Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 3 21I b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Compactness gives a stronger statement than the one requested. Since has compact closure, finitely many open balls of radius cover it. Choose their centres from and let be their finite-dimensional linear span. ThenFor the orthogonal projection , best approximation in a Hilbert space givesIn particular this holds for every vector in the given orthonormal basis.
The operator has image in and hence has finite rank, whileThus every compact operator is an operator norm limit of finite-rank operators. This is the finite-rank approximation theorem for compact operators on a Hilbert space.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 3 21I d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Write . We first prove that is dense. Otherwise some nonzero lies in its orthogonal complement, soBy part (b), choose finite-dimensional spaces containing such that in operator norm. Sincethe operator is not injective. Therefore is not surjective; the contrapositive of part (c) makes an eigenvalue of . Choose unit vectors with . ThenCompactness gives a subsequence for which converges. Since , the displayed relation makes converge to a unit vector , and continuity gives , contradicting the hypothesis. Thus is dense.
Next suppose were not bounded below, or equivalently that its lower norm were zero. There would be unit vectors with , henceAgain a convergent subsequence of forces the corresponding to converge to a unit vector satisfying , another contradiction. Therefore some satisfies
This lower bound makes closed: if converges, then is Cauchy and its limit maps to the same limit. Since the image is both dense and closed, it is all of . We have proved the Fredholm alternative for a compact operator: every nonzero spectral value of a compact operator is an eigenvalue.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 319 1 d Solution 2026-09-28
For , the semigroup property givesHence andThe generator domain is therefore an invariant subspace, and the operator norm bound givesThusMoreover, strong continuity applied separately to and givesTherefore the restrictions form the semigroup restricted to its generator domain. Its derivative at zero exists in the graph norm exactly when and , namely when , and then the derivative is . Hence its generator is
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 319 1 f Solution 2026-09-28
A solution operator for a nonautonomous evolution equation is an evolution family satisfyingand, on a suitable common domain ,
One applicable nonautonomous generation theorem is the following. Suppose is a dense linear subspace of , each has domain , the family is a stable family of semigroup generators with constants , and is continuously differentiable as a map from to , where carries one of the uniformly equivalent graph norms. Then there is a unique evolution family such that:
- is continuous for every and ;
- , with a uniform bound on as an operator on ;
- for , both displayed differential equations hold in .
For the uniform partition , the frozen-generator product approximation isAs , in the norm of for every , uniformly for in the compact time triangle . This is convergence in the strong operator topology, rather than convergence in the operator norm.
It remains to verify the second differential equation. The evolution family law gives, for ,Divide by . Since ,while strong continuity gives . ThereforeThe left derivative follows in the same way, so is differentiable.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 324 3 a i Solution 2026-09-28
Write the local Hamiltonian as . Since its terms commute, their matrix exponentials factor exactly:Each factor acts on at most two qubits and can be compiled over a fixed universal quantum gate set to operator norm error at most . The telescoping bound for products of operators then bounds the total error by the sum of the factor errors, at most . Because is polynomial in and the Solovay--Kitaev theorem gives gate count polynomial in for each fixed-dimensional factor, this is an efficient commuting local Hamiltonian simulation. Finally, the eigenvalue equation impliesso remains an eigenstate and its eigenvalue is .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 2 22G a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let be a Cauchy sequence in the operator norm. For each ,so is a Cauchy sequence. Completeness of the Banach space permits the definition
. Pointwise passage to the limit proves that is a linear. A norm-Cauchy sequence is a bounded sequence, say , and therefore
, so is bounded. Finally, letting in
gives
. Thus in operator norm and
is Banach.
. Pointwise passage to the limit proves that is a linear. A norm-Cauchy sequence is a bounded sequence, say , and therefore
, so is bounded. Finally, letting in
gives
. Thus in operator norm and
is Banach.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ib Paper 3 11G Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-10-03
For , the function is differentiable at if there is a linear map such thatThe linear map is unique and is the Frechet derivative . The function is continuously differentiable at if it is differentiable on a neighbourhood of and the map , with values in the space of linear maps equipped with the operator norm, is continuous at .
If is linear, thenConsequently at every . The derivative is a constant function of , hence is continuous, so every linear map is continuously differentiable everywhere.
The mean value inequality says that if the line segment lies in andthenTo prove it, put . The claim is immediate if . Otherwise set and apply the one-dimensional mean value theorem to the real-valued functionFor some , the chain rule givesas required.
Now suppose that is open and connected and that for every . Every point has an open ball contained in . The mean value inequality with shows that is constant on each such ball, so is locally constant. Fix . The level setis nonempty and open in ; its complement is also open because is locally constant. Since is connected, . This proves the zero derivative on a connected open set result: is constant.
The inverse function theorem states that if is continuously differentiable, , and is an invertible linear map, then there are open neighbourhoods of and of such that is a bijection whose inverse is continuously differentiable.
For the curve in the question, define the continuously differentiable functionThenThe implicit function theorem, which follows from the inverse function theorem applied to , therefore gives an open interval containing , an open neighbourhood of , and a continuously differentiable, hence continuous, function such that
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 22F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let be a Cauchy sequence in this norm. For each ,so is Cauchy in the scalar field. Define . Passing to limits in the linearity identities shows that is linear.
A norm-Cauchy sequence is bounded, say . Hence , so . Given , choose such that for . Letting givesfor every , and therefore . Thus in operator norm, proving completeness of the dual space: is Banach.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 4 40C b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Differentiate the eigenvalue equationat , where . Suppressing the argument givesLeft-multiplication by the transpose of the unit left eigenvector and use of cancel the terms involving :Because the eigenvalue is simple, , and hence the first-order perturbation of a simple eigenvalue isThe definition of the operator norm, followed by the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, givesTherefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 318 3 b Solution 2026-09-25
Write the interpolating spline asThe interpolation equations are , where , soThe B-splines are nonnegative and form a partition of unity on the spline interval. ConsequentlyTaking the supremum over and then over proves the operator norm bound
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 324 3 a Solution 2026-09-25
The spectral norm of an operator is the induced operator normEvery Pauli X gate is unitary, so . The triangle inequality for the norm therefore givesIn fact equality holds, as the product of eigenvectors of the has eigenvalue under .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 343 3 a Solution 2026-09-28
Letwhere the two signs describe the Heisenberg antiferromagnet and Heisenberg ferromagnet. A standard Lieb-Robinson bound is obtained by iterating the Heisenberg picture equation and bounding nested commutators by operator norms. Its constants depend on the interaction only through quantities such asChanging to changes neither the supports nor the norms . Every term in the nested-commutator estimate acquires at most an irrelevant sign before its absolute value is taken. Therefore both chains obey exactly the same estimatewith the same , and Lieb-Robinson velocity . No unitary equivalence of the two Hamiltonians is required.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 106 2 c iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Start with the sequence from part ii. For each , the definition of the operator norm gives withBecause , pass recursively to a subsequence so far out that its th member also satisfies
Part b supplies a weakly Cauchy subsequence . PutThen is weakly null, , and the two preceding estimates giveSince , discard finitely many terms to obtain for every remaining . Relabelling proves the claim.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 106 3 b ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 210 3 Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
A linear estimator in nonparametric regression at has the form , where the weights may depend on the design, , , , and , but not on the responses. Putand define the local polynomial Gram matrixWhen , the weighted least squares normal equations have the unique solutionTherefore , where the effective kernel weight is
The identityshows that these weights exactly reproduce at every multivariate polynomial of total degree at most . This is the required polynomial reproduction property of local polynomial regression.
Only grid points with have nonzero weight. There are at most such points because . On this support,so the operator norm bound givesBecause the errors are independent random variables with the stated variance bounds,Thus .
Let be the Multivariate Taylor polynomial of at through total degree . The assumed Hölder continuity of the derivatives andgive the Taylor remainder boundPolynomial reproduction cancels in the bias. The same support count and weight bound giveConsequentlyso .
Positive contraction Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-06
A positive contraction is a positive operator whose operator norm is at most one. Its spectrum lies in , so the spectral theorem for normal operators gives . Positive contractions are the effects in a POVM and occur in the pure-state gentle measurement bound.
Power Caccioppoli inequality Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-06
For a nonnegative bounded weak subsolution and , test with . Uniform ellipticity and Cauchy-Schwarz inequality give , with an operator norm bound for the coefficient matrix. The Sobolev chain rule and justify fractional powers and zero values. An entrywise bound yields .
PPT maximally entangled overlap bound 2026-10-06
Every density operator with positive partial transpose has squared quantum fidelity at most with a fixed maximally entangled state on . The partial transpose of a maximally entangled projector and the trace-adjoint identity for partial transpose express that squared overlap as . Since is positive of trace one and the swap operator has operator norm one, trace duality gives the bound. A matching product state attains equality.
Product mixing in a quasirandom group 2026-10-06
For an -quasirandom group, uniform expectations, and the normalized convolution on a finite group, a scalar mean-zero function satisfiesThe Fourier analysis on a finite group proof bounds each nontrivial matrix component of in operator norm using its weighted Hilbert-Schmidt norm. For subsets of subset density values , the error in their normalized product count is at most . In particular guarantees a solution of in the three subsets.
Independent verifier circuits on witness registers induce a threshold acceptance effect built from tensor products of and , where is the quantum verifier acceptance operator. In a product eigenbasis of , the effect's eigenvalues are threshold probabilities for independent Bernoulli random variables with parameters given by the selected eigenvalues of . Bounding every parameter on a NO instance bounds the effect's operator norm, even if the actual submitted witness is entangled. Independence is used only for the spectral calculation, not assumed for the witness.