Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 29 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Write . The authoritative PDF has exponent ; the geometric-series exponent in the converted TeX is a transcription error. On the unit disk this Fredholm series satisfiesFirst it is transcendental as a function. If , the terms with in are the positive terms and their sum tends to infinity as ; the finite preceding sum stays bounded. Thus every root of unity of -power order is a singularity. These roots are dense on the unit circle. An algebraic function has only finitely many possible branch points or poles, as seen from its defining polynomial's leading coefficient and discriminant. Hence cannot be algebraic over .
Suppose now that is algebraic, , and is algebraic. For a positive integer , a polynomial , nonzero and of degree at most in each variable, can be chosen so thatIndeed the first Taylor coefficients impose homogeneous integer equations on coefficients. There is a nonzero rational solution, which can be cleared to an integer one. Functional transcendence ensures is not identically zero.
Iterating the functional equation givesThus belongs to the fixed field and is nonzero for all sufficiently large , since a nonzero analytic has no sufficiently small nonzero zeros. Its analytic upper bound isChoose an integer making algebraic integers, let , and choose bounding every conjugate of and . Then and are algebraic integers. ThereforeFor every embedding of , the coefficient sum bounds the polynomial and givesTaking the norm of the nonzero integral yields a nonzero rational integer, of absolute value at least one. ConsequentlyOn the other hand the upper bound is , where . Choose so large that , possible because . Letting contradicts the two bounds. This proves, by the Mahler method, at every algebraic .
For the shorter rational-approximation argument at , truncate after and write with . The numerator is odd because its last summand is one and all previous summands are even, so this fraction is reduced. The tail satisfiesThe value is irrational: if it were , the positive difference from a truncation would be at least , contradicting the tail bound for large . If it were algebraic irrational and , choose . Eventually the displayed upper bound is below for infinitely many reduced fractions. The Roth theorem says that an algebraic irrational admits only finitely many such approximations. This contradiction proves transcendence directly. The argument does not cover , because its exponent is not strictly larger than two; the Mahler proof does cover that case.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 29 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The Gelfond–Schneider theorem says that if is algebraic and is algebraic irrational, every number with is transcendental. Thus the statement includes every determination of the power, not merely a chosen principal branch.
Here is an auxiliary-function outline with the arithmetic and analytic steps specified. Assume were algebraic, and put , . For a large integer , choose degrees and , with constants large enough that . Apply Siegel lemma to imposeon a nonzero polynomial of these two degrees. Each field equation gives at most rational equations. Clearing denominators and bounding conjugates gives equation-coefficient logarithmic size ; the surplus of variables therefore permits coefficient height with
The entire function is nonzero: its polynomial-exponential terms have distinct exponents , and their independence follows by the differential-operator argument in question 2. Here . Its maximum modulus satisfies . The grid points are distinct because is irrational, and lie in a disk of radius .
Suppose the vanishing grid has been extended to , for some . Divide by the product of its known linear zero factors and use the maximum principle on a disk of radius , with large and fixed. At a point of the doubled grid, the quotient estimate givesif the value is nonzero. But this value equals the algebraic number . Clearing its denominators and taking its norm gives the opposite boundFor sufficiently large initial , the terms on the right are uniformly for every : and . Thus every doubled-grid value must be zero. Iterating doubles the grid indefinitely. This supplies quadratically many distinct zeros in disks of linearly growing radius, whereas Jensen's formula and the exponential-polynomial growth bound allow only zeros for a nonzero . The contradiction proves the theorem. This is the Schneider lattice proof of the Gelfond–Schneider theorem.
Now fix any logarithms of algebraic . Their values are nonzero. If were algebraic irrational, then would be algebraic, contradicting the theorem with base . HenceFor arbitrarily many logarithms the qualitative Baker theorem on algebraic linear combinations of logarithms states that logarithms of algebraic numbers which are linearly independent over remain independent over , even after adjoining one to the list. Equivalently a nonzero homogeneous algebraic-coefficient linear combination of such logarithms is transcendental. Rational relations are therefore the only source of homogeneous algebraic relations among the chosen logarithms.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 30 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For a profinite abelian group , its Iwasawa algebra is the completed group algebrawhere runs over open subgroups. The transition map sums the coefficients over the fibers of when . Consequently an element gives compatible values on cosets, equivalently a finitely additive -valued p-adic measure on the clopen sets of . Conversely these values specify every finite-quotient coefficient. Integration of a continuous function with values in is obtained by uniform approximation by locally constant functions; the integrals converge because all measure values have -adic absolute value at most . Multiplication in the Iwasawa algebra becomes convolution of p-adic measures. This is its measure realization of an Iwasawa algebra.
The Mahler theorem states that each continuous function has the unique expansion converging in the sense of uniform convergenceIts Mahler coefficients areand . The same assertion holds for continuous functions with values in with coefficients in .
Given , define the bounded linear functionalThe sum converges because and . Its values on indicator functions of clopen sets give a p-adic measure, denoted , withConversely, a p-adic measure determines these coefficients , and continuity allows termwise integration of every Mahler expansion. Thus the inverse iswhich is the Amice transform. These two constructions are inverse, proving the canonical bijection . In fact it is an isomorphism of rings: the identity identifies convolution of p-adic measures with multiplication of formal power series. For example, and , where is the Dirac measure at .
For the moment identity, let denote a Stirling number of the second kind. The finite polynomial identitygives . On the other hand, satisfies for every nonnegative integer . Expanding and evaluating at yieldsComparison in the basis of binomial polynomials gives . Terms with have zero constant term after at most differentiations, so no infinite-series interchange is needed. ThereforeThe case says that the total mass is .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 30 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The preceding constructions lead to the Iwasawa theorem on local cyclotomic units. Its significance is that an explicitly calculated local unit quotient is governed by a p-adic L-function; class field theory then suggests that the same analytic object should govern global arithmetic. The latter prediction is the Iwasawa main conjecture, rather than a consequence of the local calculation alone.
Fix compatible roots of unity and put , . Let be the norm limit of the local principal units. Take its even part under complex conjugation to obtain , the local principal-unit limit in the real tower. Let be the closed subgroup generated by norm-compatible real cyclotomic units, with their finite-order residue factors removed. WriteHere the last map is augmentation. Normalize the p-adic zeta pseudomeasure byThe expression is well defined on for even . A pseudomeasure lies in the total fraction ring of the Iwasawa algebra; the pole on its trivial finite-character component is removed by the augmentation ideal, so . In this normalization the local theorem isThe following steps outline its proof and explain where the earlier questions enter.
First encode local units by Coleman power series. Evaluation at is surjective from to , and the product defining the Coleman norm operator givesThus norm-fixed series give norm-compatible sequences of local units. Conversely, lift from such a sequence to and take , where . This has . The estimates in Question 2 give . Consequently for fixed , the series differs from modulo and its value at is . The compactness of in the coarser of the topologies on integral formal power series supplies a convergent subsequence. Continuity of the Coleman norm operator and of evaluation shows that its limit is norm-fixed and takes every value . It is a unit because the original principal units have residue . Uniqueness follows from the Weierstrass preparation theorem: a nonzero series in has only finitely many zeros in the open unit disk, whereas the distinct give infinitely many interpolation points. This constructs the Coleman power series .
Next turn its multiplicative information into an integral p-adic measure. For a norm-fixed unit , use the Frobenius-corrected logarithmThe ratio belongs to by reduction modulo , and the logarithm divided by is integral because is odd. Equivalently , interpreting the constant coefficient with the p-adic logarithm on units. The averaging identity for the logarithm is understood on the open -adic unit disk, where the translated logarithmic series converge; the corrected result itself lies in . The logarithmic product formula and Question 1 giveUnder the Amice transform, the root-of-unity average projects a p-adic measure onto its restriction to : the averaged factor survives exactly for . Consequently says that is supported on . This gives a Galois group-equivariant homomorphism from local principal units to the Iwasawa algebra of .
The integral lifting step in this proof is the Coleman unit-measure exact sequenceHere . The last map is surjective, since , and it has the cyclotomic action on its target. Its composition with is zero: implies . The kernel on the unit side consists of norm-compatible -power roots of unity. To see the shape of the kernel, write ; the equation becomes for , so only its linear term can survive. Integral solutions are , , after excluding finite residue factors by the principal unit condition. For the image, use the following explicit integral lifting of the corrected cyclotomic logarithm.
Take a p-adic measure on the units with first moment zero, and write for its Amice transform. Then and . Put and solve with . The constant equation is solved by . In degree one the terms involving cancel, and the remaining condition is , exactly ; choose any . For , after fixing the lower coefficients, the coefficient multiplying the unknown isThe other terms are divisible by : for the already integral truncated series, , while . Division therefore gives an integral , since and are units. Recursion constructs with . Now , and by Question 2. The p-adic logarithm is injective there, so . This supplies the desired Coleman power series of a norm-compatible sequence of local units. The freely chosen linear coefficient accounts precisely for the kernel . It proves the integral surjectivity step, including the integrality that rational inversion of would leave unproved.
Complex conjugation acts by on both copies of . As is odd, taking the even part is exact and removes both end terms. It follows that . The integral exact sequence is essential here: the support calculation alone would not prove this isomorphism.
It remains to calculate the image of the cyclotomic units. For , consider the symmetric cyclotomic unit seriesThe quotient has an invertible constant term , because both numerator and denominator have a simple zero at . The factor makes the expression unchanged under . The product over the roots of unity gives ; one may verify this first for integer prime to and then extend by continuity. Dividing by the norm-compatible Teichmuller representative makes the series correspond to principal units and does not change its logarithm. The generating function for the Bernoulli numbers, with , givesThe symmetric factor cancels the linear term. Applying , and then the moment formula of Question 3, yieldsfor even . These moments determine an even p-adic measure on the units: polynomials are dense by the Mahler theorem, even projection preserves density, and multiplication by is invertible on the units, so the positive even-degree polynomials are dense there as well. ThusThe closed ideal generated by all differences is . The closed subgroup generated by the corresponding cyclotomic units, including its Galois group translates, therefore has image exactly . Taking the quotient of the isomorphism proves the boxed local theorem.
Finally introduce global arithmetic. Let be the closure of norm-compatible global units in the real tower, let be its p-ramified Iwasawa module, and let be its unramified Iwasawa module. With compatible unit and splitting conventions, class field theory gives the class-field unit sequence; quotienting its unit terms by givesIn the cyclotomic tower the prime above is principal, so the unramified class-field convention also makes it split. On the torsion character components, multiplicativity of characteristic ideals impliesThe local theorem has already calculated the first factor analytically. Equality of the global unit and class-group factors would therefore identify the characteristic ideal of with the same ideal of the p-adic L-function. That is the content predicted by the Iwasawa main conjecture. More explicitly, for a nontrivial even finite character , the character component of is the whole component and the prediction isHere is the power-series algebra of the pro- part with coefficients in the character-value ring. The trivial component requires the augmentation correction for the zeta pole. Equivalently the characteristic ideals of and agree componentwise. A formulation using odd class-group characters must include the appropriate cyclotomic twist and inversion, as in Kummer reflection in Iwasawa theory. The motivation is an analytic formula for local units together with a global class-field exact sequence; the global equality is the additional arithmetic assertion.
The related class-number growth theorem illustrates why passage to an Iwasawa module is powerful. For the cyclotomic -extension, let be the -part of the class number at level . The unramified Iwasawa torsion theorem, the Iwasawa module structure theorem and the class-group control relations give, for sufficiently large ,Here are the Iwasawa invariants. To see the two growth terms, use a topological generator and, after a fixed sufficiently high level , the norm polynomial . An elementary summand contributes to the length of its quotient by this polynomial. A summand associated with a distinguished polynomial of degree contributes plus a constant: at each root the valuation of the norm polynomial is plus a fixed constant for large . If is a root of unity already killed at level , its value is instead exactly and gives the same linear contribution. The finite errors in the structure and control maps stabilize and contribute to . Thus module structure explains growth, while the Iwasawa main conjecture goes further by identifying the characteristic series of an Iwasawa module themselves with analytic ones.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 31 2 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For , the quadratic Hilbert symbol is one if is a field norm from , and minus one otherwise; a square gives the trivial extension and symbol one. It depends only on the two square classes. Equivalently, the conic has a nonzero rational point precisely when the symbol is one. Interchanging and in the conic gives . The Hilbert norm residue symbol is a group homomorphism in each argument; for nonsquare , the cyclic local norm index makes its group kernel a subgroup of index two. The resulting pairing on square classes is nondegenerate. Alsosince . In the language of local class field theory, ; in the Brauer group, it records whether the quaternion cyclic algebra splits. These are compatible norm-obstruction descriptions.
An unramified extension of local fields of degree two has norm group consisting precisely of elements with even valuation. Indeed,and the norms on units are surjective. For the latter assertion, the norm on the finite residue fields is surjective. On successive higher principal-unit groups, the congruenceallows one to correct a proposed unit norm one digit at a time: the residue field trace is surjective, and completeness makes the corrections converge. An unramified quadratic field is unique up to isomorphism. Therefore, if is its defining nonsquare class,
For odd , choose the nonsquare unit from part (i). The polynomial has irreducible separable reduction, so it defines the unramified quadratic extension. ThusThe trivial class is included in , since a degree-one extension is unramified. The two units pair trivially, while . Any class outside has odd valuation and consequently pairs nontrivially with . This proves directly
For , the unit square classes from part (i) give . The element satisfies ; its reduction is irreducible and separable over . This shows that is unramified of degree two, givingFor a fully explicit pairing check, use the generators . We have and , since and from . But : a norm equal to would be a sum of two squares. If either summand had negative valuation, the sum would have negative valuation (equal negative valuations give valuation ); if both were integral, their squares could not sum to . Finally, the unramified norm criterion gives . The identity and determine the remaining entries. Writing , the exponent matrix isFor , annihilating both generators of requires , so . Annihilating alone requires , so is a unit class. HenceThese are the Hilbert-symbol annihilators of units and unramified square classes. Annihilators here are taken with respect to this pairing, or equivalently in the character group of a finite abelian group after identifying square classes with their Hilbert-symbol characters.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 31 2 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A useful strong form of the Hensel lemma is the following. Let be a complete discretely valued field, with valuation ring , normalized valuation , and . If satisfiesthen there is a unique root in the ball . When the assertion is immediate; otherwise the condition includes .
Here is a proof by Newton iteration over a valued field. Write and , and setSuppose and . The correction has valuation , so . Taylor expansion over cancels the linear term and givesThus the derivative still has valuation , and . Unless an exact root is reached earlier, the corrections tend to zero with exponentially increasing valuations. Completeness gives , and continuity gives and . For uniqueness, if are in this ball, polynomial expansion around givesThe second factor has valuation exactly and is nonzero, so two roots in the ball must be equal. In particular, a simple residue root lifts uniquely: and satisfy the hypothesis.
For the square-class group of a p-adic field, write every element as with . Multiplication by a square changes by an even integer, so valuation parity gives one independent factor .
For odd , a unit is a square if and only if its residue is a square in . Necessity follows by reduction; sufficiency applies the simple-root Hensel lemma to , whose derivative is a unit at a nonzero residue root. The cyclic group has square subgroup of index two. If is a unit with nonsquare residue, thenFor , every odd square is one modulo eight. Conversely, if , take and . Then , so the strong Hensel lemma gives a square root. Thus unit square classes are exactly their residues modulo eight. The classes and generate this group of order four independently, and valuation parity supplies the class . Hence
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 37 2 b i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The coefficient matrix in the computational orthonormal bases, with Alice's index labelling rows, isSince the entries are real, the reduced density matrices areBoth have trace one and determinant . Their characteristic polynomial is , so the nonzero eigenvalues areBoth are positive. Thus the Schmidt rank, or the Schmidt number of this pure state, isIf “Schmidt numbers” denotes the individual positive Schmidt coefficients instead, those areTheir squares are ; giving both the Schmidt rank and the Schmidt coefficients removes this terminology ambiguity. The pure state is entangled because its Schmidt rank exceeds one.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 43 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For the Poisson process of claims and relative safety loading , the premium rate in the classical risk model is . Dividing the adjustment coefficient equation by explains why the arrival rate cancels. Interpret as the upper endpoint of the finite moment-generating function domain, so for and its stated divergence occurs at that endpoint.
Set . ThenDifferentiation is valid inside the finite-transform domain, and its positive neighbourhood gives finite moments of every order. Thus is strictly convex and negative just to the right of zero. If , divergence of makes at the endpoint. If , choose with ; then , which eventually exceeds every linear function. Again . The intermediate value theorem gives a positive zero.
There is at most one positive zero: strict convexity and make the secant slope strictly increasing for . It starts at and crosses zero exactly once. HenceThis proves the secant-slope existence criterion for an adjustment coefficient in the present setting.
Put . For , the positive remainder of the exponential series gives . Apply it to and take expectations:Dividing by yieldsKeeping the cubic term similarly givesThe polynomial is strictly increasing for , is negative at zero and tends to infinity. Let be its unique positive zero. The last inequality says , soFinally, , whence . Monotonicity gives . Thus the requested upper bounds can in fact be sharpened to the strict ordering . The bounds themselves need not lie in the finite-transform domain; the argument only evaluates the actual transform at and polynomial moments elsewhere. These are polynomial moment bounds for the adjustment coefficient.
For rate- exponential distribution claims,The positive root satisfies after dividing out , soThe cubic-bound equation reduces to , selecting the displayed positive root. In particular , as required by the transform domain, for every .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 47 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Let . The causality root criterion for an autoregressive model,is a sufficient condition for a weakly stationary process solution, and gives the causal solution . Indeed is analytic in a disk of radius greater than one, so its Taylor coefficients decay geometrically. The series therefore has mean-square convergence and defines a linear filter of a stationary time series; multiplying by verifies the equation.
For the specified order-two model, put . Since ,When , its roots are and . Both have modulus greater than one exactly when . The case is white noise and satisfies the same inequality. ConsequentlyThis is the causal stationarity condition selected above. Without causality, a two-sided autoregressive model can also have a noncausal stationary autoregression when its polynomial has no unit-circle zeros. Thus the inequality is not a necessary condition for all conceivable weak stationarity solutions; the causal interpretation is the one required by the subsequent innovations and forecasting questions.
To find the Wold representation, expand . Matching coefficients gives , and . HenceHere are the Fibonacci numbers. The coefficient formula also follows by partial fractions in the displayed factorization. Absolute summability follows from and . The past observation span equals the past noise span, because the causal series gives one inclusion and gives the reverse inclusion. Thus these noises are the linear innovations, and there is no additional deterministic component. This is the Fibonacci-coefficient autoregression.
The best linear prediction from an infinite past is the orthogonal projection onto the closed span of . Future white noise is orthogonal to that span. Substitution in the recursion therefore givesThe respective errors are and , so their mean squared errors are and . No normal distribution assumption is needed for these linear forecasts.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 6 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
We construct the finite evaluation representation explicitly by Lagrange interpolation. This supplies all the polynomial facts needed for the bound.
Define the Chebyshev polynomial by andInduction shows that has degree ; the cosine addition identity also proves . Therefore , and follows from the recurrence. The case is immediate, since both and are constant.
For , choose the descending extremal nodesso . Define the fundamental interpolation polynomialsThey satisfy . Consequentlyfor every polynomial of degree at most : the difference has degree at most and vanishes at the distinct nodes, so it is zero. The root count used here follows by successively factoring from a polynomial having such a root; a nonzero degree- polynomial cannot have more than distinct roots. Thus the interpolation identity has been proved.
If , every numerator factor in is positive, while exactly denominator factors are negative. Hence . Applying interpolation to itself givesPutting in the interpolation formula yieldsFor , apply the proved positive-side inequality to at , and use the parity identity. The result isThis is sharp, with equality for or its scalar multiples.
In functional terms, the evaluation map on the normed polynomial space has : the inequality gives the upper bound and attains it. For , its normalized version has the exact representationThus Chebyshev interpolation represents external evaluation using nodes. The necessary finite representation and its norm are derived directly, so no convex-hull theorem is being invoked without proof.