Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 318 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
During the positive half-period, write and , with . Then . Its two eigenvalues are , and corresponding eigenvectors are and . Since , they are independent. Thus the general half-period solution isUsing the even and odd terms in the matrix exponential, . Because , the fundamental matrix of a linear differential equation givesThe lower-left denominator is , as printed in the PDF. In the negative half-period and . The analogous matrix exponential has the stated , replacing by its complex conjugate . Both matrices satisfywith in the second determinant. Equivalently, their generators have zero trace, so the determinant of each matrix exponential is one.
At each complete period the state is multiplied by the monodromy matrix of a periodic linear system , so . The determinant is therefore . Let and . Multiplying the two matrices and taking the trace givesThe ratio sum vanishes because the two ratios are and . With , the hyperbolic-function identity for consequently yieldsFor , : differentiating gives , since this derivative has derivative and vanishes initially. The characteristic polynomial is . Hence the two Floquet multipliers are positive, distinct and reciprocal, with dominant multiplier and growth rateThe finite-time propagation within each half-period is bounded independently of the number of cycles, so it does not change this asymptotic Floquet growth rate. The expression is the maximal rate, attained for generic nonzero initial data. The exceptional initial state in the reciprocal multiplier's eigenspace decays with rate ; the zero state stays zero. Thus a vanishing mean alpha effect does not preclude dynamo action in this periodically switched Parker dynamo wave model.
As , , , and . ThereforeIn particular, at the rate is asymptotic to , as required. The growth calculation uses the product , rather than averaging the two generators: the two generators do not commute.