Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 28 4 b iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Under quadratic loss, the Bayes estimator under squared error loss of the latent mean is its posterior mean. For the Poisson-uniform posterior mean, the prior distribution has density on and the one-count Poisson distribution likelihood is . Consequently the Bayesian posterior density is proportional to on that interval, with normalizing integral .
By conditional independence, , so the law of total expectation makes the posterior predictive expected value equal to this same posterior mean. It isThe required antiderivatives are and . Evaluating at the two endpoints givesThis estimate differs from : the Bühlmann credibility estimate is an optimal affine rule, while the Bayes estimator under squared error loss optimizes over all rules and uses the truncated uniform prior through its exact Bayesian posterior.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 37 1 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
The exact normalizing sum can be expensive on a large loss network. The Erlang fixed point approximation replaces joint resource acceptance by a product of marginal acceptances. Here consider unit requirements , positive integer capacities and finitely many fixed routes. Let be resource blocking and . A route- call contributes to the offered traffic at resource after surviving the other resources on its route. Thus the reduced-load approximation iswhere the Erlang B formula isThe estimated route acceptance is . This is an independence approximation, not an alternative exact factorization of the stationary law in part (i).
Uniqueness follows from a convex potential for the Erlang fixed point. For a single resource, the carried load of an Erlang loss resource is . It increases strictly from zero to as increases: differentiating the expected value of its upper-truncated Poisson distribution with respect to gives the strictly positive occupancy variance. Blocking also increases strictly, as is evident on dividing the Erlang denominator by its final term.
Use . Let be the unique offered load with , and set , with . This function is strictly increasing and tends to . DefineEach exponential term is a convex function, and each integral is a strictly convex function because its derivative is strictly increasing. Therefore is a strictly convex function. It is also a coercive function on the nonnegative orthant: an unbounded coordinate makes its integral grow asymptotically linearly with positive slope . A unique minimizer exists.
If resource carries some positive offered route, its inward derivative at is negative, so its minimizing coordinate is positive. At such a coordinate the first-order equation isDividing by gives precisely . A resource with no positive offered route uniquely has , hence . Thus the minimizer and the fixed point coincide, proving existence and uniqueness of the Erlang fixed point for fixed unit-resource routing. This does not by itself guarantee convergence of every simultaneous substitution algorithm; the uniqueness claim concerns the solution of the equations.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 37 1 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
A loss network models calls that need several resources simultaneously and are rejected, rather than queued, when insufficient capacity remains. Take finite resource and route sets. Let be the integer amount of resource required by a route- call, its capacity, andUnder fixed routing, each arriving call has a predetermined resource requirement. Take independent Poisson processes of rates and independent holding times with exponential distribution of rates . A feasible arrival changes to at rate ; a departure changes it to at rate . Put and assume each route uses a finite positive-capacity resource, so the state space is finite.
The product-form stationary distribution of a loss network isFor any feasible adjacent pair,These detailed balance equations prove stationarity and make the process a reversible Markov chain. Equivalently, Independent random variables with Poisson distributions of means are conditioned on satisfying the joint capacity constraints. The conditioning makes resource occupancies dependent even though the unconstrained counts are independent.
By Poisson arrivals see time averages, a route- arrival sees acceptance probability , interpreting the numerator as zero for a negative capacity. Hence its blocking probability is and the expected value of its number in service is . This connects a stationary occupancy law to observable rejection and carried traffic.
The insensitivity of loss networks extends this occupancy formula to independent general holding-time distributions with the same expected values, under the usual fixed resource requirements and admission rule. Counts alone then need not be a Markov chain; residual holding times belong in a Markov description. The invariant occupancy formula survives. This is useful because detailed call-duration distributions can be difficult to estimate, while their means are much easier to measure.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 39 2 d Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Take expected values in the sharp power-call inequality. If is finite, then for every ,The bound is independent of the strike, soCombined with the previous part, this relates finite moments to polynomial decay of expected European call option payoffs, while retaining the distinction at the moment threshold.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 39 3 d Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Let replicate , so . The positive-definite Gram matrix is invertible. Multiplication by and taking expected values giveAll quantities are integrable: the finite-atom representation from completeness gives finite terminal values, and the matrix has finite entries. Positive definiteness also guarantees uniqueness of holdings, since would imply and hence .
Thus the replication cost isConsequently the one-period Gram-matrix replication formula isThe symmetry of makes the displayed orientations consistent. Positivity of this would require an additional no-arbitrage condition; positive definiteness of the payoff Gram matrix alone proves the representation and uniqueness, not positivity of prices across states.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 39 4 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Let be the optimal expected value before seeing the next offer when rounds remain. With one round left the offer must be accepted, so . For , observing gives a choice between now and the continuation value . Independence of future uniform distributions makes that continuation value independent of past offers. Thus the uniform-offer stopping recursion isIt gives and . The Snell envelope rule therefore yields the explicit strategyOnly rounds actually reached are played. At a threshold the two actions have identical continuation expected value; either convention is optimal, and exact equality has probability zero. The optimal expected payout before the first offer is
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 2 3F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Let the independent unit-step vectors be . The uniform distribution of each angle gives , while . With , expand the squared Euclidean norm:By independence, each cross term equals . HenceThis mean-square displacement of an isotropic planar random walk grows linearly even though the expected value of the displacement vector remains zero.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 2 4F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Write the countable supports as and the marginal masses as . Independence gives joint mass . Assuming finite expected values, absolute integrability is justified by Tonelli theorem:Consequently Fubini's theorem permits factorization of the signed sum, proving the expectation of a product of independent random variables:
The second claim holds as a general assertion with the additional hypothesis that the positive variables are integer-valued. For a nonnegative integer-valued , the pointwise identity and Tonelli theorem give the tail-sum formulaIf each is integer-valued, their product is too. Apply this identity to each factor and to the product, then use independence:Under the literal broader meaning of a discrete random variable, the second claim is false. Two independent constants are positive and discrete, but the left side is and the right side is . More generally the integer-indexed tail sum of a positive real-valued variable is , not . This is the integer-valued hypothesis in the tail-sum formula.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 26 1 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the natural filtration . The first exit time is a stopping time. If , it is zero, so its expectation is already finite. Now assume .
The positive-increment hypothesis gives a number with . Choose an integer so large that , and put . A block of increments all exceeding has probability . From any point still in , that block forces an upper exit before the block ends.
By independence, conditional on and survival to time , the next block has this same probability. Thus the geometric tail bound from a uniform escape probability givesUsing the tail-sum formula for the expected value of a nonnegative integer-valued random variable,This is the random-walk exit bound from a positive-increment block. In particular, the exit occurs with probability one. The mean-zero assumption is not needed for this first bound.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 31 1 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The moment-generating function of a mixture distribution is the mixture of its component transforms, soFor the aggregate, positivity of every claim implies exactly when . ChooseIf , take to have the zero-truncated claim-count distribution, namely the conditional law of given . ThenChoose this count independently of a fresh independent claim-size sequence and put . Its probability distribution is that of conditional on being positive. Thus the hurdle decomposition of a positive random sum givesand an independent Bernoulli random variable of success probability realizes . This establishes the distributional representation, including that is itself a positive random sum of independent claims. If , the aggregate is identically zero; set and choose any positive , for example one claim. Conditioning the count on positivity is then unnecessary and would be undefined.
For the specified geometric distribution on the nonnegative integers,An exponential distribution of expected value has transform . Substitution yieldsHence is exponential with rate and expected value . This is the geometric sum of exponential variables with a rescaling of the claim mean. Identification can also use the uniqueness theorem for Laplace transforms of nonnegative random variables by taking .
The resulting distribution function isIts jump of size at zero is important: the aggregate law is not a purely continuous exponential distribution.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 31 2 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Consider the secant slopeThe moment-generating function is continuous on the interior of its finite domain and has right derivative . Thus as . For every fixed positive claim amount , the function is strictly increasing in : its derivative has numerator , since this numerator starts at zero and has derivative as a function of . Taking expected values preserves the strict inequality. Therefore is continuous and strictly increasing. Equivalently, the strictly convex transform has strictly increasing secant slopes from the origin.
If , the assumed blow-up of gives . If , choose with . Such an exists because the claims are positive. Then , so again . This exponential lower bound is needed at an infinite endpoint: mere divergence of would not, by itself, establish divergence of .
The target strictly exceeds the limiting slope . The intermediate value theorem and strict monotonicity therefore giveMultiplying by gives the defining adjustment coefficient equation. The zero root of the undivided equation is excluded. This is the secant-slope existence criterion for an adjustment coefficient.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 31 2 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For the original exponential distribution, cancel the nonzero root into obtainIt lies strictly below the transform pole .
With the extra expenses, the insurer's payment per claim is , where has exponential distribution of expected value and is independent of . The convolution of independent random variables gives a hypoexponential distribution withKeeping the relative safety loading fixed means using the new expected payment: the premium rate becomes . It does not mean keeping the old premium rate fixed. The adjustment coefficient with independent claim expenses therefore solvesSet , cancel , and simplify:The quadratic is positive at and equals at . Its leading coefficient is positive, so the smaller root is in and the larger root exceeds . Only the smaller root lies in the finite moment-generating function domain. HenceFor ,Thus the new adjustment coefficient is about smaller, even though the premium rate has been increased to retain the same relative safety loading. The Lundberg inequality consequently has a slower exponential decay rate as a function of capital.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 34 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For independent and identically distributed random variables sampled from a probability density function , a kernel density estimator with kernel for density estimation and smoothing bandwidth isThe usual kernel for density estimation is nonnegative; finite makes the integrated variance finite. The mean integrated squared error and its bias-variance decomposition of mean squared error areThe interchange is justified by the Tonelli theorem.
For the exponential distribution and the specified unit-width uniform kernel, put . The expected value is . Intersecting this interval with the positive half-line givesOn the true probability density function vanishes, whereasHere for . This leakage across the support boundary proves the integrated squared bias from a density jump:In particular, and suffice. The phenomenon differs from a smooth interior bias of a kernel density estimator: the order-one boundary error persists over a region of width proportional to .
By independence, . Integrating the first term and using yieldsAlso : the kernel density estimator mean is an average of translates of , so the Jensen inequality followed by the Tonelli theorem bounds its squared integral.
To optimize over every , we must establish that useful smoothing bandwidths approach zero, rather than optimize only a formal small- expression. An exact calculation supplies that justification. The autocorrelation integral of the exponential distribution density isAveraging over the two uniform windows, or integrating the piecewise expression for , givesThese formulas show that is continuous on , is strictly positive there because on , and tends to as . Consequently, is bounded away from zero on for every . Its expansion agrees with the supplied .
The choice givesChoose smoothing bandwidths within of the infimum. Their mean integrated squared error tends to zero, and nonnegativity of the integrated variance gives , hence . For any , eventuallyThe last step is the arithmetic-geometric mean inequality. Taking the lower limit and then matches the upper bound. ThusThe original PDF has this constant; the TeX aid's is a transcription error.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 35 2 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For a binomial distribution, the score function isIts squared expected value is , using the binomial distribution variance . Hence the Jeffreys prior isthe beta distribution . The factor is independent of and disappears on normalization.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 35 2 e 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Start with the beta distribution draw in the Beta-binomial exchangeable coupling. Write andThese are the expected value and variance of . The fixed in this coupling is a dependence parameter chosen by the investigator, not necessarily the observed number of cups. The four numbered stages together address the single printed correlation request.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 35 2 e 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The next beta distribution has conditional expected value and varianceFor large , its expected value approaches , while its variance is at most . The final draw therefore stays close to the first. These are prior distributions for the cup probabilities: the auxiliary count is a device for constructing dependence, rather than additional observed tea data.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 35 2 g Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Using the conditional beta distribution expected value and the law of iterated expectation,Equality of the expected values alone does not prove equality of the marginal distributions; the later exchangeability argument does.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 39 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Let , so a type values a prize at . In a symmetric increasing Bayes-Nash equilibrium of this rank-order contest, a player reporting type wins when at most opponents have larger types. Its winning probability isHere the count of opponents above has a binomial distribution. Differentiation, or the associated order statistic density, givesDefine the effort by the all-pay effort identityThis also verifies equilibrium globally. The derivative of a type 's payoff from reporting is , positive before and negative after . Thus truthful reporting is a best response. Bidding above the maximal equilibrium effort gains no additional winning probability. Type zero chooses zero effort.
By exchanging the two integrations, the expected value of total effort isThe last integral is the moment for a Beta distribution with parameters and , namely . This is the uniform-value multi-prize all-pay effort formula.
Put and . The positive constant multiplying does not affect the maximizing . Sincethe assumed inequality makes nonincreasing on the feasible interval. Hence one prize maximizes expected total effort.
For the power family, the PDF gives . ThenIf , this derivative is strictly negative for : the bracket is affine and its values at the endpoints are and . Thus is optimal.
If , the unique continuous maximizer isThe objective strictly increases before and decreases after it. Therefore its discrete maximizer lies amongCompare the surviving candidates using , since . If is an integer, that integer is the unique maximizer; if its floor is zero, the only feasible candidate is . This proves the discrete prize-count optimization for a power-valued contest including the endpoint cases.
The sufficient condition need only hold on . The power family is undefined at zero, so the printed endpoint cannot apply to it. More generally, a positive finite value would make the displayed inequality fail at zero. The design argument uses only positive feasible prize fractions and needs no value there.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 39 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
We derive the probabilities for a sequential elimination all-pay contest from a discounted subgame perfect equilibrium, using backward induction, and only then take . This preserves the selection supplied by discounting.
First consider a two-player all-pay auction with effective prizes , so the incremental payoff is times winning probability minus effort. For , the independent mixed strategies have effort cumulative distribution functionsThe second player has an atom at zero. For positive bids on this support, the first player's payoff is and the second's is . Bids above cannot improve either payoff. The first has no zero atom, so the second's zero bid also earns zero. If the first deviates to zero, it can win only when the second bids zero; even with every such tie resolved in its favor, its payoff is at most . The two-player complete-information all-pay equilibrium therefore has winning probabilitiesThese follow by integrating against the uniform . A third player with effective prize at most cannot profit by entering: for , its winning probability is , giving payoff at most zero; above its effort exceeds its prize.
For the dynamic induction, relabel any remaining subgame's valuations as , with prizes left. Define the backward-induction threshold in an elimination all-pay contestFor the sum is empty and . The discounted continuation value in an elimination contest is obtained from the following net utilities:The base case is the one-prize all-pay auction: only the two highest valuations need positive effort, with prizes and payoffs . Every lower player has a nonprofitable deviation by the preceding calculation.
For , if either of the top two wins, the other becomes the highest player in a subgame with prizes. The continuation threshold in either such subgame is the same numberThe remaining top player's continuation payoff is . Its effective prize in a sequential contest, net of the discounted payoff from losing, is thereforeThus for , and the two-player distributions above apply. Adding the losing-state baselines giveswhich agree with the proposed formulas.
For a player of rank , the inductive continuation utility after either top player wins is identical: its new rank is , and the utility expression depends only on its own value and the lower-valued tail. Thus its current zero-effort payoff is that common continuation value multiplied by , exactly the stated . Its effective prize for deviating to win now is . For , direct subtraction givesFor , , since the coefficients in are nonnegative and sum to one. Such a player cannot gain by entering against the two active players. There is one additional zero-bid deviation to check for the highest player. If both active bids become zero, the tie could award a prize to any remaining player. Losing to any player below rank gives no greater continuation utility than losing to rank : deleting rank makes the ordered remaining rival list componentwise smallest, and its continuation threshold is a nonnegative weighted sum of that list. Thus even resolving every all-zero tie in the highest player's favor gives payoff at most its usual losing baseline plus . No tie rule can improve this deviation. This verifies all best responses and the continuation-utility formulas. Applying the construction to every remaining-player set proves a subgame perfect equilibrium of the discounted contest, not merely an on-path prescription.
Now take the vanishing-discount limit of an elimination all-pay contest. At every nonfinal subgame,Thus the two highest remaining players win with equal probabilities in a nonfinal stage. In the final stage the effective prizes are their actual valuations, so its lower-valued participant beats the higher one with probability equal to half their valuation ratio.
Return to the original ranks. Only the original top can ever win; at most higher players can have left before the final stage, so players of rank or worse never enter its top pair. Player must lose fair nonfinal contests to remain unawarded until the final stage, where its opponent has value . HenceA player first enters the top pair at stage , after higher-ranked winners have left. To remain unawarded, it must lose the nonfinal contests from then on, followed by the final contest against rank . ThereforeThere are exactly distinct winners, so the expected value of their indicator sum is . Combining these calculations givesThis proves the ranked winning probabilities in an undiscounted elimination contest. When , it reduces to the ordinary two-player all-pay winning probabilities; when , the repeated fair stages explain each power of .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ia Paper 2 11F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
For a nonnegative random variable with finite expected value, and , Markov's inequality states . Indeed , and taking expected values proves the bound. For a random variable with mean and finite variance , apply Markov's inequality to at threshold . This proves Chebyshev's inequality:For independent and identically distributed random variables with finite mean and variance , the sample mean has expected value and variance . ThusThis is the weak law: , with the finite-variance hypotheses used in this direct deduction.
The more general weak law of large numbers needs only . To obtain that version, truncate . For fixed the bounded variables obey the result just proved. Their means tend to , while Markov's inequality bounds the probability that the two sample means differ by more than by . First take and then ; the integrable tail vanishes, proving the full integrable i.i.d. version as well.
Finally assume and . For every , implies , so Markov's inequality givesIf , the derivative of the right-hand side is , so its minimum is at . The Cantelli inequality follows:If , almost surely and the same bound is immediate. The bound is sharp: put mass at and the remaining mass at ; this has exactly the prescribed mean and variance.