Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ii Paper 1 8B Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2011 ia Paper 2 8A b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 7E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
After division by , the coefficients are and . At , and are analytic functions, so is a regular singular point. Its indicial equation is . There are no other finite singular points of a differential equation. At infinity the regular singular point criterion for a second-order equation would require , but ; hence infinity is an irregular singular point.
Substituting reduces the equation to , soA linearly independent pair is and . Their Wronskian is . The second has a removable singularity at and value , whereas the first has a simple pole, agreeing with the two characteristic exponents at a regular singular point, . The integer difference does not require a logarithm. At infinity has an essential singularity, consistent with the irregular singular point; the existence of the simpler solution does not make infinity regular.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 ia Paper 2 5A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For is an ordinary point when and are analytic there, and a singular point otherwise. A singular point is regular singular when and are analytic there. These are the ordinary-point and regular-singular criteria.
For Kummer's equation, substituteEquating the coefficient of givesTaking ,where is the rising factorial. Thus
Putting and simplifying givesThereforeFor nonintegral , the powers and at zero are distinct, so these solutions are linearly independent.
When , both solutions tend to . Differentiate their difference with respect to . Writing for derivatives with respect to the second and third arguments,Hence at one may takeas two linearly independent solutions. Their independence follows from the logarithmic term in the second solution.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 ii Paper 2 7E a ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ia Paper 2 5C a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For a normalized equation is an ordinary point when are analytic there. It is a regular singular point when and are analytic there. These are the ordinary point criterion for a second-order equation and regular singular point criterion for a second-order equation.
Hereso is regular singular. Seek a power-series solution of a differential equationEquating the coefficient of givesand henceThereforeThe series terminates exactly when is a nonnegative integer: the factor with then makes . Thus the polynomial solutions occur for
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 4 31E i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 4 7E Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The Papperitz symboldescribes the two-dimensional solution space of a second-order homogeneous Fuchsian differential equation on the Riemann sphere with exactly three regular singular points . Near , its two independent Frobenius behaviours are locallysubject to logarithmic modifications in resonant cases. The six characteristic exponents obey the Fuchs relation
For the Gauss hypergeometric equation, the exponents at infinity are and . Put . Transforming the Papperitz symbol from to shows thatandare local solutions near , with respective leading behaviours and . When , these behaviours are distinct and the two solutions are linearly independent. They therefore form a basis of the solution space on any simply connected common domain with compatible branch choices.
The solution normalized at zero can be analytically continued into that domain. Since it solves the same second-order equation, it must be a constant linear combination of the basis at infinity:The constants depend on and the branch convention, but not on . This is the hypergeometric connection formula at infinity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 14E i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
After division by , the coefficient functions areBoth and are analytic at zero, so the regular singular point criterion for a second-order equation shows that is regular singular. Substitution of into the leading terms gives the indicial equationThe exponent is repeated. Directly substituting givesThus determines the entire power series, so there is only one such solution up to scale. The logarithmic solution from a repeated Frobenius exponent predictsso its leading nonanalytic term is proportional to .
For the contour ansatz, differentiation under the integral and one integration by parts giveThe integral vanishes whenwhose solution is the Laguerre contour-integral amplitudeThe contour and branches must make single-valued along the traversed path and must kill the endpoint term
Now suppose is nonintegral. Near , is integrable and the endpoint factor is . We may therefore choosea finite loop based at the branch point and avoiding except by encirclement. A second choice isalong one bank of the negative real axis, with a consistent branch. At , kills the algebraic endpoint factor because .
The integral is analytic in because its contour is finite, and it is a nonzero solution. By uniqueness of the analytic local solution, it is a constant multiple of . This is the Finite Laguerre contour solution construction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 3 7E Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
Fora finite point is an ordinary point exactly when and are holomorphic there. It is a regular singular point exactly whenare holomorphic at .
Put and . Direct differentiation givesso the transformed equation isConsequently is ordinary precisely whenare holomorphic at . It is a regular singular point at infinity precisely when and are holomorphic functions of near infinity.
If zero and infinity are regular singular and every nonzero finite point is ordinary, the Laurent series of and can contain only the terms compatible with both endpoint bounds. Hencefor constants . The equation is a Cauchy-Euler differential equation. Its indicial equation isFor distinct roots , the general solution on a domain with a chosen logarithm branch isFor a repeated root , the general solution of an Euler-Cauchy equation is
Finally require infinity to be ordinary. In the transformed equation its coefficients becomeBoth are holomorphic at zero exactly when and . Thus the further restriction is