Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 303 3 b i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Write . The stationary equations forareFor , the disordered minimum is . If and , the first component orders with and . If and , the second component orders analogously.
The positive half of and the positive half of are continuous-transition lines. Along the negative diagonal , the potential has an enhanced symmetry and a circle of minima. Crossing that diagonal exchanges the two ordered axes and makes derivatives of the minimum free energy jump, so it is a first-order phase transition line. The origin, where the two continuous lines meet the first-order line, is a bicritical point.