Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ia Paper 2 8A b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
For a constant matrix, the matrix exponential series and its differentiated series converge uniformly on bounded time intervals, as follows by comparison with the scalar exponential in a operator norm. Termwise derivatives therefore giveHence solves the initial value problem. For this particular matrix, direct multiplication gives . Splitting the matrix exponential into its even and odd powers provesThis is the matrix exponential when the square is minus the identity. If , the general solution isThe constants in part (a) are and , which makes the two forms identical.
Use the lower antisymmetric block shown in the original PDF. Write withPowers preserve the block structure. Splitting the matrix exponential series into even and odd powers gives . For the other block, the matrix exponential when the square is minus the identity gives . ThereforeThe upper block is hyperbolic and the lower block is a rotation. The transcription's altered last row and hyperbolic functions in the lower block would describe a different problem.