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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 126 1 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For a ring homomorphism , the Module of Kähler differentials is the -module generated by symbols , subject toEquivalently, it represents -linear derivations:For , the Transitivity exact sequence for Kähler differentials isIf is surjective, the Conormal exact sequence for Kähler differentials is
Let be a finite field extension. By the primitive element theorem, its maximal separable field extension is simple, and transitivity reduces the calculation to a simple algebraic extension. If with minimal polynomial , thenThus a separable simple extension has zero differentials. Conversely, if is not separable, the purely inseparable part has a generator whose minimal polynomial has zero formal derivative in positive characteristic, producing a nonzero differential. Hence
Now let . If , , and , then the minimal polynomial is and has zero derivative, soIf , where , , and , then . Both defining equations have zero derivative, and
- In (i), and relative to , so
- In (ii), and vanish relatively, whence
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 5 c Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The three-isogeny descent connecting map, identified through the Weil pairing with , isThe long exact sequence attached to makes it a group homomorphism withThe function from part (b) gives the explicit formulaAt , the value is the leading coefficient of relative to the local parameter , since gives . At the ordinary formula gives , whose class is the inverse of because is a cube.
Let be the primes dividing . For a prime , useIf , then is an -adic unit, so . If , then , so . In either case is divisible by three; the special values at and have the same property. ThereforeWhen , this power-class group is trivial: a rational number whose valuation at every prime is divisible by three is a cube up to sign, and . Thus is trivial, its kernel is all of , and
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 5 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
On , takeThe line meets the cubic three times at , while has a triple pole at the point at infinity. HenceWith , part (a) givesTaking divisors and cancelling the factor three yieldsPullback on degree-zero divisor classes is the dual isogeny, so the pulled-back class is represented by . It is principal, and therefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 5 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
An isogeny of elliptic curves is a nonconstant morphism preserving identity points; it is automatically a finite surjective group homomorphism. On the affine chart , putThe equation of is , and the proposed map isIt lands on becauseThe rational formulas extend across to a morphism sending to . It is nonconstant, hence an isogeny. On function fields, satisfies , so the degree is at most three; generically the three cube roots give three distinct preimages. Equivalently, the points with form its three-element geometric kernel. Therefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 4 c Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For a reduced rational number with , the height of a rational number isCondition (i) holds because only finitely many coprime integer pairs have bounded maximum.
Condition (iii) also holds. The standard height inequalitygivesCondition (ii) fails: for positive integers ,whose absolute value is unbounded. Thus precisely conditions hold. This is consistent with although the additive group is not finitely generated.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 4 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
If is finitely generated, the structure theorem for finitely generated modules over a principal ideal domain immediately makes finite.
Conversely, first replace the given height by a quadratic one. SetCondition (ii) makes this limit converge and givesThus still has finite bounded subsets. Condition (i) also gives a global lower bound for , so . Applying condition (iii) to , dividing by and passing to the limit gives one direction of the parallelogram identity. Applying the same inequality to and , and using , gives the reverse direction. Henceand induction yields for every integer .
Now suppose is finite and choose representatives . Put . For any , write . Nonnegativity and the parallelogram identity giveso, since ,Repeated division modulo therefore reaches the finite set . Reversing the recursion expresses every element of using and the finitely many . This is the height descent lemma, and proves
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 4 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The natural maphas finite image by hypothesis. It remains to bound its kernel. If becomes for , thenis a one-cocycle for . Changing by an -torsion point changes this cocycle by a coboundary, producing a well-defined map from the kernel toIf its cohomology class is zero, subtracting the corresponding torsion point from makes Galois fixed, so . The map is therefore injective. Both and are finite, so this group cohomology set is finite. A finite kernel and finite image give
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 3 c Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
An integral Weierstrass equation has good reduction outside the finitely many primes dividing its nonzero discriminant. This proves finiteness of the set of bad primes. To prove finiteness of rational torsion, choose two distinct good primes. The reduction of torsion points on an elliptic curve injects each primary component at a good prime of different residue characteristic, so the two finite reduced point groups bound every primary component of .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 3 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For a minimal integral Weierstrass equation, let be the reduced cubic and its nonsingular points, with their induced group law. Define the filtration of elliptic-curve points over a local field byandThe parameter identifies with the formal group of an elliptic curve on . Part (a) therefore gives . Reduction restricts to the exact sequenceIts restriction to -torsion has trivial kernel, yielding the injection
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 3 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
A one-dimensional commutative formal group law over is a power series satisfyingA morphism is a series satisfyingIf , the invertible morphism criterion for formal group laws says that is an isomorphism whenever . Indeed, recursive coefficient comparison constructs a unique compositional inverse ; applying to the morphism identity shows that is a morphism in the opposite direction.
The multiplication series hasSince , its linear coefficient is a unit, so is an automorphism of the group . Its kernel is therefore zero, and
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 2 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For , direct counting givesNeither group order is divisible by , so neither group contains a point of order .
At the Frobenius trace is zero. The elliptic-curve point count over a finite field has trace recurrenceFor every , this order is congruent to one modulo . Consequently has no point of order for any .
At , the trace is . On , Frobenius has characteristic polynomialIts discriminant is , a nonsquare in , so its two distinct eigenvalues lie in . Their orders divide , whence on . Thus all of is rational over , and in particular a point of order exists over some extension with .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 2 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The Hasse theorem for elliptic curves states that, for an elliptic curve over ,Let be the Frobenius isogeny of an elliptic curve and put . The fixed points of are , and is separable, soHence the trace of an elliptic-curve endomorphism iswhile .
The degree on is a nonnegative quadratic form. Polarization and the identities for the dual isogeny give, for integers ,If , this real binary quadratic form is indefinite. An open cone on which it is negative contains a nonzero rational point and therefore a nonzero integer point, contradicting nonnegativity of isogeny degree. Thus , which is exactly the claimed inequality.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 125 1 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let be a smooth plane cubic whose identity is an inflection point. A line through and , using the tangent when , has a third intersection counted with multiplicity. The chord-and-tangent group law defines by drawing the line through and and taking its third intersection.
The clean verification of the group axioms uses divisors. The line at infinity meets a Weierstrass cubic in , so three collinear points satisfyConsequently the mapsends the chord-and-tangent construction to addition of divisor classes. The principal divisor criterion on an elliptic curve shows that this map is bijective. Associativity and commutativity therefore follow from the abelian group law on . The tangent convention handles repeated intersections, represents the zero class, and the third point on the line through and represents the inverse of . Hence all group axioms hold.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 124 4 iii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
We give the Agrawal–Biswas primality test, which has one-sided error. Small inputs and perfect powers can first be recognized deterministically. For every remaining integer , put and choose a uniformly random monic polynomialUsing repeated squaring in the quotient ring , test the identityThis takes time polynomial in because every intermediate polynomial has degree below .
If is prime, the intermediate binomial coefficients are divisible by , so the identity always holds. Now suppose that is composite and is not a prime power. Choose a prime divisor and write with and . Over ,because an intermediate coefficient equal to is nonzero modulo . Henceis a nonzero polynomial of degree below over .
Reduction of random modulo is uniform among the monic degree- polynomials. The polynomial has at most distinct monic irreducible factors of degree . On the other hand, the number of monic irreducibles of degree obeys the standard lower boundWhenever is one of these irreducibles but does not divide , the tested congruence fails. Thus one trial detects compositeness with probability at leastafter the finitely many small are handled directly. Repeating times makes the probability of missing a composite less than , while a prime is never rejected. Therefore compositeness is in RP, and primality testing is in
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 124 4 ii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
First suppose . Run the RP algorithm for and the RP algorithm for its complement with fresh random bits. If the first accepts, output one; if the second accepts, output zero; otherwise repeat. Neither output can be wrong, and on every input the appropriate algorithm accepts in each round with probability at least . The number of rounds is dominated by a geometric distribution of mean two, so this is an always-correct algorithm with polynomial expected running time.
Conversely, let be always correct when it halts and have expected running time at most . Run it for steps. Markov inequality givesAccept exactly when halts and outputs one; this is an RP algorithm for . Accepting exactly when it halts and outputs zero is an RP algorithm for the complement. Thereforeis equivalent to zero-error expected polynomial time.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 124 4 i Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
A language belongs to RP when a polynomial-time randomized algorithm rejects every and accepts every with probability at least .
Amplify the algorithm on length- inputs with independent repetitions, accepting if any repetition accepts. Its error on each positive input is at most , while it still never accepts a negative input. Choose all random bits for all repetitions in advance. By the union bound, the probability that this one fixed choice fails on at least one of the at most positive strings is at mostThus some random string works simultaneously for every input of length . Hardwire that string into the polynomial-time computation and compile it into a Boolean circuit. The resulting polynomial-size circuit family decides , proving
Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project
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Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
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- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
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Figure 2. You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either OurBigBook.com or as a static website.Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 5. . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally. Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
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