Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ib Paper 2 11F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Path-connected means every pair is joined by a continuous map from ; a separation would pull back to a separation of an interval, so it implies connectedness. One valid boundary pair follows the bottom then right edges and the left then top edges. If opposite-corner paths were disjoint, normalising a continuous separation vector would construct the forbidden map , so they intersect. A path in between the other corners, together with a path in between its corners, would contradict that intersection result; hence those corners lie in different path components.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ib Paper 2 2F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Differentiability at means for a linear map ; partial derivatives are its values on coordinate vectors. Integrating the partial derivatives along the two coordinate segments and using continuity at proves the stated sufficient condition. Here with and . Since , is differentiable everywhere. But does not approach at zero, so is exactly where .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 1 11H a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 1 30L c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Differentiate expected utility at the optimum in each portfolio direction:Rearranging gives the claimed vector identity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 1 31K a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For points , count the distinct vectors ; maximize over samples to get . The shattering coefficient equals exactly when some sample is shattered, and the largest such is .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 1 32B a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The required properties are those of a strict Lyapunov function; the domain of stability is the set of initial states whose forward trajectories converge to the fixed point.
For ,Thus when , proving that disc lies in the basin. On , (with the tangency points checked from the vector field), so trajectories outside cannot enter the basin through that boundary. Hence the basin is contained in .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 1 41B a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The power method repeatedly normalizes and estimates the eigenvalue with the Rayleigh quotient . It converges when the dominant eigenvalue is unique in modulus and the initial vector has a nonzero component in its eigendirection.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 3 15E a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Across the cut , the two conditional vectors and are linearly independent when , so the Schmidt rank exceeds one. Hence the state cannot be a three-qubit product for any .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 3 37A c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Under a coordinate change, the inhomogeneous second-derivative terms arising from each partial derivative cancel between and . The remainder transforms with one contravariant Jacobian, so the commutator is a vector field.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 4 36D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Insert and into the Lorentz force and use vector identities plus Faraday's law. Rearrangement gives . Here is field momentum density and is the Maxwell stress tensor, whose surface traction transports momentum.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 4 5K Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Write and use canonical parameter . Thenwhere . Geometrically the residual vector is orthogonal to every design column. For , use a two-sided Wald statistic (or likelihood-ratio statistic), rejecting at the corresponding normal or chi-square critical value.
For a finite set of vectors in a real vector space, its span is the set of all linear combinations:The span of the empty set is . The set is linearly independent if implies for every . It is a spanning set for if . A basis is both a linearly independent set and a spanning set.
For basis extension, start with the given linearly independent set. If it does not span , choose and adjoin it. The enlarged set remains linearly independent: a relation with would express as a linear combination of , a contradiction; if , independence of forces all other coefficients to be zero.
Repeat whenever the current span is proper. Each step increases the set's size by one, while the allowed bound says its size cannot exceed . Thus the process terminates with a linearly independent set spanning , hence a basis containing the original set. This also covers an initially empty set and the zero-dimensional vector space.
For a linear map , its kernel of a linear map and image of a linear map areIts nullity of a linear map is , and its rank of a linear map is .
Choose a basis of and extend it to a basis of . The vectors span , because applying to an arbitrary linear combination of the full basis eliminates the terms. They are also linearly independent: if , then , so for some coefficients. Independence of the extended basis forces all to vanish.
Solve for a general right-hand side . Subtracting the fourth equation from the second gives . The first and fourth then giveSubstitution into the third equation reduces the remaining condition toIf , every right-hand side therefore has a unique solution, and collecting its four coefficients yields the matrix inverseFor , the nonzero vector lies in the kernel of a linear map represented by , so is singular. Hence is invertible exactly when . The same calculation gives ; the formula above can also be checked by multiplying its numerator by to obtain .
A real number is an eigenvalue of if there is a nonzero vector with ; such a is an eigenvector for . The nonzero condition is essential.
For distinct eigenvalues , choose corresponding nonzero eigenvectors . Prove their linear independence by induction on . The claim for one vector is immediate. Given a relation , apply to getBy the induction hypothesis, every coefficient here is zero. Distinctness gives for , and the original relation then gives since . Thus the eigenvectors are linearly independent.
With distinct real eigenvalues, the real eigenvectors form a basis of . Put them into the columns of . Then is invertible andThis proves diagonalizability directly.
The rank of a linear map and nullity of a linear map areThe rank-nullity theorem states thatTo prove it, choose a basis of the kernel of a linear map and use basis extension to obtain a basisof . The vectors span the image of a linear map: applying to an arbitrary linear combination of the displayed basis removes all the terms. They are also linearly independent. Indeed,so for some scalars . The linear independence of the extended basis forces every and to vanish. Consequently and , proving the identity. The same argument covers an empty basis when one of these dimensions is zero.
For sufficiency, let be a basis of and suppose the kernel of a linear map is trivial. The vectors are linearly independent, since implies . Extend them to a basis of . Define a linear map byThen agrees with the identity operator on a basis, hence on all of . Thus a left inverse exists precisely when is injective; this is the linear left inverse criterion.
If , every would satisfy , so would be a surjective linear map. But its image of a linear map has dimension at most , whereas . Therefore no such exists. This is the obstruction to a right inverse: cannot reach every target vector.
Writing the unknown vector as , the first two linear equations give and . Substitution into the third givesThus, when , put . There is exactly one solution:When , the remaining equation is . HenceThe second case is an affine line in a vector space, so it contains infinitely many solutions. These cases exhaust all real numbers .
For , , whose row space is . For , elementary row operations give the reduced row echelon formIts row space is , whereas the image of a linear map is . These differ: belongs to the former but not the latter. Thus (A) is true exactly when . Rows are being identified with vectors in in this comparison.