Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 86 1 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Define the initial Half-range Fourier transform , and, for each available boundary trace, its finite-time spectral boundary transformTemporarily let also denote the missing trace. Three integrations by parts in giveConsequently the backward-sign Airy half-line global relation isThe spatial transform is holomorphic below the real axis, while each finite-time is an entire function. Moreover, because .
Suppose the missing derivative has order , and put . Its contribution to the right-hand side is , where , , . Apply the inversion from the preceding part at time and selectThe rotated coefficients of that missing trace now equal minus its real-line coefficient. Its entire contribution is thereforeThe real-axis pieces cancel. What remains is the boundary of the middle upper sector, outward on and inward on . In this sector , andis bounded by . The factor decays exponentially throughout the closing arc, overcoming . There are no poles. Thus the Cauchy integral theorem proves the cubic-dispersion elimination of one missing boundary trace and removes every occurrence of the unknown .
For a compact explicit answer, use only the two prescribed traces to form . The three choices areFor each row the solution isAll quantities in this formula are transforms of the given data. On the contour rays is real, so the time exponential is oscillatory; the integrals use the usual limiting interpretation of Fourier inversion. The decay estimate used for elimination belongs to the middle sector, not to or , where can grow.
At , and the preceding inversion recovers . The spectral exponential satisfies the Airy equation with the required minus sign. Differentiating the finite-time amplitudes produces only derivatives of the Dirac delta supported at and zero rotated closed-contour contributions, so the interior equation also holds. Finally, two solutions with the same data have for their difference, so this representation gives zero: each of the three prescribed pairs determines the solution uniquely in the smooth decaying class.