Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 10 3 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
We use the homogeneous version of the Sobolev embedding theorem in three dimensions:Here homogeneous Sobolev space is the completion of compactly supported smooth functions in the L2 norm of the gradient, identified with its representative. Apply this Sobolev inequality both to and to its spatial derivatives.
LetThe Plancherel theorem identifies the L2 norm of the Hessian matrix with , because . In particular,Differentiating the defocusing semilinear wave equation gives . By the Holder inequality with exponents and , the preceding Sobolev inequality, and conservation of the positive wave energy,Use the inhomogeneous wave energy estimate simultaneously for the three spatial derivatives. It givesThe Gronwall inequality therefore yields . We may take the continuous, locally bounded functionThe constant is universal; the dependence on the initial data is only through and . The H2 bound for the defocusing cubic wave equation holds on every existing smooth interval, without assuming the global conclusion. If or , the zero solution satisfies the same estimate.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 312 1 i Solution 2026-09-28
Under spatial reflection, a scalar field obeys , and hence each spatial derivative changes sign. The interaction contains three such derivatives, so changing the integration variable from to givesThus this is a parity-odd scalar interaction.
Put and . Hermitian conjugation and commutativity of equal-time scalar fields giveThe parity-invariant vacuum and the odd parity of imply . ThereforeThere is no conflict with the usual rule for two Hermitian operators: a momentum-space product at fixed is generally not itself Hermitian, since its adjoint carries momenta .