Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2001 Paper 2 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
Separate the variables in this first-order ordinary differential equation:Integration gives , so . On the interval containing the prescribed point , we have . The initial condition therefore gives , hence . Choosing the positive square root to match that initial condition yieldsThe maximal interval containing on which this solves the explicit ordinary differential equation is . At the left endpoint , the original denominator vanishes and the derivative becomes unbounded. Directly, and , verifying the equation throughout this interval.