Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 3 3B Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The Cauchy integral theorem states that if is holomorphic on a simply connected domain, then its integral around every closed piecewise smooth contour in that domain is zero.
Put . Completing the square givesAfter the change of variable , the integral runs along the horizontal line . The integrand is entire. Apply Cauchy's theorem to a rectangle joining this line to the real axis; the two vertical integrals tend to zero as their real parts tend to , because . The contour may therefore be shifted to the real line. Hence the Fourier transform of a Gaussian gives
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 4 15A iv Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Normalizability requires . Sincethe given Gaussian integral givesAlso , so integration by parts yieldsThereforeThese are the second moments of a complex Gaussian wave packet.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 4 18H a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Newton's method for minimization usesFor a quantitative local bound, suppose on a convex neighbourhood containing the iterates thatwith , and let be the minimizer. The integral form of the gradient and the Hessian Lipschitz bound give the quadratic convergence bound for Newton's methodIf , induction yieldsSince ,
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 4 3F Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
A function is holomorphic when it is complex differentiable at every point of the open connected set . Morera's theorem states that a continuous function on a domain is holomorphic if its integral around every triangle whose interior lies in the domain is zero.
The integrand is continuous jointly in on , so the displayed integral defines a continuous function. For any triangle , Fubini's theorem and the Cauchy integral theorem giveMorera's theorem therefore proves that is entire.
The function is holomorphic on but has no antiderivative there, because an antiderivative would integrate to zero around every closed curve whereasThis is the standard period obstruction to a holomorphic antiderivative.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 303 3 b ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 349 1 Solution 2026-09-28
Let the source's hydrogen-ionizing photon production rate bewhere is the hydrogen ionization energy. The idealized Strömgren sphere has an almost fully ionized interior and a thin ionization front. In photoionization equilibrium, every ionization is balanced by a Case B recombination, so spherical symmetry givesFor pure hydrogen of constant number density , the interior has , and the Strömgren radius is therefore
Now let the effective number of dust grains per hydrogen nucleus be , so the dust absorption coefficient is . If is the ionizing-photon rate crossing the sphere of radius , recombinations and dust absorption give the linear ordinary differential equationIf denotes a dust mass fraction instead, the grain mass and gas mean particle mass are simply absorbed into the effective product . Define the dust optical depthMultiplication by the integrating factor and integration to the dusty front gives its governing equationThe exponential function weights recombinations at large optical depth by the extra source photons that dust must remove before those photons reach that radius.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 1 20F Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
If and are algebraic integers, the ring is a finitely generated -module. Multiplication by preserves this module, so the algebraic integer module criterion shows that is an algebraic integer.
The ring of integers of a quadratic field givessince . For a direct verification, if with is integral, then its trace and norm are integers. Writing and reducing the norm condition in lowest terms shows first that can have denominator at most ; a denominator with odd numerator would require , which is impossible. Thus , and then the norm condition forces even, so . Conversely, every with is integral because is integral and algebraic integers form a ring.
Now let have degree and roots . Sinceand , the integer cannot be ; hence . Thus is monic up to sign and is an algebraic integer.
Let be the product of all roots with modulus greater than one, counting multiplicity. Complex roots occur in conjugate pairs, so is real up to the signs of the real roots andAs a product of algebraic integers, is an algebraic integer; the equality forces . Thereforeis the absolute value of the product of the remaining conjugates, is rational, and is an algebraic integer. It is consequently a nonzero rational integer. Every remaining factor has modulus at most one, so this integer is at most one. It must equal one, and henceThis is the mahler-measure norm argument at measure two.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 1 23G b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 1 28K a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Conditioned on the jump-chain states, the successive holding times are independent exponentials with rates . Henceequals the integral over with ofThis simplex integral is unchanged by reversing the time portions and the rates attached to them. It is thereforeas required. This is holding-time reversal along a fixed CTMC jump path.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 1 28K b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The Markov property at deterministic times givesThus is a discrete-time Markov chain with transition matrixwhen the minimal chain is nonexplosive, .
For an irreducible chain, state is recurrent in continuous time exactly whenand it is recurrent for the skeleton exactly when . If , the event of staying at suppliesIntegrating over each interval shows that the integral diverges exactly when the series does. Irreducibility then makes recurrence equivalent for the two chains. This is recurrence equivalence for a CTMC and its fixed-time skeleton.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 1 28K c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 1 36B b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 1 7D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For singularities , the Cauchy principal value iswhere the assumed tail integrals make the two unbounded pieces meaningful. Equivalently, remove a symmetric interval of radius about each and take the limit of the remaining integral.