishes. AlsoThus the last row of is zero and . It is trace preservation, not preservation of the purity of a density operator, that produces this constant coordinate.
Write and . Since , the remaining coordinates obey the Affine Bloch equationBecause and , its offset can also be writtenIt vanishes for unital dynamics, but need not vanish for a general dissipative evolution.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 52 2 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
For , take the normalized Pauli operators as the traceless basis. The matrix associated with a vector is , where these basis matrices are the usual Pauli matrices divided by . Their multiplication relations giveAt radius , these eigenvalues are one and zero. Every sphere point therefore gives a positive rank-one projector. Any other orthonormal Hermitian basis merely changes the real coordinates by an orthogonal transformation, so the result is basis independent.
For every , choose a rank-one projector and consider the Hermitian trace-one matrixIts eigenvalues are once and with multiplicity . They sum to one and satisfyBy orthonormality its traceless coordinate vector has squared length , so it is on the specified sphere. But , so is not a density operator. Thus for , the pure states occupy a proper subset of the sphere; positivity excludes some of its points. In fact, this example is the antipodal Bloch vector to that of .
The usual assertion presumes . If the trivial dimension is admitted, the radius-zero sphere consists of the single coordinate point, also corresponding to the single pure state, so that dimension is an additional trivial exception.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 50 3 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
Let be the pinching map determined by the projectors, and put . This is a nonselective projective measurement; its projectors are its Kraus operators. We will prove the exact relative entropy of a pinched state identity.
First the support of is contained in that of . Indeed, if lies in the kernel of , positivity givesEvery summand is zero. Since , also , and thus is in the kernel of . Therefore the logarithm of may be used on its support without an infinite relative-entropy term.
The operator is block diagonal, so each commutes with on that support. Cyclicity of the trace givesExpand the quantum relative entropy:Its nonnegativity now proves the entropy increase under nonselective projective measurement:The equality case in nonnegativity of quantum relative entropy says equality holds exactly when . Equivalently,Thus equality means the state already has no coherence between distinct measurement blocks. It need not be diagonal inside a block of rank greater than one.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 48 1 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
Use position eigenstates normalized by , and the free Hamiltonian operator . The time-sliced path integral is the matrix element of the time-evolution operator:Insert momentum eigenstates, with . The free-particle propagator becomesComplete the square in the exponent:The Fresnel integral, defined by the damping prescription , gives, for ,The square-root branch is ; it is fixed by the regulated Gaussian integral and the short-time Dirac delta distribution limit, rather than an arbitrary phase.
The Euler-Lagrange equation for the free particle is . Its unique classical path satisfying the endpoint boundary conditions is . Therefore its classical action isSubstituting into the operator result yields , with independent of the endpoint positions.
The same independence is transparent directly in the path integral. Write , with . The cross term in the action is , so . The fluctuation integral depends only on . Because the action is quadratic, the factorization is exact; the semiclassical propagator already equals the full answer.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 43 3 5 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
At and the model is at a Gaussian fixed point. Its connected correlation function has the power-law critical form rather than a finite exponential decay length. Approaching from , the uniform susceptibility and the correlation length both diverge. If the thermal scaling field is linear in with finite and positive, thenThe same result follows from the mass multiplier : its logarithmic thermal eigenvalue is two, so .
The determinant also shows a thermodynamic singularity. Two derivatives of the free-energy density with respect to give, up to sign and a nonzero normalization,as . Rescaling establishes the power, and the dimensionless integral is ultraviolet-convergent for . Integrating back gives a nonanalytic free-energy term proportional to after regular backgrounds are removed. This is critical behavior of the quadratic model.
There is a stability qualification: a pure Gaussian potential with is unbounded below in the uniform mode, so it does not by itself provide a stable ordered phase on the other side. The ordered-phase obstruction in a Gaussian scalar model is removed by adding a positive quartic interaction. In that interaction is relevant, so the resulting generic scalar critical point need not retain the Gaussian exponents. Thus the calculation proves the Gaussian critical singularity and , without claiming that the unmodified quadratic integral defines both phases of a physical ordered transition.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 43 3 4 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
Split the Fourier modes into and the shell . The source is uniform, so it couples only to the zero mode, which belongs to the retained part. The Gaussian field theory has no couplings between the shell and retained modes. Integrating out the shell therefore contributes only a source-independent determinant to the free energy, without changing the quadratic coefficients of the retained Hamiltonian.
Restore the cutoff by and choose the field normalization . Counting the measure, derivative and field factors explicitly givesThus in the convention that preserves the kinetic normalization, the Gaussian momentum-shell scaling isThe field has engineering dimension and zero anomalous dimension. The measure Jacobian and shell determinant supply the additive constant described in Q2. A different choice of field rescaling can redistribute factors into , but must give the same physical transformed correlation length .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 41 5 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
Use the product-limit estimate in (b). Between consecutive event times there are no mortality jumps, soThus the estimated relative survivor curve rises between events when background mortality is positive, and is constant if it is zero. Censoring changes the risk set and can change the slope, but supplies no downward event jump. At the next event time the curve is multiplied by .
Provided the curve is still positive, the ratio of the post-event estimates at the two consecutive event times isFor , the later value is larger precisely whenFor example, suppose there are 100 individuals in the risk set after the earlier event, no intervening censoring, a 20-day gap, and one death at its end. If every background hazard is per day, then the integrated background contribution is andThe individual background hazards are small, but the interval contains less observed mortality than expected from that background. This can occur by chance in a small event sample or when the cohort is healthier than the life-table reference on other dimensions.
A nonnegative true excess hazard makes nonincreasing, but this unconstrained estimator need not inherit that restriction. An increase is therefore not proof of a clinical survival benefit. If the exponential cumulative-hazard version is chosen instead, its corresponding condition is ; the qualitative explanation remains the same. If the risk set is exhausted by deaths, the product-limit factor is zero and no later increase is possible.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 41 5 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
Define the individual background survivor function and common excess component byIntegrating the additive hazard function decomposition givesThe relative survivor function therefore compares actual survival with the survival expected from background mortality, and is common across individuals under this model. If , it is the survivor function of a hypothetical process having only the excess hazard. If excess mortality can be negative, the ratio may exceed one and lacks an ordinary survival-probability interpretation.
To estimate it, let indicate that individual is in the risk set, let , and let count all observed deaths. Assume appropriate independent censoring. The aggregate event intensity isConsequently the background correction must use the current risk-set averageonly on the observed range where . Dividing the event count by estimates the total hazard there. Subtracting the known average background gives the offset-adjusted cumulative hazard estimatorHere is the event count at and ; under an untied scheme . One possible estimate is .
A product-limit version retains the full event fraction, which is especially relevant when the excess mortality is not small. Estimate the relative-survival differential equation byAt an event time it multiplies the curve by . Between events it solves . Starting at one therefore gives the risk-set-adjusted relative survivor estimatorThe Kaplan–Meier estimator factor accounts for observed all-cause mortality; the continuous multiplier corrects for known background mortality. The exponential cumulative-hazard version instead has event jumps ; it is close when event fractions are small but is not identical to this product-limit version.
Even if each background hazard is small, its accumulated contribution over long follow-up cannot simply be discarded. Nor should the excess contribution be linearized merely because the background is small. Using the known background integral inside the exponential avoids both errors. The average is over the evolving risk set: replacing it by an initial-cohort mean, or dividing by an arbitrary average of individual background survivor functions, is generally wrong when the background hazards differ. Censoring and deaths change which individuals contribute to the background correction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 41 5 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
A standard setting is relative survival in cancer registries. Patients' all-cause mortality is compared with mortality expected from population life tables matched for factors such as attained age, sex and calendar year. These provide the known individual background hazards ; the remaining common excess hazard describes mortality above that expected background.
This is useful when causes of death are incomplete or unreliable: all observed deaths can be used without deciding which were caused by the cancer. It also separates changes in background population mortality from excess mortality in the diseased cohort. The reference life tables must be appropriate, and a common excess hazard is a modeling assumption, not automatic. A relative survivor function can then describe the cohort's excess survival, but interpreting it as the effect of a causal elimination of the disease requires further assumptions.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 40 5 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
At , complete the square:For fixed , all factors not involving enter its conditional normalizing constant. Interchanging the roles of the coordinates givesThese are the full conditional distributions of the standard bivariate normal distribution with correlation .
A systematic Gibbs sampler starts at a chosen and, at each sweep, draws independent standard normals and setsThe second update uses the newly drawn . Both coordinate updates preserve the target by part (a), hence so does the sweep. The Gaussian two-coordinate Gibbs recursion is explicitlyan AR(1) recursion with innovation variance . Its stationary variance is one, and its correlation at sweep lag is , displaying the dependence of the sample.
The printed general- expression has a separate normalization defect: for its integral is , not one, since the exponent has covariance , whose normalizing denominator is . Retaining that exponent requires in the prefactor. The requested target is already normalized, so this defect does not alter the conditional distributions above.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 35 4 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
The supplied hint interchanges its item and bidder indices in the first-value identity. If the first greedy choice assigns item to bidder , the correct quantity is , and the identity isIndeed, the eventual bundle of bidder has the form , whose value is ; the other bidders' values are unchanged. Every later marginal contribution for bidder is exactly its marginal in the residual problem, and this is also true for every other bidder. Thus the remainder of the greedy run is the greedy run on , with the same tie choices. The residual values are nonnegative and increasing; they remain submodular set functions as allowed in the question.
We prove the greedy half-approximation for submodular welfare by induction on the number of items. The zero-item case has , so the claimed inequality holds. This base case also handles the fact that the question does not explicitly normalize empty-bundle values to zero.
For the induction step, letbe the first greedy marginal. Since the choice maximizes all available marginals,Take an optimal allocation and let be the owner of item . If , remove that item from 's bundle and give it to . By submodularity, the loss to its old owner isMonotonicity makes the recipient's gain nonnegative. The modified allocation, now with assigned to , therefore has value at least . If , no modification is necessary and this bound still holds. Removing and translating bidder 's value by produces a feasible residual allocation, soInduction applied to that residual problem now givesThus the greedy algorithm is a one-half approximation. Empty-bundle constants cause no difficulty because all are nonnegative and .
At each of stages evaluate the marginal for at most bidders and remaining items. This requires value queries, and polynomial additional work with bundle bit-vectors and cached current values. Hence it is a polynomial time approximation algorithm in the value-oracle model, assuming polynomial time bid evaluations. If every bundle bid is explicitly listed, this query bound is polynomial in that larger explicit input as well. The exponentially many possible bundles do not require enumerating allocations.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 20 3 ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
For the unknot the three-manifolds are , , and , where denotes positive -surgery with its surgery orientation. This fixes the orientation independently of competing conventions for the name .
Use the grading convention and . Let and . The ordinary minus groups arewhere andThe lens-space absolute grading can be calculated from the standard torus surgery triple. For , the reverse trace structure with evaluation has a small embedded holomorphic triangle with basepoint multiplicity zero and signed count , taking to . Its degree shift is . Thus , which gives the boxed formula for . Additional triangles wind around the surgery region and give the higher powers of calculated below.
Their infinity groups are obtained by inverting : one Laurent tower for and each lens-space structure, two for the torsion structure on , and in its non-torsion structures. Their plus groups are respectively , , and . The hat groups are in degree zero, in each degree , and in degree . These follow directly by straightening the standard genus-one Heegaard diagrams: the lens space has one generator in each structure and no chain differential, while the two bigons in the torsion diagram cancel with coherent signs. The sphere adjunction condition eliminates its non-torsion plus and hat groups, but not its ordinary minus group. The Non-torsion Heegaard Floer homology of the sphere-circle product calculation comes from a two-generator chain complex with chain differential ; its cokernel is the displayed quotient. For the triangle, complete the free minus towers by replacing with . The non-torsion summands disappear after completion, because has an inverse in .
For , choose signs so that the exact triangle becomesThe zero-surgery trace has , , and in the torsion structure; hence its absolute degree shift is , taking to . The auxiliary-generator map takes to , so its effective grading shift isFor the underlying cobordism in its torsion structure, , , , and its actual cobordism shift is . Tensoring with the canonical lens generator adds under the connected-sum grading convention, explaining the effective shift. For the auxiliary lens space is , and this is simply the other degree- surgery trace map.
The reverse trace components are explicit in every . For , put . Its intersection form is , soIndeed , , , and matching source and target degrees gives precisely the displayed exponent. The exponent is nonnegative, and the coefficient is a unit: the infinity trace map is an isomorphism, and restriction to the free minus towers leaves the unique grading-compatible monomial.
With a compatible choice of Coherent orientations in Heegaard Floer homology, the sum is multiplication byFor , pair with : their exponents agree and their signs are opposite, so , in agreement with the first triangle. For the term is the unique constant term, and every other exponent is positive. Thus is a unit in . The zero-surgery summand for such a vanishes, and the exact triangle isIt is isomorphic, as an ungraded completed-module triangle, to one with the final map the identity. The sum generally has no single absolute Heegaard Floer grading shift; each individual trace component has shift . This distinction and the power series explain why replacing the completed triangle by a polynomial-module triangle is not innocuous.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 17 4 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
In Cartesian coordinates on Euclidean space, defineThis is an affine connection by the ordinary product rule. Its connection coefficients in this coordinate frame are all zero. The component formula for the Lie bracket of vector fields gives , so it is torsion-free. Also, since the Euclidean metric has constant coefficients,This is exactly metric compatibility. By uniqueness it is the Euclidean Levi-Civita connection. In particular constant vector fields are parallel, while the derivative of a general field is given by the boxed formula.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 16 1 3 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
The space is the mapping torus of the antipodal map . For , its mapping degree is : is the restriction of on , whose determinant is . The Wang sequence givesThe kernel terms are free abelian, so these short exact sequences split as groups. On the map is the identity, and on it is multiplication by . For this givesAt , both contributions to degree one are present, giving and , with all other groups zero. At , the antipodal map exchanges the two points of , and the two cylinder intervals join into a single circle; thus and higher groups vanish. These are the homology of the antipodal sphere mapping torus cases.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 16 1 2 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
Let be the projective-line loop and the core loop of the Möbius band. The boundary of the Möbius band goes twice around its core. Its boundary inclusion is a cofibration, so replacing the gluing map by a homotopic cellular degree- map preserves the homotopy type. More precisely, the band is a mapping cylinder of the boundary double covering onto the core circle. After attaching its other end and collapsing the connecting tree, the resulting space has a homotopy-equivalent CW complex with one vertex, edges , and two two-cells with attaching wordsThe first is the projective-plane face; the second records equality of the attached boundary loop and the band boundary loop . Taking exponent sums gives the cellular chain complexSince , its kernel is zero. The first invariant factor in the Smith normal form is the greatest common divisor of its entries, , and the second is . HenceThis includes and negative degrees. The fundamental group after attaching a Möbius band is , consistent with the computed abelianization. The calculation is an example of homology after attaching a Möbius band to the real projective plane.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ii Paper 2 31B c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
For any fixed , the characteristic map has derivative . It is strictly increasing and onto: for it is at least , and for at most that quantity. Hence the inverse function theorem supplies a global inverse. Define . Differentiating givesThe derivatives are continuous, and for positive times. Thus a classical solution exists for all , without any characteristic intersection or shock formation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ib Paper 3 5D ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
The integrand has simple poles at , both inside the positively oriented unit circle. At either pole , the residue is . Their sum is , so the residue theorem gives
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ib Paper 1 1G 2 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
Choose and write using the direct sum of vector spaces . Neither component is zero: otherwise would lie in one of the zero intersections or . They are linearly independent, so is a two-dimensional vector subspace. Uniqueness of the direct-sum decomposition gives and . Also , but cannot be contained in because . Hence is one-dimensional. This constructs the required common plane for three pairwise complementary subspaces.
There are unlisted articles, also show them or only show them.