Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 3 9G b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Write . The hypothesis says . Expanding at giveswhereas expanding at givesTherefore for every , soThis is the complex polarization argument for a vanishing quadratic form.
The conclusion is false over a real inner product space. On , the nonzero operatorsatisfies for every .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 3 9G c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For every ,If is normal, these quantities are equal. Conversely, equality of the norms for all givesThe operator in parentheses is self-adjoint, so polarization makes it zero. ThereforeThe same equivalence holds over a real inner product space: for a self-adjoint operator , the real polarization identityshows that a vanishing quadratic form forces .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 146 1 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let be the standard complex structure on , let be the standard symplectic form, and let be the Euclidean inner product. They satisfyThe two-out-of-three property for unitary structures says that a real linear map preserving any two of these structures preserves the third. In terms of the corresponding matrix groups,
For example, if preserves and , thenso preserves . If it preserves and , the second displayed identity shows that it preserves . Finally, is uniquely determined by , so preservation of and implies . The common intersection is therefore the unitary group.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 146 1 d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Any symplectic form on orients its tangent bundle. Choose a compatible complex structure and inner product; this reduces the structure group to . Since every line in an oriented symplectic plane is Lagrangian,is an oriented circle bundle.
If a transition function of rotates vectors through an angle , its action on unoriented lines rotates the coordinate through . The Euler class of the Lagrangian-line bundle of an oriented plane bundle therefore givesBy the Poincaré-Hopf theorem,for the chosen orientation, up to changing both signs. Hence the Euler number of is , which is nonzero. A smoothly trivial oriented circle bundle has zero Euler class, so cannot be smoothly trivial for any choice of symplectic form.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 303 3 a i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
When all masses are equal, the free energy depends on the real vector only through inner products, so its symmetry is the orthogonal group . The mean-field potential isFor , its unique minimum is , which preserves . For , the minima form the sphereChoosing one minimum leaves the subgroup that fixes its direction, so spontaneous symmetry breaking gives .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 316 1 v Solution 2026-09-25
The oriented normal vectors to the planet and dust-belt planes areTheir inner product is the cosine of the mutual inclination, soIf , this reduces to ; equal inclinations then give . If both planes are face-on, it likewise gives , independently of their undefined nodal longitudes. Reversing an observationally unidentified ascending node by produces the familiar orbital-plane orientation degeneracy for an axisymmetric belt.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 1 34B a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Set . The off-diagonal Hermiticity identity holds automatically, whilemust be real. Thusis necessary and sufficient. For , put . Since the two normalized spanning vectors are linearly independent, .
The normalized eigenvectors and eigenvalues areDirect application of verifies the eigenvalue equations. Their unnormalized inner product isso the distinct eigenvectors are orthogonal, as required for a Hermitian operator. If , and every vector is an eigenvector.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 15E c iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The operator maps the computational orthonormal basis to the orthonormal basis . It therefore preserves inner products and is surjective, so and is unitary.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 ib Paper 1 4C Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
For every tangent vector , stationarity of on the sphere gives . Hence is parallel to , say . Taking the inner product with gives . The spectral theorem shows that this is the largest eigenvalue.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 111 1 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
A root system in the real inner product space is a finite spanning set such thatwhere the orthogonal reflectionFor a crystallographic root system one additionally requires ; that condition is not needed for general finite reflection groups.
A fundamental system of a root system is a basis such that every root has either all nonnegative or all nonpositive coordinates in this basis. Its associated positive system of a root system isand .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 316 2 i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Write . Taking the cross product of the equation of motion with givesSince at every time, the orbit lies in the fixed plane perpendicular to the conserved specific angular momentum . Taking the inner product with gives the conserved specific orbital energyFor , the effective inverse-square force is repulsive and the potential term is positive.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 105 2 d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The restricted trace map is continuous, and is its kernel, so is a closed vector subspace of the Hilbert space . It is therefore complete in the norm. Part a shows that the gradient normis equivalent to that norm, so it is complete as well. It comes from the inner productConsequently is a Hilbert space.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 131 3 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
An orientation selects the positive ordered bases in each tangent space. On an oriented -dimensional Riemannian manifold, the Riemannian volume form is the unique smooth -form satisfyingfor every positively oriented orthonormal frame. In positively oriented local coordinates,
The metric induces an inner product on the bundle of -forms. The Hodge star operator is the unique linear mapsuch thatfor all -forms . With the codifferential , the Laplace-Beltrami operator on differential forms is
The Hodge decomposition theorem says that on a compact oriented Riemannian manifold,an -orthogonal direct sum, where is the finite-dimensional space of harmonic -forms. Every de Rham cohomology class has exactly one harmonic representative.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 4 19F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Mackey and induced representation sum over . Coprimality makes every trivial, each double coset has size , and each local inner product is . Therefore
Planar rotation 2026-10-07
A planar rotation about the origin is the linear map represented by the rotation matrix . It preserves inner products, lengths, oriented angles and area, with positive angles measured anticlockwise. Its inverse is and its determinant is one.
Positive-definite bilinear form 2026-10-06
A symmetric real bilinear form is positive-definite when for every nonzero vector. It defines an inner product and the associated norm . The complex Killing form is not positive-definite on the entire complex Cartan subalgebra; its restriction to the Euclidean subspace of a Cartan subalgebra is a real positive-definite form.
Positive-definite matrix Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
A real symmetric matrix is positive definite whenfor every nonzero real vector . It therefore defines the inner product and is invertible.
Positive diagonal symmetrization of a matrix 2026-10-05
If a real matrix has a positive diagonal matrix such that is a symmetric matrix, then is a symmetric matrix related to by a similarity transformation: gives . Thus is a diagonalizable matrix with real eigenvalues. If for all real vectors , its eigenvalues are nonpositive. This converts symmetry in a weighted inner product into Euclidean symmetry.
Positive semidefinite Hermitian form 2026-10-05
A Hermitian form is positive semidefinite when for every vector. It need not define an inner product, because a nonzero vector may have zero squared norm. The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality still holds: applying nonnegativity to and minimizing the quadratic expression in gives when ; when , varying forces . Thus its zero-norm vectors are exactly the radical of a Hermitian form. Quotienting this radical of a Hermitian form gives a positive inner product; taking its Hilbert space completion then gives a Hilbert space. This is the final positivity step in the Gupta-Bleuler null-state quotient.