Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ib Paper 1 8F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
The rank of a matrix is the dimension of its column space, equivalently the dimension of the image of a linear map represented by the matrix. For , the rank-nullity theorem givesAn injective endomorphism of a finite-dimensional vector space is surjective, hence invertible. By the adjugate matrix identity is invertible when ; conversely, multiplicativity of the determinant shows that an invertible has nonzero determinant. Therefore
Let be the matrix unit with its only nonzero entry at . The following matrices are all nonsingular:Indeed, is an elementary shear when , while is diagonal with one diagonal entry equal to two. Their linear span contains every except initially , because , and it then containsThus spans the -dimensional space and, having members, is a basis. This also covers , when .
Now let be a nonsingular zero-one matrix. If it had fewer than zero entries, at least two rows would contain no zero at all. Those two rows would both be the all-one row, contradicting linear independence. Hence every such matrix has at mostones. The bound is attained. Let be the all-one matrix and setwhere there are initial diagonal ones. If and , the first row equations give , while the last gives . Hence every , so is nonsingular and has exactly ones. Therefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 115 1 a Solution 2026-09-28
An by matrix has matrix rank exactly when at least one of its by minors has nonzero determinant. For each multi-index , the setis open in the vector space of all real by matrices, because the determinant is continuous. Their union is , so is itself open in . It therefore inherits the standard smooth manifold structure and has dimension . This is the full-row-rank matrix manifold.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 101 1 b Solution 2026-09-28
Let be the maximal ideal and the finite residue field. The maximal ideal of an Artinian local ring is nilpotent, so for some . Every quotientis both an Artinian -module and a vector space over . An Artinian vector space is finite-dimensional, hence each quotient is a finite set. The finite filtrationtherefore proves that the underlying set of is finite. This is the Finiteness criterion for an Artinian local ring.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 30K a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
For , let and attain the suprema at and . Because is a vector space,The concavity of now givesThus is increasing and concave, as stated by optimized affine shift of concave utility.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 4 19H Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
Schur lemma says that an intertwining linear map between irreducible finite-dimensional complex representations is either zero or an isomorphism. In particular, every endomorphism of an irreducible complex representation is a scalar multiple of the identity.
A continuous representation of a topological group is a continuous homomorphismfor a finite-dimensional complex vector space . It is a unitary representation if has a positive-definite Hermitian inner product for whichfor every and .
For , start with any positive-definite Hermitian form and average it using normalized Haar measure:Translation invariance makes this form -invariant, and positivity is preserved, proving unitarity. Since is abelian, the operators commute; since they are unitary, they are normal. Simultaneous diagonalization therefore decomposes into common one-dimensional eigenspaces. Thus every representation of the circle group is a direct sum of one-dimensional representations.
WriteThe group law and inverse areA calculation givesEvery element of the centre occurs by taking, for example, and . Hence the commutator subgroup is exactly . The image of a one-dimensional representation is abelian, so the one-dimensional representation kills the commutator subgroup and its kernel contains .
Now let be a complex representation of . Its restriction to the central subgroupis a representation of the circle group. Decompose it into its distinct weight spaces:Because is central, every commutes with its action and preserves every common eigenspace. Thus the are -subrepresentations, as asserted by the central circle weight-space decomposition.
Let . The mapis a one-dimensional representation of ; after composition with , its kernel contains . On its value isso . A continuous character of has the form ; the displayed identity forces . Therefore every is trivial. Since the were distinct, and .
It follows that every finite-dimensional complex representation of kills the entire nontrivial central circle . Its kernel is therefore nontrivial, so no such representation is faithful. This is the real Heisenberg quotient has no faithful finite-dimensional representation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 1 8G a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The dual space isthe vector space of linear functionals on . If is a basis of a finite-dimensional , define . Every has the unique expansionso the dual basis proves
For , its annihilator of a vector subspace isIf is a basis of and is extended to a basis of , thenConsequentlyIf , this dimension is positive, giving a nonzero functional that vanishes on .
For a linear map , the dual map isNowsoEvery vanishes on , henceThe two spaces have the same dimension, sinceThus
Let be the quotient map. Since is onto, is injective, and the preceding identity givesThereforeFor the inclusion , the map is restriction to . It is onto and has kernelThe first isomorphism theorem now gives the other duals of a subspace and its quotient:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 4 9E a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
An -module is free if it has a basis: a subset such that every element has a unique expression as a finite -linear combination of elements of .
Choose a maximal ideal of the nonzero ring . If , quotienting by givesThese are vector spaces over the field , so equality of dimension gives . This proves invariant basis number for a commutative ring.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 1 19H Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
A complex representation of is a complex vector space together with a homomorphismIt is faithful when , equivalently when is injective. Every finite group has a faithful complex representation: in the regular representation, permutes the basis byand a group element fixing every basis vector must be the identity.
If is conjugate to , then is similar to . Thus the two matrices have the same spectrum, while an eigenvalue of gives the eigenvalue of . Hence
Now take a -cycle . It is conjugate to for every . Faithfulness makes have order , so its spectrum contains a nontrivial th root of unity . The preceding implication puts all the distinct valuesin the spectrum. Therefore . This is the spectrum orbit bound for a faithful symmetric-group representation.
Finally let be the group of all permutations of . It has no faithful finite-dimensional complex representation. For every , contains a subgroup generated by disjoint transpositions. In a -dimensional complex representation, commuting involutions are simultaneously diagonalizable and hence map into the group of diagonal sign matrices, which has order . A faithful restriction would require for every , an impossibility.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 18H a i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 ia Paper 1 8A a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
A complex matrix is diagonalisable when it is similar to a diagonal matrix, equivalently when the vector space has a basis of its eigenvectors.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 ib Paper 4 1F Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The dual space is the vector space of linear maps . If , its dual family satisfies . Every functional obeysso the family spans; evaluation on each proves linear independence. Thus it is a basis without any prior dimension argument.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 101 1 iv b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Conversely, assume condition (b), and let be nonzero. The stated property givesThese are nonzero vector spaces over the residue field , so their tensor product over is nonzero. Associativity and base change giveTherefore . This proves the reverse implication and the local tensor nonvanishing criterion.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 ii Paper 1 22I a i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The dual is the vector space of bounded linear maps , with normIf is Cauchy in this norm, then is Cauchy in the complete scalar field for every . Define . Pointwise passage to the limit preserves linearity. Given , choose such that for ; sending givesThus is bounded and . Hence is Banach, even if was only normed.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 102 1 ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let represent . Since is central, commutes with and . Over the complex number field , has an eigenvalue , and its corresponding eigenspace is invariant under all three operators. The irreducibility of therefore makes this eigenspace all of , so . Taking the trace ofgives by the cyclic property of the trace; hence .
The remaining operators and commute. Two commuting operators on a nonzero finite-dimensional complex vector space have a common eigenvector, whose span is invariant. Irreducibility therefore forces . Conversely, every pair defines a one-dimensional irreducible representation byThese are all the finite-dimensional irreducible representations.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 111 2 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let be the real vector space with basis . The Coxeter Gram matrix defines the symmetric bilinear formIts diagonal entries are . The Geometric representation of a Coxeter group is generated by the reflectionsEach has square one, and on the product has order . The reflections therefore satisfy the Coxeter relations and define a group representation .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 1 31K d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
On an -sample, each coordinate partition has at most placements, hence all partitions have at most configurations. For each fixed configuration, the sign class from a vector space of dimension has at most patterns. Multiplication gives
Perfect pairing 2026-10-05
For finite-dimensional vector spaces over a field , a bilinear pairing is perfect when the induced linear maps and are isomorphisms. Equivalently, both dimensions agree and the matrix of the pairing in any two bases is invertible. The evaluation pairing between a finite-dimensional vector space and its dual space is perfect. This notion allows two different spaces; a nondegenerate bilinear form is the case .
Petrov-Galerkin method 2026-10-14
The Petrov-Galerkin method chooses an approximate solution in a finite-dimensional trial vector space and tests a weak formulation against a possibly different test space . For a bilinear form and a linear functional , it imposes for every . Taking recovers the usual Galerkin method. Different test functions can alter stability and accuracy; the Galerkin orthogonality is then against the test space and need not be an orthogonal projection in an energy norm.
Polynomial evaluation 2026-10-14
Polynomial evaluation replaces the indeterminate of a polynomial by an input value. For a fixed scalar , the rule is a linear functional on a vector space of polynomials, because evaluating a linear combination gives the same linear combination of the values. For , evaluation at zero gives one and evaluation at two gives seventeen. Polynomial interpolation uses these measurements to reconstruct a polynomial subject to a polynomial degree bound.