Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 36 1 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
First the null space property implies sparse injectivity. If a nonzero had at most nonzero coordinates, partition its support of a vector into disjoint with . Applying the null space property to each of these sets yieldswhich is impossible. Hence the null space contains no nonzero sparse vector of order .
The feasible vector has , where the L0 sparsity count counts its nonzero coordinates. Any different feasible with would give a nonzero null space vector with at most nonzero coordinates, contrary to sparse injectivity. Consequently every different feasible has strictly larger L0 sparsity count. The unique sparsest feasible vector is :This proof does not treat the L0 sparsity count as a genuine norm; no triangle inequality for it is needed.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 36 1 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Use the stated characterization by the Lq null space property. Raising an Lq quasi-norm comparison to its positive exponent preserves its order, so the hypothesis at says that, for every nonzero and every ,We prove the corresponding inequality; this is monotonicity of uniform sparse recovery in the exponent.
Fix a nonzero null space vector and arrange its coordinate magnitudes as . Assume . The Lq null space property rules out a nonzero null space vector supported on at most coordinates, so and . Since , the factors are at most for and at least for with . Terms with contribute zero and require no negative power of zero. ThusThe largest coordinates maximize the -power sum on any set of size at most . Its complement therefore has the smallest complementary -power sum. The displayed strict inequality proves the Lq null space property at exponent for every allowed support of a vector. The stated recovery characterization now applies to the Lq quasi-norm at .
If , the measurement constraint already singles out , for every objective; if , only the zero sparse vector needs recovery. These cases do not need a positive threshold. Uniform recovery at implies uniform recovery at every :
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 36 3 a Solution 2026-10-07
Let , using the real sign function on the support of a vector . The fixed-sign null space condition in the PDF uses on its right-hand side. This complement is essential. For any real coordinate , the supporting-line inequality for the absolute value isEvery distinct feasible vector is with . Summing the coordinate inequalities on and adding the L1 norm on givesThe strict final inequality is precisely the fixed-sign null space condition. Hence is the unique basis pursuit minimizer. Unlike the null space property of Question 1, this condition concerns the particular sign function values of , rather than every vector supported in .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 36 3 b Solution 2026-10-07
Assume is the unique basis pursuit minimizer. Fix and setThere is such that the sign function of equals that of at every whenever . To choose it, take less than the minimum of over the nonzero in ; if that set is empty, any positive works. On this interval the L1 norm has the exact expressionFor , both and are distinct feasible vectors. Uniqueness forces their objective differences to be strictly positive, so and . ThereforeThe fixed-sign null space condition is necessary as well as sufficient. This argument also covers an empty support of a vector: then and the nonzero null space vector has . Strictness is indispensable: equality would make a sufficiently short feasible segment have the same objective as .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 36 3 c Solution 2026-10-07
Let be the strict dual certificate for basis pursuit supplied by condition (ii). For , we haveHere the adjoint operator is the real transpose. The injectivity of ensures : otherwise would force . Thus at least one nonzero term lies outside the support of a vector . Since at every such index,This proves the fixed-sign null space condition, so part (a) gives uniqueness in basis pursuit. If is empty, the injectivity of instead means there is no nonzero null space vector, and the feasible set is a singleton. Injective active columns and a strict dual certificate for basis pursuit ensure unique recovery. Both ingredients matter: strictness outside cannot detect a nonzero null space direction supported entirely inside .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 36 3 d Solution 2026-10-07
Write and . The injectivity of makes this Gram matrix a positive-definite matrix, since for . Thus its matrix inverse exists. Construct the least-norm dual certificateOn the active coordinates, . For , symmetry of the real Gram matrix and its matrix inverse givesCondition (iii) makes the absolute value of this coordinate strictly less than one. Consequently is a strict dual certificate for basis pursuit, and part (c) applies. If is empty, take ; the zero vector uniquely minimizes the L1 norm on its feasible set. Condition (iii) supplies an explicit certificate and therefore unique recovery. There is no claim that this particular least-norm dual certificate is necessary: other valid certificates may exist when this one fails.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 36 4 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Interpret the angle as the directed subspace angle defined by the infimum of projected unit vectors; it is different from the smallest angle between two subspaces. WriteConsider the bounded linear operator given by . Its adjoint operator, between these two Hilbert spaces, is : for and , the orthogonal projections give . The two positive directed subspace angle cosines yieldThe first bound makes injective and gives a closed range. Explicitly, if converges, then , so is a Cauchy sequence. The closed subspace of a Hilbert space is complete, and its limit maps to the proposed range limit. The second bound gives . A vector orthogonal to the range has , so it must be zero. The range is therefore dense as well as closed in , and is onto. This is the mechanism of invertibility from lower bounds on an operator and its adjoint.
For any , choose the unique with . Then , so . Moreover, if , then and hence . Every vector has a unique decomposition, andThe direct sum is a topological one as well: the component depends boundedly on , with operator norm at most .
For precision, the quoted equality of the norms of complementary oblique projections needs both summands nonzero. For example, with , and , the oblique projection is , so but . The secant function has value one here, so the second equality in the quoted formula fails. With nonzero complementary summands its intended version is valid. The proof above does not use that formula. The angle itself is undefined on a zero source space because it has no unit vectors; expressing the hypotheses as the two lower bounds handles zero spaces without ambiguity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 49 1 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
For a diffeomorphism, the differential and its inverse preserve the natural pairing of a vector with a covector. Consequently the mixed tensor pullback commutes with every tensor contraction :Differentiating at zero gives . The mixed tensor pullback also preserves tensor products, soThe ordinary product rule for differentiation therefore yieldsThis proves the contraction and Leibniz rule properties for all smooth generators, without needing straightening coordinates.
The suggested flow-box theorem applies locally only where . For example vanishes at , so it cannot equal a coordinate basis vector there. Its local flow is nevertheless and , giving even at that zero. This Lie derivative at a zero of its generator illustrates why the general flow proof is needed to cover every point.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 3 10A b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the positive graph . The printed PDF bounds are , so its projection is the annulus . The surface is the corresponding band of the upper sheet of a two-sheeted hyperboloid, bounded by circles of radii and at heights and .
The upper hyperboloid band between heights square root of two and square root of five, with annular projection
. For the parametrization , its tangent vectors are and . Their cross product gives the upward vector surface element of a graph:Its magnitude gives the scalar surface area of a graph:Both formulas apply on . Reversing the orientation changes only the sign of the vector element.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 3 12A b ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Let be rotation through about , and let be rotation through about . These generate the order-six dihedral group with relationsnamely . We specify its order explicitly because dihedral notation has two conventions. It is a proper finite subgroup of the full axial rotation group.
To see that it is sufficient, write a general matrix in blocks . Commutation with forces , since a nontrivial planar -degree rotation fixes no nonzero planar vector. Its planar part is , with nonzero sine, so must commute with and has the form . Commutation with again kills . Hence this six-element subgroup has precisely the required invariant tensors.
It is also smallest by order. Groups of orders are cyclic: a nonidentity element has order dividing the prime group order by Lagrange theorem. For a cyclic rotation subgroup, the nonzero antisymmetric tensor representing cross product with its rotation-axis direction is invariant, so it cannot force the symmetric form above. The trivial subgroup plainly imposes no constraint. A group of order four is either cyclic or has three nonidentity elements of order two; in the latter case they commute, since and also equals . Commuting distinct half-turns in three dimensions have perpendicular axes: conjugation by one half-turn must preserve the other's axis, and a distinct preserved axis lies in its perpendicular plane. In the specified axial group, their three axes are consequently and two perpendicular horizontal directions. In coordinates along them every diagonal matrix is invariant, including one with unequal horizontal entries. Such a group again does not force the required form.
Thus the smallest subgroup has six elements, generated by the axial -degree rotation and one horizontal half-turn. It is the smallest axial rotation group forcing second-rank transverse isotropy; conjugating the horizontal axis gives equally valid choices.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 3 12A c ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The antisymmetric part need not be a tensor. Its contraction with every symmetric test is zero, so the premise imposes no transformation law on it. This is the blindness of symmetric contraction tests to antisymmetric arrays, now with a third free index.
For a concrete example, prescribe the same numerical array in every orthonormal frame, with onlynonzero, and take . Every contraction vanishes, and the zero result is a genuine vector in every frame. But under the rank-three tensor transformation law would send the component to , whereas our framewise prescription leaves it equal to . Thus the array is not a tensor despite satisfying every stipulated contraction test. An antisymmetric part could be a tensor if an additional transformation law were supplied; it is simply not forced to be one.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 3 12A c i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Split the array in its first two slots:For every symmetric second-rank tensor , antisymmetry gives . Hence the stipulated vector equals .
Let change the orthonormal frame, so . The vector transformation law givesfor every symmetric test . Both coefficient arrays in are symmetric, so equality against every symmetric matrix forces equality of the coefficients; one may test the individual diagonal entries and the symmetric off-diagonal basis matrices. Multiplying by and using orthogonality yieldsThis is exactly the rank-three tensor law. It is the symmetric-test criterion for a third-rank Cartesian tensor, a form of the quotient theorem for Cartesian tensors. Equivalently one may test for arbitrary vectors and apply the quotient theorem twice.
