A10285W1

FIRST PUBLIC EXAMINATION

Trinity Term

Preliminary Examination in Physics

Paper CP3: MATHEMATICAL METHODS 1

also

Preliminary Examination in Physics and Philosophy

Wednesday 8 June 2022, 2.30 pm – 5.00 pm

Time allowed: 2 21 hours

Answer all of Section A and three questions from Section B.

Start the answer to each question on a new page.

The use of calculators is not permitted.

The numbers in the margin indicate the weight that the Moderators expect to
assign to each part of the question.

Do NOT turn over until told that you may do so.

1
 Section A

1. Vector r can be expressed in terms of basis vectors a, b and c (where a.(b×c) 6= 0)

in two ways:

r = λ1 a + λ2 b + λ3 c ;
r = µ 1 b × c + µ2 c × a + µ3 a × b .

Find the coordinates λ1 and µ1 in terms of vector r and basis vectors a, b and c. [3]

2. By making an appropriate substitution, solve for y(x) the equation

dy y3 y
2 = 3 −2 . [6]
dx x x

3. Find all roots of cos(z) = i in the form z = x + iy where x and y are real. [6]

4. A particle moving in one dimension is subject to gravitational and frictional forces:

d2 z dz
2
= −γ −g.
dt dt
The particle is projected from the origin with vertical velocity dz/dt = v0 at time t = 0.
Find the velocity of the particle at later times. [6]

5. Consider the following transformation matrices:

     √ √ 
cos θ − sin θ 0 1 0 0 −2 − 6 − 6
√
1
A =  sin θ cos θ 0  ; B =  0 1 0  ; C =  √6 1 −3  .
4
0 0 1 0 0 −1 6 −3 1

(i) What are the effects on a general vector r of multiplication by A and (sepa-
rately) by B?
(ii) An “improper rotation” comprises a rotation about some axis (a “proper
rotation”) then reflection in a plane perpendicular to that axis. Matrix C represents
a general rotation operation. Without attempting to transform C to a new coordinate
system, determine whether it represents a proper or improper rotation and the angle of
rotation. Explain your reasoning. [8]

6. The charge Q on a capacitor in series with an inductor, a resistor and a voltage

source obeys the differential equation

d2 Q dQ Q
L 2
+R + =0
dt dt C
where R2 < 4L/C. Solve for Q(t > 0) where, at t = 0, the charge on the capacitor is
Qo and the current (dQ/dt) is zero. [5]

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 7. A vector addition operation ⊕ is defined for the set of n-dimensional vectors, Rn ,
by
x⊕y ≡x+y−a
where a is a fixed vector and the addition and subtraction operations on the right hand
side are defined conventionally.
(i) Find the “null vector” 0 and x0 , the inverse of general vector x, such that

x ⊕ 0 = x,
x ⊕ x0 = 0 .

(ii) Construct a corresponding scalar multiplication operation such that Rn ,

together with operations ⊕ and , forms a vector space over the field R and show that,
with these definitions, scalar multiplication is distributive over vector addition ⊕. (It
is not necessary to test all properties of the vector space.) [6]

Section B

8. (a) In each of the following cases describe the locus of points defined by the
three-dimensional position vector r such that

(i) |r − a| = c
R×a
(ii) r=c
|R||a|

where R is a variable vector (variable in both magnitude and direction), a is a constant

vector and c is a constant scalar. [6]
(b) Lines L1 , L2 are defined in vector form as r = a + λb and r = c + µd
respectively where a, b, c and d are constant vectors and λ, µ are variable scalar
parameters.
(i) Write down the vector joining general points on L1 and L2 . [1]
(ii) Show that the shortest distance between these lines is given by (a − c).n where

b×d
n= .
|b × d| [2]

iii) Find λ as a function of a, b, c and d at the point at which L1 is closest to L2 . [6]

(c) Points on two lines satisfy the equations

(4 − y) (z − 1)
(x − 3) = =
2 3
and
(x − 2) (z − 5)
= (y + 1) =
α 2
where α is an undetermined constant. What is the value of α for which the lines
intersect? [5]

A10285W1 3 [Turn over]

 9. (a) Find, in the form r exp(iθ), all values of complex number z which satisfy the
following equations. Plot these solutions in the Argand diagram.
√
(i) z 5 = 1 + 3i
√ i
(ii) z = 2(1 + i)
 
z−1
(iii) Re =0
z+1
[12]
(b) By considering the binomial expansion of (1 + eiθ )N , or otherwise, show that
N      
X N N θ
N Nθ
sin(nθ + φ) = 2 cos sin +φ
n 2 2
n=0
   
N N!
where represents the binomial coefficient .
n (N − n)!n! [8]

10. (a) Matrices U, V are unitary. Show that their product UV is also unitary. [2]
(b) Matrix M and its adjoint M† have the same set of eigenvalues λi but different
eigenvectors (ui , vi respectively):

Mui = λi ui ;
M† vi = λi vi .

Show that vi† uj = 0 for λ∗i 6= λj . [4]

(c) A matrix A can be transformed from one orthonormal basis to another by
the unitary transformation A0 = U† AU. State the corresponding transformation for
column vector x. For the specific examples
   
0 0 i 1
A= 0 3 0  , x= 1  ,
−i 0 0 1

construct a symmetric, unitary matrix U that can be used to transform A to a basis in

which it is diagonal and find transformed matrix A0 and vector x0 in this basis. [14]

A10285W1 4
 11. a) Find the general solution of the equation

dy xy
=√ .
dx 1 + x2
[3]
b) Solve the equation
dy
2x − y = x3
dx
subject to the boundary condition y(1) = 1. [5]
c) Find the general solution of the equation

d2 y dy
−2 + (β 2 + 1)y = ex (1 + cos x)
dx2 dx
where β is a real constant:
i) for β 2 6= 1;
ii) for β 2 = 1. [12]

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