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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 310 1 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
In cosmic time, all three Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker metrics can be writtenwhereThe closed spatial slice is a three-sphere of radius , soThe complete flat and open spatial slices are noncompact and have
For a homogeneous fluid in the Spatially flat FLRW metric, the equations in part (a) reduce to the cosmological perfect-fluid continuity equationwhile homogeneity makes the spatial relativistic Euler equation automatic. The Einstein field equations give the flat Friedmann equation and Friedmann acceleration equation,equivalently .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 310 1 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
A perfect fluid in general relativity has stress-energy tensorwhere . Besides the metric tensor, one needs the energy density , the pressure , and three independent components of the normalized four-velocity : five scalar functions of spacetime in total.
The four equations of stress-energy conservation, , split parallel and perpendicular to intoAn equation of state, such as a barotropic equation of state , supplies the fifth relation needed to close the evolution.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 307 3 e Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
The equivariant supertrace is independent of because positive-energy bosonic and fermionic states pair under the supercharge. Take the short-time limit . A finite-action path becomes constant, but the twisted boundary condition then requires ; its constant saddles are exactly the fixed-point set . Supersymmetry cancels the nonzero bosonic and fermionic fluctuations away from their zero modes. Consequently the path integral localizes to a tubular neighborhood of , with the remaining Gaussian determinants giving the local fixed-point contribution to the equivariant index theorem.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 307 3 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
The insertion of makes the fermions periodic, while the isometry twists both fields by its action on and its differential on the tangent bundle. ThusThe path integral with these boundary conditions represents the equivariant supertrace .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 307 3 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
The quantized fermions obey a Clifford algebra, . When is a spin manifold, they act on the spinor bundle andthe Hilbert space of square-integrable spinor fields. The supercharge becomes the Dirac operator, the Hamiltonian is one half of its square, and because is even dimensional, is the spinor chirality operator.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 307 3 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
Substitution of and into the covariant component action leaves a total time derivative; the connection-dependent terms cancel by metric compatibility and the symmetry of the Levi-Civita connection. The boundary term vanishes for the stated decay. The Noether charge isup to the overall convention inherited from the supersymmetry parameter. Its graded square gives the Hamiltonian, after canonical quantization.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 307 3 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
Expand , , and . Performing the Berezin integral givesAfter a fermionic integration by parts, this is the manifestly covariant expressionUnder a diffeomorphism, is a point of , is a tangent vector, is its covariant derivative along a curve, and every index is contracted with the Riemannian metric; the action is therefore invariant.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 307 2 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
Diagonalize with eigenvalues and use the periodic Fourier seriesEach Berezin integral contributes its quadratic coefficient, soPairing with and using the infinite product for the hyperbolic sine gives, up to the local regularization factor,The product of the prefactors is because is traceless. ThusThis agrees with the direct identity that the supertrace of an induced linear map on an exterior algebra is its characteristic determinant.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 307 2 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
The coherent-state representation of an ordinary fermionic trace identifies the endpoints with a minus sign, producing antiperiodic fields. Inserting fermion parity supplies a second minus sign. The resulting fermionic path integral therefore hasand its time-sliced coherent-state action is precisely . This proves the stated supertrace representation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 307 2 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
The Hilbert space is the fermionic Fock spaceIn a polarization where acts by exterior multiplication and by contraction, a general state isThe fermion number operator returns the exterior degree, and therefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 307 2 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
The first-order kinetic term makes and canonically conjugate Grassmann variables. Canonical quantization gives the canonical anticommutation relations
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 305 4 e Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
For one generation, the Standard Model representation content under iswith no right-handed neutrino. For , three generations give from the two left-handed quark flavors and from the two right-handed quark flavors, while . ThereforeFor , each generation supplies three colored quark doublets and one lepton doublet, so , , and the single complex Higgs doublet gives . Hence
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 305 4 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
Direct integration between the two renormalization scales gives
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 305 4 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
Integrating the renormalization-group beta function and defining by givessoThe scale is the QCD scale in this one-loop approximation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 305 4 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
Since , the stated renormalization-group beta function impliesFor , the running coupling decreases at high energy: the theory is asymptotically free and becomes strong in the infrared, as in Quantum chromodynamics. For , it is infrared free but grows toward an ultraviolet Landau pole.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 305 3 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
The result grows linearly with the squared centre-of-momentum energy, . This growth eventually violates partial-wave unitarity and signals the breakdown of the pointlike Fermi interaction. At energies comparable to or , the full gauge-boson propagators must replace the contact interaction; the renormalizable electroweak theory then softens the high-energy behavior.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 305 3 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
A Fierz rearrangement puts the charged-current operator in the same current ordering as the neutral-current operator. Accounting for the interchange of fermionic fields, the combined amplitude isSum over final spins and average over the initial electron spin. The fermion spin sum and gamma-matrix trace identities giveFor massless two-body scattering in the centre-of-momentum frame, and . Integrating therefore yieldsConsequently
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 305 3 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-03
The first four-fermion operator is the low-energy Fermi interaction obtained by replacing the crossed propagator in the charged-current diagram by . The second operator is obtained analogously from the -exchange weak neutral current; and are its electron vector and axial-vector couplings. Thus the two terms represent respectively the charged-current and neutral-current diagrams in part (v), with their interference retained when the amplitude is squared.
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