Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 2 7C b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Integrate the axial ordinary differential equation twice: . The no-slip boundary condition at zero gives , and the one at gives . HenceThe first term is Couette flow; the second is Poiseuille flow driven in positive when . Their addition is valid because the reduced Stokes equation is linear.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 318 1 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Integrating the resistive induction equation once introduces a constant :Because , integrating this relation again over the channel gives , where is the volumetric flow rate per unit span. Put and , taking without loss of generality. Reversing the imposed field reverses but leaves and unchanged. Eliminating from the magnetohydrodynamic momentum equation givesIts two zero wall values remove the odd homogeneous solution. Write . Integrating the first relation with the two magnetic wall values yieldsTherefore . Substitution and integration produce the velocity and induced field:Here is the Hartmann number. The hyperbolic cosine makes even, while the hyperbolic sine makes odd. Direct differentiation verifies both coupled equations and all four wall values.
Integrating the velocity gives the fluxThe apparent singularity at is removable. The small-field limit is plane Poiseuille flow:The cubic coefficient of is its first-order response in ; itself vanishes at zero imposed field. For a fixed positive , the flux decreases monotonically as increases. One exact way to see the sketch's monotonicity is the partial-fraction expansion of the hyperbolic cotangent:whose derivative is strictly negative for . The flux has a horizontal tangent at and approaches zero asThe flux is even if signed is used.
For , put . Away from the walls,The velocity has a nearly uniform core, with thin Hartmann layers of thickness enforcing the no-slip boundary condition. Near the upper wall, with fixed, and ; the lower wall follows by even/odd symmetry. Thus is negative for , positive for , and returns rapidly to zero at both walls. The required sketches show a decreasing flux, a flat velocity core, and an odd induced field with magnetic wall layers.
Hartmann-flow flux versus magnetic field strength, and velocity and induced-field profiles at Hartmann number 20
. Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 318 1 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the fully developed flow branch of Hartmann flow. Translation invariance along the walls makes the velocity and induced magnetic field functions of alone. Incompressible flow and zero normal velocity at the walls give and hence . The zero divergence of the magnetic field makes constant, equal to the imposed . There is no forcing in ; the homogeneous -components obey the same coupled viscous-resistive equations as the -components, with zero boundary data. Multiplying them by and , integrating by parts and adding givesThus , establishing the asserted forms on this fully developed flow branch. This is a symmetry reduction of the steady channel model, rather than a claim that every possible flow in a channel is translation invariant.
The current density and Lorentz force density areThe advective acceleration vanishes because acts on fields independent of . The -component of the magnetohydrodynamic momentum equation therefore givesThe -component must also balance: it requires . Hence a compatible pressure is ; the specified streamwise pressure gradient does not require the ordinary pressure to be uniform in . This accounts for the magnetic pressure of the induced field.
The resistive induction equation with constant magnetic diffusivity gives . Since , its curl has -component . Steadiness consequently givesFinally the no-slip boundary condition gives , and the normal magnetic field boundary condition gives . The coupled equations and all wall conditions follow directly from momentum balance and magnetic induction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 329 3 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The hydrostatic approximation gives above the horizontal floor, up to atmospheric pressure. The horizontal Stokes flow equation is , with the no-slip boundary condition at and zero tangential stress on the free surface. Integrating twice gives and the lubrication gravity-current fluxFor the squeegee lubrication model, use vertically, horizontally, and in time. If is the laboratory coordinate in the direction of travel, set , , , and . The blade half-length is . The moving-frame flux is . Conservation of volume gives the dimensionless lubrication equationUsing these scales as representative of the actual flow, lubrication theory requires a small aspect ratio and negligible inertia relative to vertical viscous resistance:The second is the Reynolds number based on , multiplied by . Surface tension is neglected as assumed. Large piles, rounded gaps, and narrow end regions need their own local slope and inertia checks if these representative scales cease to describe them.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 329 4 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Write , , and choose the common undisturbed interface pressure . The hydrostatic pressure is in the upper fluid and in the lower fluid. Continuity of hydrostatic pressure across both current interfaces givesThus and . This isostatic depth partition of an interfacial current expresses local vertical buoyancy balance: a displaced column with an imbalance would move vertically until the partition was restored. With the hydrostatic pressure subtracted, the pressure within the current is , whereThe equivalent body force is outward for a profile decreasing with . Its magnitude is ; the derivative without an absolute value is a signed quantity.
For an ambient-controlled interfacial plug current, integrating the body force through depth gives radial force per area . The ambient Stokes flow varies over distance , exerting traction , so . The current's internal shear supports the ambient traction with a velocity difference ; requires . The force per area from its in-plane viscous extension is , negligible against ambient traction when . Together these give the viscosity window for an interfacial plug currentFixed volume gives , and the spreading velocity has the scale . Thus andChoosing so that exactly, the similarity solution has , , and . In radial conservation , substitution gives . Regularity and no source at the centre remove the integration constant. Therefore the radial plug velocity is linear:
For the disc-traction analogy for an interfacial current, subtract the imposed straining flow from the stationary-disc solution. The perturbation has velocity on the disc and zero far-field velocity. Reverse its sign: the resulting Stokes flow is driven by a radially expanding disc with velocity in otherwise quiescent fluid. The background straining flow contributes no radial shear traction on , so the given disc traction changes sign. This step uses Linearity of Stokes flow, Uniqueness of Stokes flow, and the no-slip boundary condition. The thin plug current has the same leading boundary velocity and hence the same ambient resistance. Each face contributes ; both faces must be counted. With , radial force balance isIntegrate with . The interfacial plug-current similarity profile isVolume integration gives . Eliminating gives the full prefactor:The formal edge slope diverges, so a narrow edge region lies outside the thin-current approximation. Its traction and volume contributions are integrable, and this is a leading thin-current solution rather than a uniformly valid edge description.
For a diffusion-controlled solute gravity current, excess solute mass, not enriched-fluid volume, is conserved. At late times the effective mass density excess is proportional to solute concentration, so , and . The same ambient resistance scaling givesThis scaling does not determine a universal numerical prefactor. The mass diffusivity controls the growing depth, while dilution weakens buoyancy; assuming a fixed current volume would incorrectly retain the law. The thin-layer requirement becomes ; when only dissolved solute changes the upper fluid, its viscosity is of order the ambient viscosity, consistent with the plug-current window.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 333 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use an upward vertical coordinate , constant mass density , and a positive Coriolis parameter ; the square-root formulas below assume the Northern Hemisphere. For a slab of thickness , the net force per unit horizontal area is . Dividing by its mass and including the Coriolis acceleration givesHere are the vertical shear stress components of the viscous stress tensor, so their boundary values require a signed traction convention. Linearization removes advective acceleration. Decompose the horizontal velocity into an exterior pressure response and an Ekman layer correction. On an f-plane these satisfyandThe exterior pressure response is in geostrophic balance when steady. For a surface Ekman layer with negligible stress at its base, its Ekman transport isIntegrating the continuity equation and imposing zero vertical boundary-layer velocity at the surface gives . Thus the base velocity, positive upward, isThe PDF prints the opposite sign. Its negative formula is correct for a velocity defined positive downward, but its stated momentum equations with use the upward-coordinate shear convention above. This sign must be accounted for when interpreting the subsequent pumping equation.
For constant kinematic viscosity, write and . The steady Ekman layer equation is . Taking the surface at and the ocean below it, the bounded surface Ekman layer solution isThe total velocity is . Prescribed wind stress determines the coefficient of this Ekman layer correction; it does not determine a relation between the wind and the independent pressure-driven velocity. An additional boundary condition is necessary for a laminar Ekman boundary stress law in terms of .
The two printed laminar stress formulas and the positive pressure-Laplacian pumping formula are instead the standard Bottom Ekman layer relations. To derive them consistently, put a stationary no-slip boundary condition at , with water at . ThenConsequentlyThese are shear stress values; the actual bottom traction on the fluid has the opposite sign. Integrating this Bottom Ekman layer gives and . Since the exterior geostrophic flow is horizontally nondivergent, the upward velocity above the bottom is . Using , yieldsThis recovers the requested magnitude and pressure dependence with a consistent bottom interpretation. The surface version would require its own specified boundary velocity and corresponding signs.
For Ekman spin-down in a shallow-water layer, let , , and . Upward bottom pumping enters the exterior linearized shallow water equations through . Taking the curl of their momentum equations gives , henceSlow geostrophic balance gives and . Therefore the intended damping equation isThe slow-adjustment assumption is , not the printed . The printed negative pumping term in continuity can alternatively describe downward extraction at the upper boundary, but it cannot be combined unchanged with the upward bottom pumping just derived. A literal use of the positive printed and negative continuity source would reverse the damping sign and produce growth.
For a Fourier mode with , substitution givesFor scales small compared with the Rossby deformation radius, and , independent of wavenumber. For scales large compared with the Rossby deformation radius, the equation becomes , whereThe zero wavenumber mode does not decay. A thin Ekman layer, , makes , so the derived decay time satisfies the corrected slow-time assumption.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 334 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use and in the frame translating with the sheet. At each instant, the incompressible Stokes equations areTaking their curl gives the biharmonic stream function for planar Stokes flow:in the fluid above the actual sheet. The no-slip boundary condition is imposed on material points, whose label is and whose actual horizontal position is . With ,The second sign follows from . Far above the sheet,with bounded velocity and no imposed mean pressure gradient. The positive far-field velocity arises because the sheet moves with laboratory velocity . All fields are -periodic in ; an additive function of time in is a harmless gauge. These conditions formulate the Taylor swimming sheet problem with both types of travelling deformation.
Expand and . At first order the boundary can be evaluated at :The far-field conditions are and . For a nonzero Fourier mode of wavenumber , bounded velocity selects ; the exponentially growing modes are excluded. Matching the modes and givesAn additive gauge has been set to zero. The first term is a transverse mode of a Taylor swimming sheet, and the second is a longitudinal mode of a Taylor swimming sheet. Their velocities decay at infinity. The mean first-order boundary velocity is zero, and the bounded zero Fourier mode is a constant plus a multiple of , so .
For the second-order Taylor-expanded no-slip boundary condition, the first-order displacement isThere is no explicit second-order material velocity in the prescribed motion. Hence, with all first-order derivatives evaluated at ,where and . Differentiation of the first-order solution giveson the flat reference boundary. ThereforeThe boundary conditions for the streamfunction are and . Their far-field counterparts are and .
Products of the two distinct first-order Fourier modes generate only the nonzero wavenumbers , as well as a mean. Thus the bounded general solution compatible with these data has the formThe discarded zero-mode terms would give unbounded velocity, and the discarded nonzero modes grow exponentially. The zero-mean normal velocity in periodic half-space Stokes flow is consistent with a bounded periodic flow and no far-field vertical flux. For example, integrating along the boundary yieldsThis fixes the ; the nonconstant part of fixes . All coefficients are thereby determined, but none is needed to find the mean swimming speed.
Indeed, mean boundary velocity determines Taylor-sheet swimming speed. The mean Fourier mode of is , so its horizontal velocity is the same at the boundary and infinity. Fourier orthogonality of sheet swimming modes removes the mixed product, givingHere is the average over one spatial period; a temporal average gives the same answer for these travelling waves. The laboratory swimming velocity is . The transverse wave drives motion opposite to its direction of propagation, whereas the longitudinal wave drives it in the propagation direction. Their wavenumbers enter quadratically. Thus cancels the swimming speed at order . This different-wavenumber cancellation in sheet swimming is not a claim that all higher-order swimming terms vanish.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 1 17D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Choose downslope along the rigid plane and normal to it into the fluid, with the wall at and the flat free surface at . The gravitational body force per unit volume has components . The wind's tangential traction on the top surface is in the direction; the atmospheric normal traction is in the direction. At the wall there is no-slip boundary condition, and the wall supplies the opposing normal force and a tangential traction whose sign depends on the wind strength.
The velocity is parallel to the plane, . Its velocity profile is a concave quadratic, with and negative slope at the free surface when . The diagram uses moderate wind, for which the flow is still everywhere downslope. Stronger wind can reverse the upper portion, or the entire moving layer; the later cases quantify this.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 1 17D b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
For an inclined viscous film with opposing surface shear, the steady parallel velocity automatically satisfies the continuity equation and the advective acceleration vanishes. The two components of the Navier-Stokes equations reduce toThe uniform thickness and constant atmospheric pressure make . The boundary conditions areThese are respectively no-slip boundary condition, imposed tangential traction on the surface with outward normal , and the normal stress condition on the flat free surface. The normal viscous stress is zero because the normal velocity vanishes. Integrating givesIn particular is the downslope tangential traction exerted by the fluid on the wall. The wall's tangential traction on the fluid has the opposite sign, because the outward normal of the fluid at its bottom is . This fixes the potentially confusing wall sign convention.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 329 3 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
First supply the introductory scaling and geometry. The leading tangential Stokes equation in a thin gap balances against . The shear stress scale is , so lubrication pressure dominates shear stress:The outer circle, viewed along a ray from the inner centre, satisfies . Expanding its positive root to first order in gives , hence .
Take positive to mean increasing , and put , , . With no-slip boundary conditions at , lubrication theory givesSteady mass conservation makes independent of . Single-valued pressure requires . Write and . It follows thatThe tangential fluid tractions on the inner and outer solids, measured in the same increasing- direction, are respectivelyThis sign convention distinguishes the traction on a wall from the corresponding stress component in the fluid.
To leading order the holding force balances the pressure traction on the inner circle. Integration by parts givesUse and , with the continuous limit at . Substituting the boxed flux yieldsThe zero vertical component also follows from reflection in mathematics in the vertical line: this leaves the geometry and vertical force unchanged, reverses , and Linearity of Stokes flow then requires .
Pressure gives no moment about either circular wall's own centre. Integrating the viscous shear torque with lever arm to leading order gives the fluid couplesIndeed and at this order. Applied holding or driving couples are the negatives of these fluid couples. They need not cancel because they are moments about different axes. The fluid force on the outer solid equals the holding force on the inner one. Transferring its moment to the inner axis adds , so angular momentum balance about a common axis isFor the usual equal and opposite concentric couples are recovered. All these formulas are leading thin-gap expressions at fixed ; taking the contact limit requires maintaining the local slender-gap assumptions.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 331 4 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The temporal integration by parts terms areThe terminal states are free and the objective has no explicit terminal-velocity dependence. ThereforeThe factor two follows from the displayed objective without a prefactor. The initial scalar field perturbation is fixed, so and there is no independently prescribed adjoint-scalar condition at . Its value there is obtained by backward integration. Independent variation of the initial velocity state gives .
Variation of the candidate in the energy-augmented functional gives the fixed-energy initial-condition optimality condition. For the usual divergence-free no-slip control space , write for its orthogonal projection, the Leray-Helmholtz projection in the usual incompressible velocity space. This is the standard formal control condition when pressure is determined by incompressible flow and normal momentum. If the independently imposed direct pressure flux is retained as an additional constraint, the admissible control variations must also satisfy its compatibility conditions along the trajectory; they need not fill the usual space . The standard projection formula alone does not prove stationarity for that more restricted problem. ThenFor the natural solenoidal adjoint space, . Equivalently, its component tangent to the sphere in a normed vector space of fixed kinetic energy vanishes:Here is needed for the sphere in a normed vector space to be regular and for division by . The multiplier is real and can have either sign; normalizing the initial adjoint with a prescribed positive sign is not a general necessary condition for minimization. If , the only feasible initial velocity is zero and this tangent formula for the sphere in a normed vector space is inapplicable. First-order stationarity alone also allows maxima or saddles; a local minimum requires the appropriate nonnegative constrained second variation.
The spatial boundary terms vanish with periodic adjoints in , homogeneous no-slip boundary conditions at , and there. To see this, velocity variations vanish at the wall while their normal derivatives need not, so the viscous boundary term forces the adjoint velocity to vanish. Scalar variations have zero normal derivative but free values, forcing the adjoint scalar's normal derivative to vanish. Pressure variation gives adjoint incompressible flow; no independent terminal or initial datum is assigned to . Its additive time-dependent constant may be fixed by a zero spatial mean.
In particular, a homogeneous Neumann condition for the direct pressure does not by variational transposition require . For a smooth adjoint solution, the wall-normal adjoint momentum equation instead suppliesat the flat walls, because the direct scalar normal derivative is zero there. A zero adjoint-pressure derivative would be an additional compatibility choice, valid only when this right-hand side vanishes.
There are also literal direct-data compatibility qualifications in the printed setup. The initial total scalar field is , whose wall derivative is . It is extraordinarily small but mathematically not zero. Thus exact initial scalar data and exact zero wall flux are incompatible for a classical solution smooth at . One may use a parabolic mild solution of an abstract Cauchy problem with the boundary condition enforced for , or replace the initial profile by an exactly compatible smooth one; these are conventions, not an equality . The reference scalar field is also not a stationary profile of the diffusion equation at finite : the full term must be retained.
The pressure compatibility at a no-slip wall is similarly important. Direct normal momentum gives . The separately imposed zero pressure derivative requires this right side to vanish. It is not automatic for arbitrary fixed-energy initial velocities. For example, the divergence-free no-slip field generated by the periodic stream function with has , and , while . With adjusted to any positive energy, no classical solution smooth up to the initial wall can satisfy that extra pressure condition. The displayed adjoints are the formal necessary equations along admissible smooth trajectories; a well-posed physical formulation normally determines pressure from incompressible flow and normal momentum, rather than imposing independent homogeneous pressure flux for every control.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 329 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Write and take to be the dynamic viscosity. The Papkovich–Neuber representation of a homogeneous Stokes flow uses a harmonic vector potential and harmonic scalar potential :These formulas give incompressibility because , and give , the Stokes equation away from forcing.
For a point force represented by a Dirac delta distribution, rotational covariance and the Linearity of Stokes flow suggest a vector monopole proportional to : is a harmonic function outside the origin, and its slow decay gives the required nonzero resultant force. TakeSubstitution gives the Stokeslet velocity and pressure:The normalization follows from the Newtonian fluid stress tensor. Differentiating the velocity gives the rate of strain and vorticity of a Stokeslet:Here . Thus . On a sphere enclosing the origin, its outward traction integrates to , so in the distributional sense. All displayed fields away from the point force have .
For a sphere in a uniform straining Stokes flow, centre the sphere at the origin and write the ambient velocity as , with and . Faxén's first law and Faxén's rotational law give zero translation and rotation. To impose the no-slip boundary condition, use the decaying harmonic dipole and quadrupole potentialsTrace freedom makes harmonic, and each component of is harmonic. The Papkovich–Neuber representation givesAt , the coefficient of must give , while the extra radial term must vanish. Hence and , giving the complete disturbanceThe total velocity vanishes on the sphere and tends to the imposed strain at infinity. This field has no Stokeslet or rotlet contribution, consistent with a force-free, torque-free sphere. Its leading far field is the radial stresslet .
Now put the first sphere at and the second at , where , and let . The first sphere's leading disturbance is its Stokeslet. The rate-of-strain tensor and vorticity incident on the second sphere areThe second sphere translates with the local flow and rotates with half its local vorticity. Its force-free and torque-free conditions therefore remove any reflected force or torque monopole. The incident strain produces the stresslet just obtained. Sinceits velocity at the first centre, using the relative vector , isFaxén's first law then gives the self-mobility correction from a distant force-free sphere:Finite-size terms and further reflections are beyond the leading order retained in this method of reflections for Stokes flow.
Only the imposed force does work, so the viscous dissipation is . With , define and . At fixed ,so the leading change is negative when . The direction is held fixed in taking .
The fixed-force comparison of minimum viscous dissipation distinguishes the prescribed force from prescribed boundary velocity. Indeed,and henceAt the actual reduced velocity, adding the second sphere increases the dissipation relative to an isolated translating sphere at that same velocity, exactly as required by the Minimum-dissipation theorem for Stokes flow. One can extend the two-sphere velocity rigidly into the second sphere, adding zero strain and producing an admissible trial field in the domain without it. The reflected angular velocity of the first sphere contributes only a higher-order squared rotational power to this comparison.
Finally hold the second sphere's angular velocity at zero. Faxén's rotational law requires the applied coupleThe resulting rotlet adds at the first centreThis is the additional rotational constraint correction to sphere mobility. Including the strain reflection, the total leading change relative to the isolated velocity isFor motion parallel to the line of centres the constraint adds nothing at this order; for transverse motion it supplies an extra resisting correction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 329 2 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Take to be the force and couple exerted by the body on the fluid, equivalently the external force and couple needed to maintain its motion. This fixes the sign for a positive hydrodynamic resistance matrix. If one uses the fluid's force on the body, both resultants have the opposite sign.
For two Stokes flows and in the same fluid domain , with zero body force, the Lorentz reciprocal theorem for Stokes flow isHere points out of the fluid. To see the identity, take the divergence of the difference of the two cross-work fluxes. The stress divergences vanish, while incompressibility and symmetry of the Newtonian fluid stress tensor reduce the remaining terms to . The divergence theorem proves the result.
On the body, the no-slip boundary condition is , and the far-field contribution vanishes for decaying exterior flows. Reciprocity becomesWith and , this is for all pairs, so . The power identity givesEquality would force zero strain throughout the connected exterior domain, hence a rigid fluid motion. Decay at infinity makes that motion zero, and the no-slip boundary condition then gives . This proves the symmetry and positivity of a rigid-body resistance matrix:
For the helix, assume and use cylindrical unit vectors. Its arclength element and tangent areIntegrating to gives . In a combined axial translation and rotation, . The slender-body force density, or local resistive-force theory, givesWriting , , its axial and azimuthal components areThe axial couple density is . Integration over arclength gives the axial resistance matrix of a slender helix:Thus pure translation gives , and pure rotation gives . The mixed coefficients agree, as reciprocity requires, and . The sign of follows the handedness in the parametrization; reversing handedness reverses propulsion.
For the helical microswimmer with a spherical head, the diagram's rotation relation is . Neutral buoyancy and the absence of external forcing make the whole swimmer force-free and torque-free. Neglecting interactions between its parts givesWith , solving this pair givesThe head counterrotates, providing the reaction to the flagellum's rotation. The figure fixes this relative rotation convention; it is duplicated and corrupted in the local TeX.
For a very large head, the coefficient regime is and . ConsequentlyThe large translational resistance makes the microswimmer slow even though the flagellum rotates almost at the motor rate.
For a very small head, and . The appropriate denominator retains the translation-rotation coupling:Both tend to zero with , while . The motor mainly rotates the low-resistance head, and produces little flagellar motion relative to the fluid.
In the intermediate coefficient regime and , the head supplies a strong rotational reaction with little translational penalty. ThenThe head radius has dropped out. To find the optimal pitch of a helical microswimmer, put . The dimensionless speed becomes and has derivative . Hence, for with the chosen handedness,The angle is measured from the horizontal plane. An intermediate pitch combines axial and transverse tangent directions, allowing anisotropic drag to convert rotation into translation; either extreme removes that coupling.
The geometric head-size regimes quoted in the paper hold with the logarithmic slenderness factor treated as fixed. More precisely, requires , while requires . These coefficient inequalities state the validity of the intermediate approximation when the logarithm is quantitatively important. The many-turn and local-drag assumptions of slender-body theory also remain in force.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 329 3 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Let measure distance normal to the plane, with the wall at and the free surface at . Take density , dynamic viscosity , and gravitational acceleration . In lubrication theory, normal momentum balance gives hydrostatic pressure while inertia and streamwise viscous derivatives are smaller. With negligible surface tension and negligible air shear,Apply the no-slip boundary condition at , and zero leading tangential stress at . The velocity profiles areDepth integration gives the volume flux, with :Combining incompressibility with the wall and surface kinematic conditions gives conservation of mass, . Therefore the two-dimensional version of the gravity-driven thin film on an incline satisfiesDirect downslope gravity supplies the advective term, while gradients of the hydrostatic pressure spread the film along the surface. At this reduces to nonlinear gravitational spreading in a horizontal film.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 331 3 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
With and , the Orr-Sommerfeld equation factors into constant-coefficient operators:For distinct nonzero characteristic roots, the general solution isEither square-root choice for gives the same solution space. The no-slip boundary condition and impermeability impose at each wall.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 332 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Let be downward Darcy flux, measured per unit total horizontal area. Neglect the resistance of the displaced phase, capillary pressure, and horizontal subsurface flow. Taking atmospheric pressure as zero, the upper end of the saturated column has pressure and its advancing lower end has pressure zero. Across a column of depth , Darcy law therefore givesThe pressure head from the overlying layer supplies , and gravity supplies one. Because the new liquid fills a pore volume per unit area, the vertical imbibition under a draining liquid layer obeys . Volume conservation gives , so, until the surface layer is exhausted,The initial condition is understood as a limiting solution of this singular equation. For , separation of variables givesAt small penetration, expansion of the logarithm yields , henceA sufficient dimensional early-time condition is , for which . The printed needs a chosen time unit or nondimensionalization. In the limiting case , holds exactly until . The divergent initial Darcy flux is an idealization of sudden contact with a dry continuum; it cannot describe penetration below the pore scale.
For the spreading surface layer, measure upwards from the substrate. A thin, slow gravity current has hydrostatic pressure and a leading horizontal viscous balance . A no-slip boundary condition at and a stress-free boundary condition at giveThis lubrication gravity-current flux drives horizontal spreading down the surface-pressure gradient. Surface volume conservation is , while conservation in the pores is . Combining these balances gives the deep-substrate drainage of a gravity current modelDrainage transfers liquid from the surface layer into the substrate. Indeed .
For definiteness take a one-sided current on , supplied at . The imposed volume is per unit span, so has dimensions of area. The boundary conditions and volume conservation constraint areThe source starts from zero injected volume. Initially dry points acquire only when the advancing current reaches them; the formula is not applied outside that region. At the advancing nose these are limiting conditions for a singular drainage equation. For a source feeding two identical sides, each side has half the volume and inlet flux; only the corresponding numerical prefactors change. The integral and inlet-flux conditions are equivalent once the local balance and nose conditions hold.
The physical approximations are lubrication theory, negligible inertia, slowly varying surface height, small pore-scale Reynolds number, and negligible capillary entry pressure. Treating the substrate as vertically draining columns also requires its lateral flow to be negligible and its depth to exceed the penetration depth. The model is valid while surface liquid remains available above each draining column.
For a similarity solution, let and scale as , and let the current length scale as . Since then has no time dependence, drainage requires . Balancing with the horizontal spreading term gives , so and . These exponents also give injected volume , explaining the particular supply law.
Define scaleswhich satisfy and . The cubic-input similarity for a draining gravity current isSubstitution into the two conservation equations giveswhereThus only and remain in the dimensionless problem. Its constraints areIntegrating the sum of the two ordinary differential equations verifies that the inlet flux and integral normalization agree. The dimensionless endpoint is the undetermined multiplicative constant in the length law; solving for it is not required.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ii Paper 1 38C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
At the rigid surface, the no-slip boundary condition and no penetration giveAt the horizontal free surface, the kinematic boundary condition and the stress boundary condition areHere surface tension is absent and the inviscid air exerts no tangential traction.
The incompressible Stokes equation isUse the Cartesian streamfunction convention , and setThenand the wall and zero-shear conditions becomeThe two momentum equations readEquality of mixed derivatives gives , so the boundary conditions implyIntegrating for the pressure and imposing the normal-stress condition at determinesThe complete instantaneous velocity and pressure fields are thereforeIndeed, with the viscous stress tensor , these expressions satisfy both traction conditions. Evaluating the vertical velocity at the material surface gives the pressure-driven thinning of a uniform Stokes layer:Thus
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ib Paper 1 5C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Take down the plane and normally away from it, with the solid at and the free surface at . A steady unidirectional falling film flow has velocity . The streamwise Navier-Stokes equation reduces towhere is the kinematic viscosity. The lower no-slip boundary condition and upper stress-free boundary condition areIntegrating gives the velocity profileThe volume flux per unit width is
If the upper surface is replaced by a stationary solid plane, the second boundary condition becomes . The resulting plane-channel profile and flux areThe free surface exerts no tangential shear stress, whereas the stationary upper wall enforces no slip and exerts a retarding shear. This additional drag accounts for the reduced flux.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 329 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Reflection in preserves the prescribed translational velocity and axial angular velocity. A force transforms as a polar vector, whereas a torque transforms as an axial vector; consequently . Reflection in reverses both imposed motions but preserves the normal force component. The linearity of Stokes flow then gives . Thus only and can be nonzero.
There is a sign inconsistency in the printed question. In right-handed coordinates, gives a rotational velocity at the sphere's lowest point. The printed shear and force formulas instead use the opposite rotational sense. Below, let be the right-handed component along ; the paper's displayed formulas are recovered by setting .
In the translating frame, the parabolic gap and leading boundary velocities areThe no-slip boundary condition and lubrication theory giveThe gap is stationary in this frame, so . The Reynolds lubrication equation is thereforeSince and ,Differentiating the velocity profile gives the leading shear stressesThe first expression becomes the printed formula after .
For the logarithmic lubrication resistance of a sphere near a wall, write . The logarithmic region is , where . ConsequentlyThese follow from and , with a fixed small outer cutoff. The general logarithmic radial numerator is over ; the numerator in the printed integration hint appears to have a typographical error.
The force exerted on the fluid through the upper gap boundary includes pressure acting on its slope:The pressure cancels the term, givingPressure exerts no torque about the centre of a sphere because its traction is radial. To logarithmic order, the shear has lever arm , soThe other components vanish by parity: involves an integral of the term, and has an integrand odd in . The combined hydrodynamic resistance matrix isIts equal off-diagonal coefficients are required by the Lorentz reciprocal theorem for Stokes flow. It is a positive-definite matrix, as required by viscous dissipation.
In the rotational convention of the printed force formula, set and measure the scalar couple along , so . ThenFor sedimentation under the buoyancy-adjusted weight , a uniform sphere is torque-free. Thus , and the force balance givesThe rotational scalar in the paper's displayed-force convention is . The sphere rolls in the right-handed sense but still slips: its lowest point has laboratory velocity . The signs and coefficients of the right-handed resistance agree with the rigid-wall terms of Bertin et al., equations (4.4)–(4.5), after reversing the forces and torques there from fluid-on-sphere to sphere-on-fluid.


