Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 ib Paper 1 8B Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 ii Paper 4 11G Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2011 ii Paper 1 1I Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 4 10G b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Write an integral binary quadratic form as , with discriminant of a binary quadratic form . If is prime, then : any common divisor would have its square dividing . Complete to a matrix in using Bezout identity. After the associated integral change of variables, the properly equivalent form has leading coefficient , say . Its discriminant of a binary quadratic form gives , hence .
Conversely suppose . Since is an integral-form discriminant of a binary quadratic form, or . Choose with even integer parity for and odd integer parity for . This is possible because is odd. Then is divisible by , andis an integral form of discriminant of a binary quadratic form representing . This proves the discriminant criterion for prime representation by a binary quadratic form, including the case ; no assumption that is a fundamental discriminant was used.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 4 10G c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Both forms have discriminant of a binary quadratic form . The reduction algorithm for a positive definite binary quadratic form gives and for a reduced positive definite representative. Enumerating givesThe second and fourth forms are imprimitive and represent only even integers. Every odd prime represented by a form of discriminant of a binary quadratic form must therefore be represented by or .
For a prime , quadratic reciprocity givesEvery prime has this symbol equal to one and hence is represented by one of the two primitive forms, by part (b). But an odd prime represented by and different from three is , so these primes must be represented by . Similarly, primes have both symbols equal to , and are represented by , since a prime represented by is . Both residue classes are coprime to 15, so Dirichlet theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions proves each form represents infinitely many primes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 4 19H b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Here with and field discriminant . The imaginary-quadratic Minkowski bound for ideal classes is , so each ideal class has an integral representative of ideal norm at most four. Representatives therefore use prime ideals above two and three. PutThe prime two ramifies, with , and three splits into . No element has field norm two, because ; thus is nontrivial of order two. Norm-four ideals represent and add no generator, so the class group is generated by .
The element has field norm 18. It belongs to and , but not , since reduction there gives . Its ideal therefore factors asThe exponents follow from the ideal norm 18, or from the root defining . Hence , so has order four and already generates all possible classes. ThereforeAs a separate check, the reduced forms of discriminant of a binary quadratic form are , giving exactly four classes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ii Paper 3 11G Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Write an integral binary quadratic form as , with discriminant of a binary quadratic form . It is positive definite when and . Two forms are equivalent if one is obtained from the other by an integral linear change of variables whose matrix lies in . A positive definite form is reduced whenwith when or .
To reduce a form, apply a unimodular shear with chosen so that the new middle coefficient has . If the new final coefficient is smaller than , exchange the variables, using a determinant-one rotation, so that the positive leading coefficient decreases from to . Repeating must stop because a positive integer cannot decrease indefinitely. At termination , and elementary sign changes impose the boundary convention. This is the reduction algorithm for a positive definite binary quadratic form, and proves that every positive definite form is equivalent to a reduced one.
The displayed forms have discriminant , so the intended discriminant is . For any reduced form of this discriminant, enumeration of reduced binary quadratic forms givesThe boundary convention and direct checking of leave only
Suppose first that a prime is represented by . The identityshows modulo both and that is a nonzero square. HenceSimilarly,Modulo , this says is a square, while modulo it says is a square. Since , the multiplicativity of the Legendre symbol gives
Conversely, suppose the two displayed Legendre symbols have the same sign. By quadratic reciprocity,Choose an odd integer satisfying . Since is odd, is also divisible by , sois a positive definite integral form of discriminant that represents . Reducing yields either or , and equivalence preserves represented integers. The necessary symbol calculation above determines which one: the positive pair selects , and the negative pair selects . Therefore