Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 327 2 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Let denote the Taylor polynomial at zero. On , the integrand defining the Hadamard finite-part reciprocal-power distribution isThe first term is odd, so it cancels under symmetric truncation. The Taylor remainder in the second term has absolute value at most . The integral near zero therefore has a finite limit. For , the original terms are integrable: has compact support, and each subtracted power has exponent .
This proves existence and linearity. It also gives the global estimateThusIn particular the order of a distribution is bounded by one integer on all compact sets, not merely separately on each of them.
For the recurrence, write the truncated Hadamard finite-part integral aswhere parity evaluates all subtraction integrals explicitly:Set and . On the two truncated intervals, integration by parts givesThere are no boundary contributions at infinity. The coefficients of the subtraction terms satisfyThis is exactly the negative of the boundary term's Taylor polynomial through degree ; the degree- term itself vanishes by parity. HenceTaking the limit proves the full distributional identityThe same calculation includes . Starting with the distributional derivative of the logarithmic modulus from part (i), induction yieldsThis identity holds on all of as a distributional identity. It is stronger than matching the ordinary derivatives away from zero, which would leave possible differentiated Dirac delta distributions at zero undetermined.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 327 2 a Solution 2026-09-28
Let contain the support of . Choose a cutoff function that equals one near . It makeswell-defined, and differentiating the parameter under the pairing givesThus the Fourier transform of a compactly supported distribution is a smooth function. Since a compactly supported distribution has finite order, some and satisfyApplying this estimate to the exponential yields .
Now take , multiply by a cutoff function supported in and equal to one near , and regard the result as an element of . Choose so large thatis Lebesgue integrable. The inverse Fourier transform is a bounded continuous function, and the Fourier transform of a derivative givesas a distributional identity. This is the Bessel potential proof of the structure theorem for compactly supported distributions.
The function itself need not have compact support. Choose another cutoff equal to one near . Then . Repeatedly usingexpresses as a finite sum , where every coefficient is continuous and compactly supported in .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ib Paper 3 14A c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Using Euler's formula and the Inverse Fourier transforms of phase factors,andThese are distributional identities, with the Dirac delta function.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 107 1 c Solution Created 2026-09-28 Updated 2026-10-03
For , the correct formulation is the distributional identityThus as a distribution. The Weyl lemma applies already to locally integrable distributions, so agrees almost everywhere with a smooth harmonic function.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 313 2 a Solution 2026-09-28
Away from a zero of the Higgs field, writeSeparating real and imaginary parts of givesThus away from zeros. Combining this with givesIf has a zero of multiplicity at the origin, its vortex number is the winding number and . Since as a distributional identity, the complete Taubes equation isThe boundary conditions for a single -vortex areThe latter is the finite-energy condition .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 105 3 b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For , call a weak solution when, for every ,This follows by multiplying the equation by a test function and applying integration by parts in time and space; includes the term because the original transport operator is not in divergence form.
If is , test functions supported away from show that as a distributional identity, hence pointwise. Integrating this pointwise equation by parts in the weak identity leavesArbitrary boundary test functions and the fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations give . Thus a weak solution is the unique classical solution from part a.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 105 3 b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For every compactly supported test function on , define a weak solution by the identityThe extra appears because . This identity is obtained from the linear transport equation by integration by parts in time and space.
Conversely, if and have the stated regularity, choosing test functions supported away from shows in the distributional sense that . Continuity makes the equation pointwise. Integrating that pointwise equation by parts in the displayed identity leavesfor all boundary test functions. The fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations gives , so is a classical solution.