Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 ia Paper 2 11F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 ia Paper 2 9F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2011 ii Paper 3 26J ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 ia Paper 2 11F iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
For , substitute in the probability generating function. The moment-generating function of isThe domain follows from convergence of the generating series; at or above that positive threshold the expectation diverges, even though a rational continuation can be written.
Conditioning on survival, the probability mass function from part (ii) becomes a positive-integer geometric distribution:Its conditional moment-generating function is , tending to for fixed . We can prove the required limit directly, without invoking a continuity theorem. Set . For every , the strict upper tail is exactlySince and ,At both tails equal one. This is the exponential limit of surviving geometric branching. Conditioning is essential: the unconditional variable has probability of being zero, whereas the rare surviving population has size of order .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 ia Paper 2 11F ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
The geometric family law on the nonnegative integers has probability generating functionIts expected value is , so this is a geometric-offspring critical branching process. Starting from , verify the rational iterate by induction. If , thenwhich has the same form with replaced by . Thus, for ,The stated disk is the actual power-series convergence domain, not merely a place where the rational continuation can be evaluated. Its simple pole is at .
The extinction probability at generation is the constant coefficient:For later use, expanding the remaining geometric series givesIn particular . At the initial population is one deterministically; its PGF is , and the displayed radius involving is used only for .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 ia Paper 2 11F i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
For a Galton-Watson process, condition on the number of children of the initial individual. The descendants of these children over the next generations are independent copies of . The probability generating function of their total, conditional on , is . Averaging over the family-size law givesThis is the branching-process generating-function iteration. Conditioning instead on the last generation gives ; both orders agree because is the th iterate of the same function . The argument holds on the usual PGF domain , with larger domains available when the corresponding expectations converge.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 ia Paper 2 4F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
For a nonnegative integer-valued random variable, the probability generating function iswith always allowed. Its derivative at from below gives the expectation when finite.
The waiting time has the positive-integer geometric distribution . For the capped geometric waiting time, exactly when , while occurs whenever . Thus the terminal mass is , givingThe finite sum is a polynomial; any apparent singularity of the rational expression is removable. This includes , where .
Differentiating the rational form at yieldsAs a second interpretation, the expectation is the sum of the tail probabilities for . Their finite geometric sum gives the same answer.