Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 205 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A real positive-definite kernel is a symmetric function such that, for every finite collection and every ,Thus every kernel matrix is a positive semidefinite matrix; “positive definite” here does not require strict positivity. A Reproducing kernel Hilbert space is a Hilbert space of functions on in which every point evaluation is a continuous linear functional. Its reproducing property is with , and . For a sum of positive-definite kernels, the quadratic form of its kernel matrix is a sum of nonnegative quadratic forms. Symmetry also survives summation. Consequently
For the representer theorem, put . This is a closed finite-dimensional vector space. The orthogonal decomposition by a closed subspace gives , where and . The reproducing property implies for every observed input, and thereforeSince , any minimizer must lie in . For , the reproducing property gives the evaluation vector and . Hence . If minimizes , its representation yields a minimizing . Conversely, if minimizes , then, for any , representing gives . ThusThis is an equivalence of minimizers, not an existence or uniqueness assertion: the loss function is arbitrary. A singular kernel matrix also allows nonunique coefficients, since differences in represent the zero function. Strict convexity of the loss was not used.
Now use the stated minimum-norm description of a sum of reproducing-kernel Hilbert spaces. Let . If the minimizing tuple did not attain the minimum total squared norm among decompositions of , replacing it by that unique minimum-norm tuple would preserve the loss function and strictly lower the penalty. This contradicts optimality. ThereforeFor an arbitrary , take its minimum-norm decomposition . Then , proving that minimizes .
Choose from the representer theorem for this minimizing sum, and define . Write for the component kernel matrices. ThenBy uniqueness of the minimum-norm decomposition, for every . This proves the common representer coefficients for a sum of kernels conclusion:The same coefficient vector works simultaneously. Even when is singular, changing that vector by leaves every component unchanged: forces each nonnegative squared component norm to vanish.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 1 22F d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Let be conjugate to , so , including for . Hölder's inequality implies, for every measurable finite-measure set ,This proves integrability on and gives uniform integrability there. Choose a set with on which convergence is uniform, using Egorov theorem. ThenFirst take and then . Thus even the local difference tends to zero, and in particularFor , simple functions supported on finite-measure Borel sets are dense in . The displayed convergence proves pairing convergence for such functions. Approximate any by a simple and useBy the duality of Lp spaces, these are all continuous linear functionals on , so converges weakly to . It need not converge strongly: converges pointwise to zero but has norm one. For the pairing argument gives weak-star convergence against , rather than asserting weak convergence against every functional in the much larger full dual.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 105 2 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
The Lax-Milgram theorem assumes that is a real Hilbert space and is a bounded bilinear form and a coercive bilinear form: there are such thatThen for every continuous linear functional there is a unique satisfyingSymmetry of is not required.
For the proof, the Riesz representation theorem provides a bounded linear operator and with and . Coercivity and the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality implyThus is injective and its range is closed: if converges, the displayed inequality makes a Cauchy sequence; completeness gives and . If lies in the orthogonal complement of the range, then for all . Taking gives , so . A closed subspace with zero orthogonal complement is all of , hence is surjective. The unique solution is , and the same inequality gives the asserted norm bound.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 105 2 b iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
The positive uniform ellipticity condition from part (i) is needed here. It is not explicitly imposed in the printed preamble. Without it the conclusion is false: on , take , , and . The Neumann boundary condition is satisfied by , and for arbitrarily large shifts.
There is also an actual error in the PDF's supplied trace inequality: a nonzero constant has nonzero trace and zero gradient. Use instead the valid multiplicative trace inequality on a bounded smooth domainFor completeness, choose a smooth vector field agreeing with the outward normal vector on the boundary. The divergence theorem gives, for smooth ,Approximation and the Sobolev trace theorem extend it to . Thus the intended existence result remains true after correcting the hint.
Set , , , , andUniform ellipticity and the Young inequality giveFor , the bilinear form is coercive on the real Hilbert space with coercivity constant .
All coefficients are bounded, and the Sobolev trace theorem gives . The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality applied to each volume and boundary term therefore proves . Also is a continuous linear functional, with . Every hypothesis of the Lax-Milgram theorem is now verified, and it gives
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 106 3 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
The Hahn-Banach separation theorem for two convex sets states that disjoint nonempty convex sets in a real locally convex space, with open, admit a nonzero continuous linear functional and such thatThere need not be a positive uniform gap between the two sets.
For a proof, set . It is open and convex, and . Choose , let , and let be the Minkowski functional of . Because is open, convex and contains zero, is a finite sublinear functional, and . Put . Since , . On define . For this equals ; for it is nonpositive and hence at most . The Hahn-Banach theorem extends it to a linear with . Both and are bounded near zero, so this domination makes continuous; it is nonzero because . For ,Thus for every . Define , which is finite because any fixed bounds it above. Openness of and nonzeroness of ensure for every , and for every . This proves the stated separation.
For the sequence criterion, suppose and . If each , thenConversely, the assumed inequality implies that every convex combination of the has norm at least . Hence is disjoint from . Apply the separation theorem with the open set to obtain andThen has norm one and satisfies for every . ThereforeThe PDF confirms the “if and only if” that is garbled in the TeX transcription.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 iii Paper 326 4 1 Solution 2026-09-29
A Gaussian measure on a real separable Banach space is a Borel probability measure such that is a one-dimensional normal distribution for every continuous linear functional . Its mean and covariance operator of a Gaussian measure are characterized byandfor all .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 iii Paper 326 4 2 b Solution 2026-09-29
For every , the continuous linear functional induced by the inner product givesThis is a normal random variable because it is a linear combination of independent normal random variables. Hence the law of is a Gaussian measure. Its mean is zero, and independence together with givesThus its covariance operator of a Gaussian measure is
Past exam of the real and harmonic analysis course of the University of Oxford 2007 3 b Solution 2026-10-31
Let be normalized arclength on the unit circle, so in angular coordinates . It is a finite Radon measure. The given identity says that and represent the same continuous linear functional on . Uniqueness in the Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem givesThe printed phrase “Borel sets in ” is interpreted as Borel subsets of the circle.
Reproducing kernel Hilbert space Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-11-05
A Reproducing kernel Hilbert space is a Hilbert space of functions on a set in which evaluation at each fixed point is a continuous linear functional. The Riesz representation theorem therefore supplies an element such thatSetting defines its positive-semidefinite kernel. The reproducing property turns pointwise information into an inner product; the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality givesThus small changes in the norm control evaluation at each fixed point. In the linear kernel example , the functions form the corresponding finite-dimensional space with the ordinary coefficient inner product. The Moore-Aronszajn theorem extends the correspondence to arbitrary positive-semidefinite kernels.[ref]
Separation from an absorbing convex set 2026-10-14
If a convex set in a real normed vector space contains , every admits a continuous linear functional with for all , even if is not closed. Its Minkowski functional is sublinear functional, satisfies , , and . Extend by the dominated Hahn-Banach theorem. The resulting domination applied to and makes continuous and supplies the separation inequalities.
If the relative weak topology on the unit ball of a normed vector space is first countable at zero, choose a countable collection of finite families of continuous linear functionals defining a local base. For any and , one family has common kernel on which . Extend that restriction to with using the Hahn-Banach theorem. Then vanishes on , so it belongs to by finite-dimensional factorization. Consequently the countable union of these families has norm-dense linear span in . The converse is the metrization of the weak topology on a bounded set construction from a norm-dense sequence in . In particular, separability of alone does not suffice: has nonseparable dual .