Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ia Paper 4 11C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2008 ia Paper 4 3B Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 59 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Validity and the complete angular equation. The Lagrange planetary equations here describe a planar, circular-planet, small-orbital eccentricity, weakly perturbed exterior mean-motion resonance. Require , , one isolated slowly varying resonant argument, perturbation times long compared with an orbital period, and no close planetary encounters. Other resonant harmonics and short-period terms must be negligible; coefficients may be frozen only across a narrow range of semi-major axis. Take , or in a reduced integer ratio. Exactly makes the longitude of periapsis undefined, so the displayed angular variables must then be replaced by nonsingular eccentricity vector components.
Neglecting the perturbation to the accumulated mean longitude gives ; this is an accumulated-phase approximation, not differentiation of a fictitious expression while discarding . With ,Differentiating, using and the supplied orbital element equations, gives the full result within this constant-coefficient model:An equivalent formula replaces the last two terms in brackets by . No derivatives of are included because they were specified as constants.
A full fixed point requires and . Hence or , with its corresponding detuned semi-major axis fixed byAt either point . The longitude of periapsis still precesses, so the fixed point refers to the reduced resonant dynamics.
Linear stability analysis and encounter geometry. Linearizing the full equation about a fixed point givesFor , is a center equilibrium and zero is a saddle equilibrium. For , is always a center equilibrium, while zero is a saddle equilibrium ifAt sufficiently small orbital eccentricity the full truncated equations instead admit a center at zero as well; equality is a degenerate case requiring higher-order analysis. Thus an unconditional instability claim at zero does not follow from the full equation. In the usual fixed-eccentricity weak-resonance regime the inequality holds and the stable libration center is for either order.
The physical explanation is resonance protection. At equal mean longitudes, the conjunction direction relative to periapsis obeys modulo . For , places conjunction near periapsis, where the exterior particle comes closest to the planet; places it near apoapsis. For , zero includes both apsidal conjunctions, one of them near periapsis, whereas places the two conjunction branches near quadrature. The protected arrangements give restoring kicks in the positive- leading-harmonic model. This geometric explanation is conditional on its non-crossing, small-orbital eccentricity approximation; it does not override the low- term retained in the full stability calculation.
Small resonant-argument librations. Define the nominal resonant semi-major axis and the displaced center byThis follows by expanding and taking . It gives the requested initial semi-major axis to first order in the precession-induced detuning; and .
For the pendulum approximation of a mean-motion resonance, also require fractional changes in small across a libration, and precession terms small compared with . In particular for makes the extra full-equation curvature negligible; for , small fractional eccentricity changes require . Freeze in the leading restoring coefficient and setThen obeys simple harmonic motion. Using , and integrating the remaining Lagrange planetary equations givesThe omitted apsidal modulation comes from higher perturbative orders and . All expressions are leading resonant approximations, valid while the omitted fractional changes remain small. The small-libration phase portrait iswith period . The semi-major axis half-width is and the orbital eccentricity half-width is .
Dividing the original and equations gives the exact invariant of their retained terms,Thus the – plot is a segment of this increasing curve traversed back and forth, not a closed ellipse. Locally its slope is .
Finite amplitude and the separatrix. Keep the same weak-resonance approximation but allow to be finite. The leading angular equation is , or . Multiplication by givesThis resonant pendulum energy is constant in the pendulum approximation of a mean-motion resonance. It is not an exact integral of the earlier full equation when and its restoring coefficient vary: the term alone prevents that conclusion in general.
For the phase portrait has closed libration curves around , withwhere is the complete elliptic integral of the first kind. The largest speed is and the leading semi-major axis half-width is . As , the energy approaches , the separatrix through the saddles at zero and ; the particle spends increasingly long intervals near those saddles. With ,At exactly , , the particle stays at the unstable fixed point in the ideal model. Nonstationary separatrix trajectories approach the saddle only in infinite time; above separatrix energy, the resonant argument circulates and resonance protection is lost. These distinctions matter when describing the limiting motion.
Resonant pendulum libration curves, separatrix and circulation, with the eccentricity versus semimajor-axis invariant
. Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ii Paper 4 33A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the Minkowski metric with signature . The source point is the intersection of the worldline with the observation event's past light cone: and . In components this is with . For a timelike worldline the retarded solution is unique in the usual complete-source setting.
Writing , and gives . Thus the Lienard-Wiechert potentials are and . At leading order in and first order in , set and expand the denominator:
Now use and let . Derivatives of and give near-field terms of order ; the radiation terms come from and . The electric field and magnetic field are thereforeThey are transverse to the observation direction. The Poynting vector isIntegrating over a sphere uses , yielding the nonrelativistic Larmor formula . For simple harmonic motion, , whose period average is . Multiplication by the period givesThis is the leading radiation energy in the nonrelativistic and far-field approximation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 4 11A b iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
For nonzero , the equilibrium points satisfy . The equilibrium point is stable: it puts the bead at the point farthest from the rotation axis. Writing small in the tangential ordinary differential equation givesThus the small oscillation is simple harmonic motion, with angular frequency and ordinary frequency .
The endpoints represent the same rim point . A perturbation there instead satisfies and is unstable. Equivalently, the centrifugal potential along the hoop is , whose minimum is at zero and maximum at . If , every bead position with zero relative velocity is an equilibrium point, but perturbing that velocity produces unrestored drift; there is no nonzero restoring frequency.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ia Paper 4 10A b iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Taking the gradient of the quadratic potential energy found in part (ii) resolves the linearized force into identical and components:Each component therefore performs simple harmonic motion withThus the angular frequency is
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 3 36E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The electric-dipole approximation for radiation requires the source size to be much smaller than the radiation wavelength:The displayed fields also describe the radiation zone, so the observation point must satisfy and .
Write . The given vector potential and the time derivative of the electric dipole moment giveWhen taking the curl, differentiating produces a near-field term of order , while differentiating the retarded time produces the leading radiation term because . Hence
The assumed electric field and the transversality make the Poynting vectorOn a sphere of radius , the power through surface element is thereforeChoose the polar axis along and use the angular distribution of electric dipole radiation, for which . Since ,
For the charged particle in simple harmonic motion,ThusHere the angular frequency obeys , and the average uses . The dipole condition is
Allow the amplitude to vary slowly as radiation removes energy. The mechanical energy isso the radiation damping of a harmonically oscillating charge givesThis is exponential decay with rate . Its half-life isFinally, the largest particle speed is . Therefore the dipole condition itself implies , precisely the nonrelativistic limit required by the mechanical energy formula.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ia Paper 4 9C c iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For , linearization givesThe leading motion is simple harmonic motion with angular frequencyWith and ,and its period is
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ib Paper 1 14B e Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Writing andthe supplied identities giveUsing in part (d),The peak executes simple harmonic motion about the origin with angular frequency and amplitude .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ib Paper 3 16C b v Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Equating the two linearized expressions for from parts (iii) and (iv) givesThis is the equation of simple harmonic motion. Thus the bubble performs small oscillations with angular frequencyThis is the small oscillation of a planar gas bubble in an annular liquid.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 4 15D Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
A transformation of phase space is canonical when it preserves the symplectic form, or equivalently all Poisson brackets. For one degree of freedom this isequivalently .
Suppose a type-two generating function for a canonical transformation definesThenEquality of the mixed partial derivatives gives , so the transformation is canonical wherever it is locally invertible.
Forthe fundamental theorem of calculus and differentiation under the integral sign giveThusand in particular .
For the unit-frequency simple harmonic motion, the transformed Hamiltonian is simply . Hamilton's equations becomeThereforeand transformation back gives the familiar solution
Now consider the weak quartic oscillatorChoose the modified generating functionIt givesso the transformed Hamiltonian is again . Hence and . Expanding the square root with the Taylor series givesDifferentiation with respect to therefore yieldswhere
Set andWriting and expanding the inverse sine relation at givesExpanding similarly givesConsequentlySince , this is the required expression. The formula is understood away from turning points where and the ratio itself is singular.
A charge undergoing simple harmonic motion of angular frequency and slowly varying amplitude radiates the averaged powerIts mechanical energy therefore has exponential decay rate and half-life
Simple pendulum 2026-10-06
A point mass constrained to a fixed-length massless arm under uniform gravitational acceleration is a simple pendulum. With no drag its angular equation is . The small-angle approximation yields simple harmonic motion, whereas the full restoring force is nonlinear. Adding drag gives a damped pendulum.
Small oscillation of a planar gas bubble in an annular liquid Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
For , equilibrium outer radius , and a bubble gas obeying , the linearization isThe bubble therefore undergoes simple harmonic motion with
