Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 214 2 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
For , let be the set of vertices of connected to by an open path in a graph using only edges of . Every infinite-cluster vertex of belongs to , by stopping an infinite open path in a graph at its first boundary visit. Hence the increasing eventhas probability at least by part (a). Importantly, depends only on the edges with both endpoints in .
Open all perimeter edges joining successive vertices of . They form a cycle in a graph, and opening them joins every vertex of into one percolation cluster, containing the specified perimeter vertex . The Harris-FKG inequality bounds the probability of this event together with below by .
Close all edges in the edge boundary of . These edges are distinct from the internal edges already considered, so their states are independent of those events. The resulting percolation cluster of is finite, contained in , and has at least vertices. Therefore, by translating to the origin,For , choose . Then the threshold is at least , and . Put and ; both are positive. The preceding lower bound is at least with, for example,The construction modifies only order- boundary edges while trapping order- vertices, which explains the stretched exponential scale. Here is interpreted as the positive integers; the proposed lower bound at would be false because .