Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 107 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The Hopf boundary point lemma requires an interior sphere condition, strictness of the boundary maximum, and quantitative control of the uniformly elliptic operator near the contact point. Assume that , that and , and that . After shrinking the tangent open ball, we may suppose that the coefficients are bounded there and that, for constants and ,The coefficient matrix may be replaced by its symmetric matrix part because the Hessian matrix is symmetric. Assume also that throughout the tangent open ball. In the usual statement, one assumes throughout ; when is connected, the strong maximum principle for elliptic operators supplies this strictness from a nonconstant solution attaining its global maximum at .
Put , the outward unit normal of the tangent open ball. With only the given continuity at , the precise conclusion isIf the outward normal derivative exists, it is strictly positive. In particular, if is continuously differentiable up to and the domain has this outward unit normal, then . The stated boundary regularity alone does not assert existence of a normal derivative.
For the proof, use the annulus and the barrier for the Dirichlet problemWriting , direct differentiation givesChoose , so that on . On the inner sphere, compactness and the strict maximum give . Choose with . On the outer sphere and , including at by continuity. Consequently has and nonpositive boundary values. The allowed comparison principle, or the weak maximum principle for elliptic operators, yields in .
Along the inward radius this givesThis proves the Hopf boundary point lemma. There is no sign restriction on here, because the operator has no zeroth-order term.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 309 1 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Take the orientation induced by the future-directed unit normal and positive lapse function . In coordinates adapted to the 3+1 decomposition of spacetime, any component with all four indices spatial vanishes: only three distinct spatial indices are available. The shift vector therefore contributes nothing, andHere is the Levi-Civita symbol, and the last equality uses the metric determinant in a 3+1 decomposition, . The right side is precisely the spatial metric volume tensor, with component at , the appropriate permutation sign, and zero for repeated indices. HenceMore invariantly, the spatial volume form is the restriction to the hypersurface of the contraction of the spacetime volume form with .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 309 1 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use signature , so the future-directed unit normal obeys . The spatial projection tensor and the induced metric areIndeed and : this is an idempotent linear map onto the tangent space of the spatial hypersurface. For a covariant tensor both slots must be projected:Contracting either slot with supplies the vanishing factor . Thus both normal contractions vanish, without requiring symmetry of .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 4 11A b i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The original PDF measures at the rim point , from the positive -axis to ; it is not the angle at the centre of the circle. The converted TeX omits this entire subpart. In rotating Cartesian coordinate system, the centre is , and the nonzero intersection of the ray with has . ThereforeThe second form stays regular even at the rim point , where the polar radius is zero. Define the outward unit normal from the centre and the increasing-angle unit tangent vector byThe first two derivatives in the rotating reference frame are and . These describe a bead on a horizontal hoop rotating about its rim.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 312 1 a ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Differentiate the normalization of the timelike unit normal with the metric-compatible covariant derivative:Thus the derivative of the normal is already orthogonal to the normal in its second index. Expanding the second spatial projection tensor in the definition of the extrinsic curvature of a spatial hypersurface givesTo prove symmetry using Frobenius theorem, set . Hypersurface orthogonality is equivalent toContract this with . The last two terms vanish because a projected normal vanishes, while in the first term. HenceThe antisymmetric part of the doubly projected covariant derivative of is therefore zero. This proves that hypersurface orthogonality implies symmetric extrinsic curvature:No geodesic assumption for the normal congruence is needed; its normal acceleration may be nonzero.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 312 1 a i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Using the normalization of the timelike unit normal, the spatial projection tensor satisfiesLikewise and . The spacetime form of the induced metric is thereforeIts restriction to the slice is the given three-metric. Metric compatibility of the four-dimensional Levi-Civita connection givesApply the three projectors defining the spatial covariant derivative. In the first summand , and in the second . Both summands vanish, soThis proves the metric compatibility of the spatial covariant derivative without treating the spatial projection tensor itself as covariantly constant.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 2 23I Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
For a regular parameter , the curvature and torsion of a space curve areThe torsion of a space curve requires . Reparameterize by arc length and set , , . Differentiating the pairwise inner products of this orthonormal Frenet frame shows that its derivative matrix is skew symmetric. Since , defining gives the Frenet-Serret formulasThe fundamental theorem of regular space curves says that prescribed smooth and smooth on an interval determine a unit-speed curve uniquely up to an orientation-preserving Euclidean rigid motion. Solve this frame's linear differential equation with an initial oriented orthonormal frame, then integrate ; uniqueness proves the assertion.
Under the intended convention that the shared parameter is arc length, equality on an open interval gives equal position and equal Frenet frames at one point. Equal give identical differential equations, so uniqueness gives . The printed “regular smooth” hypothesis alone does not establish this convention. Without common arc length, an orientation-preserving smooth change of speed that is the identity on but not elsewhere reparameterizes a circle into a counterexample: both curves have , and agree on , but differ elsewhere as parameterized curves.
For an oriented surface with unit normal , define normal curvature and geodesic curvature . ThusA unit-speed curve is a geodesic exactly when . If also , then , so it is a straight line. A vertical ruling of a circular cylinder is such a geodesic, although the cylinder contains no open piece of a plane. A nonconstant regular straight line cannot be a simple closed curve. Hence no planar patch is required, and such a geodesic cannot be simple and closed.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 4 25H a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
WriteThe regularity of the profile makes . The coordinate tangent vectors areso the first fundamental form of a surface of revolution has coefficientsChoose the unit normalTaking scalar products with the second derivatives of gives the second fundamental form coefficientsThus the coordinate directions are principal directions, with principal curvaturesThe curvatures of a parametrized surface of revolution are thereforeReversing the orientation of a surface reverses the sign of but leaves unchanged.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 3 25I a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Suppose lies in the closed ball of radius centred at . By compactness, the continuous function attains its maximum at some . The sphere of radius about is a supporting sphere tangent to at .
Put . For any unit vector , choose a surface curve with and . Since has a local maximum at zero,The scalar is the normal curvature in direction , so every normal curvature is at most with this choice of unit normal. Applying this to principal directions shows that both principal curvatures satisfy . ThereforeThis proves both assertions, including the existence of an elliptic point on every compact regular surface.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 ii Paper 1 26F c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For a chosen unit normal field , the second fundamental form isIn a local parametrization , its coefficients, up to the equivalent simultaneous sign convention, areThe Gaussian curvature is the determinant of the shape operator, henceTheorema Egregium states that is determined entirely by the first fundamental form. In particular, it is intrinsic and is preserved by every local isometry.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 115 2 c Solution 2026-09-28
On the Euclidean unit ball ,The outward unit normal along is the radial vector field , so part b givesLet on the ball and put . Direct use of the exterior derivative gives . Therefore the Generalized Stokes theorem yieldsThis proves the volume of a Euclidean unit sphere formula.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 1 26I a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The Gauss map sends to the chosen unit normal . Differentiating shows that maps into itself. The shape operator is self-adjoint because its associated second fundamental form is symmetric. Its eigenvalues are the principal curvatures. A point is umbilical when , and the surface is minimal when its mean curvature vanishes everywhere.
In an orthonormal principal basis, has diagonal matrix . It is conformal exactly whenwhich is equivalent to . At a nonumbilical point this says , exactly the condition . Hence, when there are no umbilical points, the surface is minimal if and only if its Gauss map is conformal.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ib Paper 2 11F Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The tangent vectors ofareHence the first fundamental form has coefficientsPutThe upward unit normal is , so the second fundamental form has coefficientsThus the two forms are
For the final claim, fix a point of and make a rigid motion taking to the plane . The common tangent plane is horizontal, so locally is the graph . Along the projected curve of tangency,Differentiating the second identity givesBecause is a smooth curve, , so the Hessian is singular. Its determinant is zero, and the graph formula gives at every point of . This is tangency to a plane along a curve forces zero Gaussian curvature.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 3 25G c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
At , the surface cannot cross the boundary , because it lies inside . Consequently the two surfaces are tangent at . Apply a proper Euclidean motion of Euclidean three-space so that , their common tangent plane is , and the prescribed inward unit normal is . Locally writewith the region on the side . ThenThus has a local minimum at zero and its Hessian matrix is positive semidefinite. The fundamental forms of a graph surface at a horizontal tangent plane giveTaking the trace of the positive-semidefinite difference proves the mean-curvature comparison at tangential contact:
There is no analogous conclusion for . In the same local coordinates takeThen , so the second graph lies on the inward side of the first, while the Gaussian curvature of a graph surface givesHence the mean-curvature inequality holds butUsing smooth bump functions, these local graph patches can be completed away from to a compact region with connected smooth boundary and a closed interior surface without changing their germs at . This realizes the counterexample under the global hypotheses.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 4 25G a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For a positively oriented local parametrization with first fundamental formthe area element of a surface isUnder an orientation-preserving coordinate change, the Jacobian from cancels the inverse Jacobian in the square root of the metric determinant. Hence these local expressions agree and define a global two-form.
The Euler characteristic may be defined from any finite triangulation byor equivalently by the alternating sum of the dimensions of the rational homology groups. Subdivision leaves unchanged, and the homological formula shows that it is a topological invariant, so the definition does not depend on the triangulation.
Give the boundary its induced orientation and parametrize it by arc length. If is its unit tangent and is the chosen unit normal to the surface, its signed geodesic curvature iswhere is the surface covariant derivative. The Gauss-Bonnet theorem for a compact oriented surface with smooth boundary and no corners iswhere is the Gaussian curvature.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 1 26J a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Choose a smooth unit normal . For , the first fundamental form and second fundamental form arewhere the shape operator is . The principal curvatures are the eigenvalues of ; the mean curvature and Gaussian curvature areThe surface is minimal when everywhere.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 26J a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For a unit-speed space curve, setThese form the Frenet trihedron. With the signed torsion convention compatible with the question, the Frenet-Serret formulas areFor an oriented surface with unit normal , the signed geodesic curvature is
On the unit sphere . Since , differentiation givesWrite . Then , and differentiating this expression and comparing the coefficient with givesThus, wherever the displayed quantities are defined,Finally,which is the stated curvature decomposition for a spherical curve.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 105 1 b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 105 1 c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
WriteDifferentiating the prescribed identity in its two tangential directions givesThe unit normal is , so the second item of Cauchy data becomesConsequentlySubstitution into the principal symbol from part a shows that the graph is non-characteristic exactly where
