Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 301 4 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
For ordinary bosonic operators at distinct times, time ordering places the later operator to the left:Equivalently, multiply these two products by the corresponding Heaviside step functions. For two odd fermionic operators the second product receives a minus sign; more generally a graded interchange has sign . This sign is the fermionic sign convention for time-ordered field products, not a minus sign for arbitrary bosonic operators. No equal-time convention is needed for the two distinct times in this clause.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 336 2 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
The solution and its first derivative are continuous at : a jump would create a Dirac delta distribution or its derivative, absent from the forcing. Put , and . The outer expansions, fixed by the respective endpoint boundary conditions, areBalancing diffusion and advection near gives the interior layer at a simple zero of advection with inner variable . The leading inner expansion solves , so matching to and givesFor the next term define the Gaussian drift primitivesWriting for the Heaviside step function, let . Its value and first derivative match at zero and . Thuswhere the logarithmic overlaps fixHere are the constants in the supplied large-positive- limits of . The terms are essential switchback terms; discarding them would not give accuracy through .
Subtracting the common overlap from the inner expansion and outer expansions gives the additive composite expansionThe standard overlap subtraction leaves . Replacing by changes the value only by uniformly and gives a composite with continuous first derivative. The last term restores the endpoint values through the retained order. When , and the order-one error-function jump disappears. An interior adjustment remains to accommodate the leading outer derivative mismatch, together with logarithmic matching when .
Reversing the diffusion sign changes the leading inner equation to . Its nonconstant solution grows like the integral of , so bounded matching forces the same leading value on both sides. The bulk is on the left and on the right; both endpoint conditions are instead supplied by decaying endpoint layers for reversed diffusion, of width . A weaker width- interior adjustment matches derivatives and selects . Indeed, its first-order equation has a non-growing solution only ifThe leading structure is consequentlywith the smaller interior correction understood. Unlike the positive-diffusion case, the endpoint values are not transported into two distinct order-one inner limits.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ia Paper 2 7C c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
For , the Heaviside step function contributes a constant unit forcing. Solving the resulting first-order linear differential equation from the value at gives
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 327 2 iii Solution 2026-10-05
Since , write , where . The polynomial has two simple zeros. The distribution annihilated by a function with simple zeros lemma givesIntegrating with the Heaviside step function yieldsThis includes every solution: its derivative has exactly the required delta terms, and any two primitives differ only by a constant distribution.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 2 13E ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
For ,The Bromwich inversion formula givesWhen , close the contour to the left. The residues at sum to . When , close it to the right, where there are no poles, and the integral vanishes. HenceEquivalently, in terms of the Heaviside step function. The boundary oscillation travels to the right at wave speed without reflection or dispersion; a point at begins moving after the propagation delay .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ib Paper 4 14A b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The causal Green function for the heat operator iswhere is the Heaviside step function. It vanishes for , satisfies the homogeneous heat equation away from the source, and approaches as . Superposing the responses to all infinitesimal sources gives Duhamel principle:The lower limit and causality give the required homogeneous initial data.
After separating the conserved horizontal factor as , the Helmholtz equation becomeswhere is the Heaviside step function. The outgoing Green function for isThe Born approximation at first order replaces on the right-hand side by the incident profile . For this givesThe integral is understood with the usual outgoing-wave convergence factor. Sincewe obtainTherefore the Born reflected field is
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 333 4 d Solution 2026-09-28
Letwhere is the Heaviside step function. Thenso the Eliassen equation for residual circulation isTake no normal residual flow at and , decay as , and choose the streamfunction constant on the connected rigid boundary to be zero. Thus
The required Fourier series in sine modes isDefineFor each mode, the vertical equation isThe Dirac delta function requiresThe solution satisfying the boundary conditions is thereforewhere
The momentum equation givesThe jump of supplies an equal positive delta function in , so the singular terms cancel. The regular acceleration iswhereFinally, the transformed density equation givesThese exponentially decaying modes are the balanced mean response to wave-activity deposition at .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2001 Paper 2 5 Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
Laplace transform. Use . The initial value is zero and the Dirac delta contributes , so the transformed equation is . Therefore
Bromwich inversion. The Bromwich inversion formula iswith the vertical Bromwich contour traversed upwards and its symmetric improper limit understood. For , close to the left, where the exponential decays; the enclosed simple pole at has residue . For , close to the right, which contains no pole. Thuswhere is the Heaviside step function. This agrees with the Laplace transform time-shift rule. At , inversion returns the average of the two one-sided values. The value assigned at that single point does not affect the differential equation in the distributional sense.
Fourier transform. State the convention explicitly:The Fourier transform of the distributional derivative is , including the jump at . The Dirac delta has transform , giving
Inverse Fourier integral. Substitute into the inverse Fourier transform:The only pole is at . For , close in the upper half-plane. Jordan's lemma removes the large arc and the residue theorem gives . For , close in the lower half-plane, where there are no poles, giving zero. This reproducesIntegrating the differential equation across the impulse checks the unit jump, . Away from the impulse the solution obeys , and it satisfies the stipulated zero past.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2002 Paper 2 5 b Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
Now the inverse integrand can be writtenFor , the exponent has a positive real time parameter. Close the Bromwich contour to the left; the residue at is . For , close to the right, where there are no poles. The reversed orientation there still gives zero. ConsequentlyThe same result follows from the Laplace transform time-shift rule: corresponds to , where is the Heaviside step function.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2004 Paper 2 5 Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
For causal functions the convolution is . In a half-plane of absolute convergence, changing variables in its Laplace transform and using Fubini's theorem givesThis proves the convolution theorem for Laplace transforms. Transforming the differential equation gives . The direct transform pairs and then giveFor a continuous forcing, call the last term . The Leibniz integral rule gives and . Also . Thus both the original equation and the initial values hold.
For an impulse at positive time , the Dirac delta evaluates the convolution, yieldingHere is the Heaviside step function. The displacement remains continuous at , while its derivative jumps upward by one, exactly as required by integrating the differential equation across the unit impulse.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2005 Paper 1 8 Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
Take and a source position . Before the source, the zero initial data require . After it, set ; the homogeneous equation becomes . Continuity of and a unit jump in at give , . Thus the causal Green function of a damped oscillator isHere is the Heaviside step function. For , take the continuous limit , giving . The formula is also unchanged when a nonzero changes sign. Its continuity removes a delta derivative, and its unit first-derivative jump supplies the required Dirac delta function.
For the forced equation use . The zero-initial-data Green function representation isThe sine-product identity reduces this to elementary exponential-trigonometric integrals. Evaluating givesFor an independent check, the steady particular part is , while the decaying homogeneous part has coefficients and that impose .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2008 Paper 2 5 Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
Use . Jordan's lemma says that for , if a function has maximum modulus on upper semicircles, then ; a bound is . For use lower semicircles instead. The rational factors here meet this decay condition, so the residue theorem evaluates their inverse transforms.
For , only the upper half-plane contains a pole, at . Its residue after multiplication by is . The lower contour encloses no pole. ThereforeHere is the Heaviside step function, with midpoint value for symmetric Fourier inversion.
For , the upper-pole residue is when , while the clockwise lower contour gives the matching expression for . ThusThe final rational factor has double poles at . At the upper pole,The upper inverse integral is times that residue. The lower contour for negative supplies , and the value at zero is zero. Consequently
Use the zero initial displacement and velocity given in the PDF. The characteristic roots of the homogeneous equation are . Its causal Green function of a damped oscillator iswhere is the Heaviside step function. The positive-time kernel has and , so its derivative jump generates a unit impulse. The zero-data forced solution is consequently the causal convolutionDifferentiating once gives ; differentiating twice supplies the endpoint term and verifies the differential equation. No homogeneous transient is required with these initial data.
The result of part (i) vanishes identically on the open interval , so its first and second derivatives also vanish there. Substituting into the equation of motion immediately givesThus the force has no negative-time prehistory, consistent with the causal Green function of a damped oscillator. In fact, direct inversion or the positive-time substitution above identifies ; the given numerator corresponds to a negative exponential force with this Fourier convention. Here is the Heaviside step function; its value exactly at the jump does not affect the transform.
The inverse Fourier transform isFor , close in the upper half-plane, where decays. The single enclosed pole has residue , so counterclockwise integration gives . For , close clockwise in the lower half-plane; there is no enclosed pole and the result is zero. ThusHere is the Heaviside step function. At the jump, symmetric Fourier inversion gives , the average of the one-sided limits. The transform itself cannot fix a function’s value at a single point, so this is the conventional representative rather than extra frequency information.
A causal Green function vanishes before the impulse. For it solves the homogeneous linear ordinary differential equation, whose characteristic roots are . Thus it has the formContinuity at is necessary to avoid a delta derivative in , so . Integrating its forced equation across the impulse gives the jump condition for an impulse, . The derivative from below is zero and the derivative from above is , givingHere is the Heaviside step function. The zero initial data exclude any additional homogeneous response. By the superposition principle, the output for a general locally integrable input isThe upper endpoint causes no unwanted term in the first derivative because ; in the second derivative its unit derivative jump reproduces the input.
The Heaviside step function restricts the integral defining the Fourier transform to , soThe convergence condition is essential. For real it means , which is the decay assumption used in the subsequent parts. At a distributional Fourier transform is needed; for negative real the defining improper integral diverges.
For the difference of Heaviside step functions is an interval indicator, and on and zero elsewhere. Its Fourier transform isThe apparent singularity at is removable. The formula remains valid for real negative , because the original step-function difference and the oriented integral both reverse sign; for both vanish. This is the Fourier transform of an interval indicator and produces a scaled sinc function.
For the zero-data initial value problem, choose a causal Green function satisfying and for . Continuity at prevents a derivative of the Dirac delta distribution, while integration across the source givesFor , part (i) gives the shifted homogeneous solutions. The zero value at the join removes the cosine term, and the unit derivative jump fixes the sine coefficient. Therefore the causal Green function of a damped oscillator isEquivalently, multiply the first expression by the Heaviside step function . The required solution isIts initial value and first derivative vanish: the interval has zero length at and the kernel vanishes at its upper limit. Differentiating twice shows that the upper-limit contribution to is precisely , while the remaining homogeneous kernel terms cancel in .