Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / iii / Paper 331 / 1 / b / ii / Solution

Choose $a=1/2$ in the power-transformed Taylor–Goldstein energy identity and let $Q=N^2-(U^{\prime }{)}^2/4$. The result isBecause $\mathrm{Im}V=-c_i$ and $\mathrm{Im}(1/V)=c_i/|V{|}^2$, its imaginary part givesIf $4N^2>(U^{\prime }{)}^2$ everywhere, the integral is strictly positive for every nonzero eigenfunction, so a mode with $c_i\ne 0$ is impossible. Thus the flow is neutrally stable to these inviscid normal modes. This is the Miles–Howard theorem, expressed as a lower bound $\mathrm{Ri}>1/4$ on the gradient Richardson number. It excludes exponential modal growth; it does not by itself exclude transient growth.