Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 2 22I a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
The Baire category theorem says that a complete metric space cannot be a countable union of nowhere dense sets, equivalently that every countable intersection of open dense sets is dense. To prove it, let be open dense subsets and let be nonempty and open. Choose nested closed ballsstarting inside . The centres are a Cauchy sequence; completeness gives a limit lying in every ball, hence in . Thus the intersection is dense.
Choose a countable sequence with . Since for , every with lies in some . For integers , setPointwise convergence and Fatou lemma for series show that is closed in . It has empty interior: inside any ball, add a sufficiently long finite block whose norm is tiny but whose norm is larger than . Therefore every is nowhere dense. Since is a Banach space, Baire gives
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 4 26K b i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
For , independence and giveThus is a Cauchy sequence in the complete L2 space and converges in to some random variable . The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality gives on a probability space, so the convergence also holds in . Finally, convergence in implies convergence in probability, which implies convergence in distribution.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 iii Paper 136 1 a Solution 2026-09-28
One form of the Hensel lemma is the following. Let be a complete discrete valuation ring with maximal ideal , and let . If satisfiesthen there is a unique with and .
Define . Since remains a unit, Taylor expansion givesso the valuations of the errors at least double. The corrections tend to zero, making a Cauchy sequence; completeness gives a limit , and continuity gives . If are two such roots, thenwith , so the second factor is a unit and .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 iii Paper 154 3 5 Solution 2026-09-28
For , the dual Strichartz estimate for the free Schrödinger equation givesThe assumed finite global norm makes the right side tend to zero as . The displayed family is therefore a Cauchy sequence in the complete space and has a strong limit .
The Duhamel principle givesDefineSince the free Schrödinger group is unitary,This is scattering from a finite Strichartz norm.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ia Paper 1 9D c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
A Cauchy sequence is a sequence such that for every there is for whichThe general principle of convergence, or completeness of the real numbers, states that a real sequence converges if and only if it is Cauchy.
For the final claim, let . Since is decreasing and positive,Because the series converges, its tails tend to zero. Also , soThe squeeze theorem gives
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ib Paper 1 10G d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
This is always true. Uniform convergence makes a uniformly Cauchy sequence: for every , there is such thatfor every and . Letting through points of and using the assumed limits givesThus is a Cauchy sequence. Since is a complete metric space, converges in .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 154 1 1 Solution 2026-09-28
Choose a test function that equals one on the unit ball and vanishes outside the ball of radius two. Sinceintegration by parts givesThe first term on the right is supported where , where . The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality and Young inequality bound the second term byAfter absorbing the first integral,
This estimate also proves completeness. Indeed, a Cauchy sequence in is Cauchy in locally, while its gradients and the functions converge in . The limits agree locally with a function , so and in the energy norm. Thus is a Hilbert space; it is the confining-potential energy space for .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 319 1 c Solution 2026-09-28
Let be a Cauchy sequence in the graph normThen and are Cauchy sequences in the Banach space , so for some ,Because is a closed linear operator, and . It follows thatThus every Cauchy sequence converges in , and
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 2 22G a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let be a Cauchy sequence in the operator norm. For each ,so is a Cauchy sequence. Completeness of the Banach space permits the definition
. Pointwise passage to the limit proves that is a linear. A norm-Cauchy sequence is a bounded sequence, say , and therefore
, so is bounded. Finally, letting in
gives
. Thus in operator norm and
is Banach.
. Pointwise passage to the limit proves that is a linear. A norm-Cauchy sequence is a bounded sequence, say , and therefore
, so is bounded. Finally, letting in
gives
. Thus in operator norm and
is Banach.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ib Paper 1 10G Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
A Cauchy sequence in a metric space satisfies: for every there is such that whenever . A complete metric space is one in which every Cauchy sequence converges to a point of the space.
Now suppose is complete and is a decreasing sequence of nonempty closed sets with . Choose . Given , choose with . For , both points lie in , so . Completeness gives . For each fixed , the tail lies in the closed set , hence . Therefore
Conversely, assume the nested-set property and let be Cauchy. DefineThese sets are nonempty, closed, and decreasing. The Cauchy property implies ; taking a closure does not change the diameter. Choose . Since ,Thus every Cauchy sequence converges and is complete. This proves the Cantor intersection theorem characterization.
The contraction mapping theorem states that a contraction of a nonempty complete metric space has a unique fixed point.
For each , the map is a contraction with the common constant , so it has a unique fixed point . This defines the required unique function. Fix . The fixed-point identities and the triangle inequality giveConsequentlyThe numerator tends to zero as by the assumed continuity for the fixed point . Hence is continuous, an instance of continuous dependence of the fixed point of a uniform contraction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 136 2 a Solution 2026-09-28
One strong form of Hensel lemma is this: if is complete for a discrete valuation , , and satisfiesthen there is a unique root satisfying
Define the Newton iteration over a valued fieldTaylor expansion and the ultrametric inequality show inductively that andThus the valuations of the corrections tend to infinity, so is a Cauchy sequence. Completeness gives a limit , and continuity gives . If is another root in the stated ball, Taylor expansion of shows that the linear term has strictly smaller valuation than all higher terms unless , proving uniqueness.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 22F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let be a Cauchy sequence in this norm. For each ,so is Cauchy in the scalar field. Define . Passing to limits in the linearity identities shows that is linear.
A norm-Cauchy sequence is bounded, say . Hence , so . Given , choose such that for . Letting givesfor every , and therefore . Thus in operator norm, proving completeness of the dual space: is Banach.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 136 1 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The strong form of Hensel lemma says the following. Let be a discrete valuation on a complete field . If andthen has a root satisfying .
To prove it, apply Newton iteration over a valued field:The initial inequality says that the first correction has valuation greater than . Taylor expansion then shows inductively that , while the valuations of the corrections tend to infinity. Hence is a Cauchy sequence. Completeness gives a limit , and continuity gives .
Now decompose the multiplicative group asThe P-adic valuation givesand cubing is the identity on . Put . Expansion gives . Conversely, for , choose and put . For ,so the strong form of Hensel lemma produces a cube root in . Thus . Finally,is an isomorphism. Combining the valuation and principal-unit factors proves the cube-class group of the 3-adic numbers identity
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 105 2 f Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The Rellich-Kondrachov compactness theorem says that if is a bounded Lipschitz domain, thenfor when . When , the embedding is compact into every finite , and when it is compact into , hence into every .
The boundedness of the domain is essential. Choose a nonzero and setTranslation invariance gives , so after a fixed rescaling these functions lie in the unit ball. Their supports are pairwise disjoint andNo subsequence is Cauchy in , so the unit ball is not compact. This is the standard failure of Rellich compactness on an unbounded domain.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 136 3 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
One useful form of Hensel lemma is this: if is a complete discrete valuation ring, , andthen there is a unique such that and . Indeed, after constructing with , choose the unique modulo for whichand put . The resulting Cauchy sequence converges by completeness, and the same first-order congruence proves uniqueness.
Apply this to . Every nonzero class in is a simple root, so it has a unique Teichmuller representative in . These give all roots of unity of order prime to . For odd , the group has no nontrivial torsion: if , then the binomial theorem gives , which is incompatible with finite -power order. HenceFor , the subgroup is torsion-free by the same argument, while supplies the extra torsion element. Thus . This describes the roots of unity in a p-adic field for .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 131 1 d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The pointwise inequality impliesEvery -Cauchy sequence is therefore -Cauchy. Since is geodesically complete, the Hopf-Rinow theorem makes a complete metric space, so in for some .
On a coordinate neighbourhood with compact closure around , smooth positive-definite Riemannian metrics are uniformly equivalent. Thus there is such thatthere. For all sufficiently large , a short -geodesic from to stays in this neighbourhood, and henceThus is complete. Another application of Hopf-Rinow shows that is geodesically complete.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 202 2 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let be Cauchy in the normChoose a subsequence for whichTonelli theorem impliesalmost surely. The subsequence therefore converges uniformly on , outside one null event, to a continuous process . For each , is the almost-sure limit of -measurable variables; completeness of the filtration makes the chosen version adapted. The same summable bound and monotone convergence theorem show that and that in norm.
Since the original sequence is Cauchy, the usual triangle argument upgrades convergence of the subsequence to in norm. Thus the space of indistinguishability classes is a Banach space.
Let and . If converges, it is a Cauchy sequence. Thus, for every , some makeswhere the triangle inequality gives the bound. Therefore is a Cauchy sequence in the complex numbers. These form a complete metric space, so has a finite limit of a sequence. Equivalently, apply the Cauchy criterion for series. Hence absolute convergence implies convergence.
A real or complex sequence is a Cauchy sequence ifFor , the complex modulus givesThus the same works for both coordinate Cauchy sequences. Conversely, if both real coordinate Cauchy sequences converge to and , then . This proves the needed completeness for complex numbers from the assumed completeness of the real numbers.
Now suppose converges. Its real partial sums form a Cauchy sequence. Given , sufficiently late tails therefore satisfy . For , the triangle inequality yieldsThe complex partial sums are a Cauchy sequence, hence converge by the coordinate argument. Therefore absolute convergence implies convergence for a complex series.
Let . By the definition of Cauchy sequence, choose an integer such that whenever . Apply the given inequality with . It supplies for whichBoth and are in the Cauchy sequence estimate, soFor every the triangle inequality givesThis is the definition of convergence to zero: . The proof uses only the Cauchy sequence estimate, positivity, and the stipulated inequality; it does not assume the general completeness of the real numbers theorem for Cauchy sequences. Taking also avoids the empty initial set in a literal reading of the condition for very small .