For this Green function is the response to a point impulse on the infinite line, using the continuous square root of . The Fourier transform multiplies the initial transform by ; its Gaussian inverse gives the displayed expression. At fixed , its exponential rate is , whereas along it is . Thus a temporally growing flow with is convectively rather than absolutely unstable.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ia Paper 3 6D Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ia Paper 1 11D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Use rationalization of a square-root difference to avoid subtracting two large, nearly equal quantities:Since and the square root is continuous at , the denominator tends to . The reciprocal limit law established above is applicable because this limit is nonzero. HenceThe limit is one half; rationalization exposes the finite difference hidden by cancellation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 321 3 d Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Put . The two amplitude equations have coefficient matrixIts determinant gives the dispersion relationWriting , its squared growth rates areand the four growth rates are both square roots of each displayed value. DefineFor , the discriminant is positive, the sum of the squared rates is , and their product is ; both squared rates are negative. These modes have purely imaginary . For , the squared rates form a nonreal complex conjugate pair; their square roots include roots with positive real part. This is overstability, meaning growing oscillations. For , at least the plus squared rate is positive because , so a real growing root exists. Consequently every is exponentially unstable.
Take the maximizing mode , so . It is unstable wheneverThis is also the threshold for the onset of exponential growth among all lattice modes, since . At equality the maximizing mode has repeated imaginary roots and can have algebraic growth; it is a marginal collision of oscillatory modes, not a strict-decay assertion. The mode has , an epicyclic motion sector and a zero-frequency epicyclic guiding center sector with possible secular shear drift. These neutral or algebraic behaviors are distinct from the strict exponential instability established by the requested inequality.