Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ia Paper 1 8A a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Preserving the Euclidean scalar product means for every pair of real vectors . Since these bilinear expressions agree on all pairs of basis vectors, this is equivalent to : the columns of form an orthonormal basis.
The first column is a unit vector, so it is for some real . A perpendicular unit vector is one of the two choices , where . Hence all the required orthogonal matrices areHere is a planar rotation, and is determined modulo . To check the group laws explicitly, , soThis proves closure. The identity is , the inverse of is , and associativity is inherited from matrix multiplication. Thus the set is the orthogonal group .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 42 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The canonical anticommutation relations realize the internal states as a fermionic Fock space . Choosing a Clifford vacuum annihilated by all , the states are functions multiplying , , with , or . Thus the four fermion-number sectors in supersymmetric quantum mechanics arewith internal dimensions . The fermion number operator has value on . The sectors have even fermion parity, and have odd fermion parity.
Write , so that the supercharge is . The commutator is zero because the two mixed partial derivatives of agree. The canonical anticommutation relations then imply andThe Hamiltonian operator preserves each sector, while raises and lowers its degree by one. For a state in its operator domain, , so the spectrum is nonnegative. If with , then is a state of the same energy and opposite fermion parity, and . This is an odd involution pairing bosonic and fermionic states and proves equal even and odd multiplicities at every positive eigenvalue.
There is also a more precise adjacent-sector pairing. On the positive-energy eigenspace,The two summands are orthogonal since . A state in the image of obeys , , so maps it to a normalized partner in the next sector, with inverse . Thus positive-energy doublets lie in , , or . In particular, every positive-energy state of has a partner in , and every one of has a partner in ; the remaining middle-sector states pair with each other. There is no requirement that all four individual sector spectra coincide. Zero-energy states satisfy and can be unpaired. No confinement assumption was given: a continuous spectrum is possible, with the same even/odd pairing on its positive spectral subspaces.
For real , the adjoint operator is . In , every vanishes; in the one-dimensional internal space of , it equals . The two scalar Hamiltonian operators are consequentlyThese are the extreme sectors of the gradient superpotential Hamiltonian in supersymmetric quantum mechanics.
For radial and a normalized state with , and . The radial superpartner in three-dimensional supersymmetric quantum mechanics therefore has the simple formIt belongs to ; follows from , and its wavefunction normalization follows from . Also . At the origin the formula is interpreted by regular extension; its degree-one components carry the radial unit vector rather than being three independent radial scalars.
For a zero mode in the fermion-vacuum sector, the factorization of gives . Hence , or . The requested wavefunction isA nonzero normalizable wavefunction exists only if this integral is finite. The positive sign in the exponential is fixed by the given convention .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 iii Paper 56 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A Killing spinor is a nonzero spinor parameter for which the fermionic supersymmetry variations vanish on a bosonic background. In minimal four-dimensional supergravity without a cosmological term this meansIt is an overdetermined equation and expresses an unbroken supersymmetry of the background. In the cosmological deformation the corresponding equation is ; in theories with additional bosonic fields their contributions also enter the fermion variations.
For the undeformed theory the connection preserves both the spinor adjoint and gamma matrices. Consequently the Dirac currentobeys . In particular , so is a Killing vector, and in fact is parallel. For the real cosmological deformation, and instead give , whose symmetric part again vanishes.
The causal property uses an ordinary commuting spinor. Take an orthonormal frame with , , and . Then . Reverse its time orientation and write , soThe matrices are Hermitian and obey . For every spatial unit vector , , whence . Choose along the spatial part of to obtainA nonzero Killing spinor cannot vanish at an isolated point: its defining connection equation transports its value along every curve. Thus on a connected background this is a nonzero, nowhere-spacelike causal Dirac spinor current. The estimate does not need the Majorana condition, but it does need commuting components; Grassmann bilinears have no such ordinary positivity order.
For the positive energy theorem, take a complete asymptotically flat spacelike hypersurface with a spin structure , with suitable decay, Einstein constraint equations, and matter satisfying the dominant energy condition. Assume there are no inner boundaries, or that any inner-boundary contribution has the required nonnegative sign. The auxiliary commuting spinor approaches an arbitrary constant at spatial infinity. Define the real Nester two-formAntisymmetry removes second derivatives except through the Riemann curvature tensor. Differentiation and the three-gamma spinor curvature identity used above giveThe first term comes from differentiating the two spinor factors. For the second term, replace by half their commutator; its spin-curvature contraction is from each conjugate term. This is the reason the Einstein tensor, and hence the matter energy density, enters the boundary-charge identity.
In an orthonormal frame adapted to the future normal of , put . Since ,Here is the spacetime spin connection pulled back to , including its extrinsic curvature. Choose the auxiliary spinor to solve the elliptic Witten spinor equationThe standard asymptotic-flatness and completeness hypotheses permit this boundary-value problem; the positivity identity also excludes a decaying homogeneous zero mode. It is this hypersurface equation that removes the negative square. A spacetime Killing spinor is not assumed for a general initial-data set.
Stokes' theorem and now giveThe dominant energy condition makes the second integrand nonnegative because and are future causal. Evaluating the two-form with the asymptotic spin connection identifies its surface integral with the ADM energy and momentum:For example its energy term uses to first order in the asymptotic spatial metric tensor perturbation. With this is exactly the ADM normalization. Since has eigenvalues , positivity for every boundary spinor provesKilling spinors describe saturation: their spatial derivative term vanishes, and the contracted matter term must also vanish for the corresponding charge to be zero. They characterize preserved supersymmetry rather than being prerequisites for positivity. Under the usual rigidity hypotheses, zero total four-momentum makes the nonnegative integral vanish for a full basis of asymptotic spinors; their parallel extensions force a vanishing Riemann curvature tensor and give the Minkowski vacuum. A single Killing spinor with null current alone does not justify asserting that every component of the total momentum vanishes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 iii Paper 61 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Put , , and . Here is the specific angular momentum, is the true anomaly and is the planar longitude of periapsis. Differentiating the Kepler orbit equation with givesResolve the velocity along the radial and tangential unit vectors, and . The identities and yieldThis is the Kepler velocity hodograph: the velocity runs around a circle whose centre is displaced by the orbital eccentricity.
The centre of mass condition gives the star's barycentric position . Translating to the star without rotating the axes gives and . From Kepler's third law, , soConsequentlyThe small displacement and the larger reflex velocity have different orders: , but the reflex speed divided by the circular speed is . These are the source of the astrocentric osculating-element oscillations.
For the coordinate ratio, the exact result isFor fixed , , so this is on any angular region with bounded away from zero. The printed coordinate claim is not uniform over a full orbit: at its ratio is undefined. The nonsingular statement is , assuming the pericentre distance remains much larger than the binary separation.
Squaring the two components of the velocity givesAt , and . Sincethis reduces to the vis-viva equation, .
Now let the barycentric Kepler orbit be circular, write and , and put . The osculating orbital elements about the star use the gravitational parameter . To the required order, and . The specific orbital energy therefore impliesHere and under the stated hierarchy. Even at a phase where the leading cosine vanishes, the absolute error bound remains valid.
Finally, use the eccentricity vector . In radial and tangential components it isThe translation changes the radial basis only by , whereas and . ThusFor the original circular Kepler orbit, and are separately arbitrary; their sum is well defined. Using the eccentricity vector avoids introducing an undefined pericentre for that circular Kepler orbit.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 iii Paper 61 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For a circular orbit the origin of mean anomaly is arbitrary because there is no distinguished pericentre. Choose at the ascending node, so is also the argument of latitude. If a different periapsis convention is used, replace below by . The orbital-frame rotation from inclination and node givesIn particular the crossing at has increasing for prograde and , confirming the ascending node convention.
Put and . The binomial series expansion of the direct disturbing function isThe indirect disturbing function subtracts , cancelling the dipole term. The constant has no spatial derivative and does not perturb the particle. After omitting that constant, the leading stellar quadrupole disturbing function isThus the PDF's equality is understood modulo a dynamically irrelevant additive constant and higher multipoles.
Define and let be the star's orbital longitude as seen from the planet. Its orbital plane has . The vector from planet to star is the negative of the planet's heliocentric vector: if describes that latter vector, use . This sign matters in but drops out of . Expanding the two rotated unit vectors givesFor example, the particle's horizontal correction is , while its vertical component is ; their dot products with the corresponding stellar components produce these terms. No cubic terms occur because simultaneous reversal of both small orbital inclinations leaves the dot product unchanged.
The two mean longitudes are uniform for the circular Kepler orbits, so orbit averaging is uniform in both and . Set and through quadratic order. The needed averages follow by integrating sine and cosine products over :For the last identity, expand and factor the two integrations, each using . Squaring now yieldswhere the error includes all fourth-order combinations of the two orbital inclinations. ThereforeMultiplying this by gives the requested secular disturbing function. Equivalently, the exact angular factor for two circular rings is , where is their mutual inclination; its small-angle expansion gives the same result. This is the double-averaged circular tidal potential.
For aligned equatorial and planetary orbital planes, set . The secular stellar quadrupole disturbing function then has derivative . The supplied Lagrange planetary equations for nodal precession givesThe planetary quadrupole coefficient contributes , henceBoth are retrograde nodal precession rates. Equating them cancels and gives the Laplace radiusThe planetary quadrupole dominates inside and the stellar tide outside it. These are small-inclination rates for planet-bound Kepler orbits in the hierarchical regime . At exactly , the node itself is undefined; the rates are the limiting precession frequencies of an infinitesimal tilt.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 ia Paper 1 5C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
For a point on the plane, the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality gives , because is a unit vector. Equality is achieved at . Thus the distance from the origin is .
Let and let be the perpendicular projection of the sphere's center onto the plane. Every point of the plane has form with . The Pythagorean theorem givesIf , the sphere equation therefore forces . There is exactly one contact point, ; it lies on both surfaces.
Write . The nonzero scalar triple product proves that are linearly independent, so they form a positively oriented basis of and define a nondegenerate tetrahedron.
For the three faces through the origin, choose the inward unit vectorsTheir signs are correct because each has positive inner product with the opposite vertex vector. Write the center as . It lies on the interior side of every face. Tangency of the interior sphere therefore means signed distance , not , from each of those three planes. Taking inner products givesSolving proves the center formulaThis is the sphere center from three tetrahedron face distances; the interior hypothesis selects these signs rather than an exterior center.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 1 5B ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The plane through has the constant normal coordinate . Since is a unit vector, the separation of these normal coordinates is a length. Every displacement joining the planes has this fixed normal component, so its length is at least its absolute value; a displacement parallel to attains that bound. Hence the distance between parallel planes isThe absolute value, present in the PDF, is necessary because distance is nonnegative.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 1 8C iv Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Every traceless skew-Hermitian matrix of size two has the formso it equals for . If , take . Otherwise choose a unit vector perpendicular to and set , . The vector triple product gives .
By part (iii), choosing and gives the required representationIn fact both factors can themselves be chosen as traceless skew-Hermitian matrices. The cross-product model of su(2) explains this geometric commutator construction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 4 4C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
A four-vector is a collection of four components that transforms by the same Lorentz transformation as . Use the metric signature . The Lorentzian inner product isA nonzero four-vector is a timelike vector, null vector or spacelike vector according as is negative, zero or positive. Reversing the metric signature reverses the signs used to name these three classes, without changing their geometric meaning.
For a frame moving at speed along the positive axis, write and use the Lorentz factor . The component Lorentz transformation isExpanding the first two squares givesThe other two components are unchanged, so . Consequently a timelike vector remains timelike under a Lorentz transformation.
For a nonzero null vector, and . Set and . Then and . If the zero four-vector is included among null vectors, take and any unit vector.
For two future-pointing null vectors, write and with . The sum of future-pointing null vectors satisfiesbecause the ordinary inner product of two unit vectors is at most one. The sum is null if their spatial directions coincide, and timelike otherwise. Its positive time component makes the sum nonzero and future-pointing.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 63 1 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the unitary change of basis from part (b). It reduces the Feynman-Kitaev Hamiltonian to , whereThe positive eigenvalues of are positive integers, since its commuting ancilla projectors act on different qubits. The positive spectral gap of is . Thus both positive spectra are bounded below by , for .
Let , and split the work space into and . The common ground space is . A unit vector in orthogonal to has the form , where . Its orthogonal projection onto simply removes its time-zero component, so the projected norm is . Consequently the smallest angle between two subspaces, after removing their common intersection, satisfiesThe Kitaev geometrical lemma now givesHere supplies the penultimate step. HenceIf there are no input constraints, and the propagation gap is already , which is stronger.
The printed geometric-lemma notation needs a correction: the maximum overlap defines , not , and is taken over normalized vectors in the two kernels, with the common ground space removed. The ground space restriction is essential when many quantum witnesses are allowed.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 63 1 d Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For a normalized computational history state, the output projector sees only its final clock component. With the quantum circuit's acceptance probability,This proves the hint, including for a computational basis quantum witness. Moreover is a stoquastic Hamiltonian term, so adding it with positive coefficient preserves stoquasticity.
There are two substantive problems with the stated promise. First, for any basis quantum witness the initialized state has nonnegative amplitudes, and every permutation matrix preserves them. Write the output as , with both vectors entrywise nonnegative. ThenThe stoquastic acceptance floor rules out the printed one-third soundness condition. There are no NO instances of that literal promise. Second, the ground space includes histories of arbitrary quantum witnesses. It is the maximum over those quantum witnesses, not the maximum over basis quantum witnesses, that determines the lowest output energy. Even the identity quantum circuit accepts each basis input with probability , but accepts a quantum witness with probability one. Thus a basis-witness soundness bound would not control this Hamiltonian, even if its numerical threshold were repaired.
The requested nontrivial hardness statement therefore needs the standard quantum-witness StoqMA promise, with and inverse-polynomial gap . The intended reduction can be completed precisely under that corrected promise. Define the quantum witness embedding and the witness acceptance operatorIt is a positive contraction, and . The minimum expectation of on the history ground space is . This is also consistent with a nonnegative optimal StoqMA quantum witness: is entrywise nonnegative, so replacing amplitudes by their absolute values cannot decrease its quadratic form.
A uniform ground-space perturbation bound is needed because the gap shrinks with quantum circuit length. Put , and choose a positive inverse-polynomial coefficientFor the history ground projector and any unit vector with , the operator norm bound givesThe last inequality completes the square in and uses . Testing a ground space minimizing vector gives the upper bound . Since , we obtainYES instances of the corrected promise have energy at most ; NO instances have energy at leastThe separation is at least , an inverse polynomial. The quantum circuit and all these Hamiltonian terms have polynomial-size descriptions. This proves StoqMA hardness for the local Hamiltonian problem variant that permits the nonlocal clock, under the corrected quantum witness and acceptance promise.
The printed perturbation formula also has where a general perturbation belongs. Its unspecified cannot be treated as uniform in a closing gap. Likewise a circuit-length-independent constant cannot in general satisfy the stated small-perturbation requirement for an arbitrary long quantum circuit. The explicit bound above avoids both issues; it does not claim the defective literal promise defines standard StoqMA.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ia Paper 3 3A ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the Einstein summation convention, with divergence and curl , where is the Levi-Civita symbol. For the first vector field,The derivative matrix is symmetric, so its contraction with the Levi-Civita symbol vanishes. For the second vector field,For the third vector field, . Its divergence is zero because the Levi-Civita symbol contracts with symmetric products. For its curl, either contract two Levi-Civita symbols or use the vector triple product:ThusAll formulas hold on , the domain where the radial unit vector is defined.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ia Paper 4 10C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The Lorentz force in the uniform magnetic field giveswhere the last step is the vector triple product identity. HenceOn the other hand, , soThe derivatives cancel, proving the magnetic angular-momentum invariantThe magnetic Lorentz force is perpendicular to velocity, so its power is zero:Thus the kinetic energy is constant.
For the alternative kinetic energy expression, work on an interval where so that the radial unit vector is defined. Differentiating once and twice givesSince , it follows that and . Therefore the unit-direction kinetic-energy identity isThis identity holds for any twice differentiable trajectory away from the origin, not only for motion in a magnetic field.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 44 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For a differentiable curve in the SO(3) group with , differentiating gives , where . Conversely, if is a real skew-symmetric matrix, is an orthogonal matrix and has determinant . HenceThe displayed generators of the SO(3) Lie algebra areThey are linearly independent and span the three independent entries of a real skew-symmetric matrix. Equivalently, . The vector triple-product identity then givesThus the structure constants of a Lie algebra in this basis are
Use a real, antisymmetric convention throughout the SO(3) vector Higgs model. With gauge coupling , the gauge covariant derivative and gauge field strength areThere is no factor of in these formulas because are real antisymmetric generators. For a local non-Abelian gauge transformation , with in the SO(3) group, the compatible transformation of the gauge potential isIt gives and . These covariance laws fix the relative signs in the gauge covariant derivative and gauge field strength.
An SO(3) invariant quartic scalar potential isSince , this scalar potential is gauge-invariant. Its minimum is the sphere , rather than a preferred direction in the internal vector space.
Writing , the cross product form of the gauge covariant derivative is . In components this isCorrespondingly, the gauge field strength has components
A covariantly constant vector Higgs field has constant norm, becauseThe last equality uses antisymmetry of the gauge potential. On a connected region write this norm as . If , the vector Higgs field is identically zero. If , the SO(3) group acts transitively on unit vectors, so choose a smooth local non-Abelian gauge transformation rotating to . In this unitary gauge, with constant. This is a local construction, and is global on a trivial contractible region; a nontrivial bundle can require more than one gauge patch.
For nonzero , substituting the constant aligned vector Higgs field into gives . For nonzero gauge coupling, the most general compatible gauge potential and gauge field strength arewhere is an arbitrary real one-form. Thus the surviving gauge group is the stabilizer subgroup of . A covariantly constant vector Higgs field does not force the gauge field strength to vanish: it only requires the curvature to annihilate that field.
For the Higgs mechanism, choose a vacuum of the SO(3) invariant quartic scalar potential, so the constant norm is . The canonically normalized kinetic term then containsThe two broken-direction gauge bosons have mass (or if the sign of is unrestricted), while the gauge boson remains massless. The two angular Goldstone bosons supply the massive vectors' longitudinal gauge-boson polarizations. The radial fluctuation remains a physical scalar field, with for this normalization. The condition selects backgrounds without broken-direction gauge potentials; fluctuations about such a vacuum exhibit the two massive modes. Constancy of the norm alone does not require it to minimize the scalar potential.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 63 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Take the sky frame and disk frame to be right-handed orthonormal bases, with positive angular displacement measured from toward . In particular, positive is toward the observer, so material crossing the sky plane with positive is at the ascending node. Write , , , and . The disk frame's first unit vector lies along its ascending node, and its second has positive component. The orbital-frame rotation from inclination and node therefore givesEach column is a disk-frame unit vector in sky coordinates, so and the inverse is . At the disk's ascending node, the component of its tangential velocity is positive, confirming the sign of the tilt.
Let define a provisional planet frame whose first axis is the planet's sky-plane ascending node. Its normal is . Expressing that normal in the disk orthonormal basis, with , givesThe last component is the dot product of the two orbital normals, hence the cosine of the mutual inclination. The mutual ascending node points along : motion there has positive disk-normal component. SetThen , and the quadrant-correct longitude of ascending node is . ThusThe tangent alone cannot fix the quadrant, and is undefined for exactly coincident orbital planes.
For the two rotation routes, define as the oriented angle, within the planet's orbital plane, from its sky-plane ascending node to its disk-plane ascending node. If are the first two columns of , take . Both routes describe the same planet orthonormal basis:The left route goes through the disk frame; the right goes through the sky-node planet frame. Comparing their third columns gives the two boxed relations, while comparison of first columns fixes the extra in-plane angle.
Put and . A second-order Taylor expansion gives , and therefore the mutual inclination of nearly edge-on orbits satisfiesAll expansion angles are in radians. For plotting in degrees this is . The given planet has exact and . The exact minimum occurs at , with . At and , the second-order values are and .
For the disk evolution, neglect disk self-gravity, collisions that align the planes, and back-reaction on the planet. In the initial disk plane, use the complex inclination for a ring and for the planet. Linear Laplace-Lagrange secular theory has forced inclination and solution for initially flat rings. For an inner circular perturber, the Laplace coefficient formula is , with . Its quadrupole approximation uses , yieldingIn the plot referenced to the initial disk, every ring runs clockwise on the same circle centered at , starting at the origin. Inner rings advance more quickly. If the axes are instead referenced to the planet's plane, the relative tilt is : these circles are centered at the origin, and the mutual inclination is constant. Both conventions describe the same nodal precession; they should not be mixed.
At an intermediate epoch, rings with have tilted substantially while outer rings with remain near the original disk plane. This radial variation is a planet-induced debris-disk warp. The characteristic affected radius grows like . Conservative differential nodal precession preserves each ring's tilt relative to the planet, so it does not by itself align every orbit; an unresolved inner region can acquire a mean plane near the planetary plane through phase mixing. The secular interpretation is also described in Wyatt's planetary dynamics lectures.


