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1997 Paper 3 Q8
D: 1700.0 B: 1484.0

Let \(R_{\alpha}\) be the \(2\times2\) matrix that represents a rotation through the angle \(\alpha\) and let $$A=\begin{pmatrix}a&b\\b&c\end{pmatrix}.$$

  1. Find in terms of \(a\), \(b\) and \(c\) an angle \(\alpha\) such that \(R_{-\alpha}AR_{\alpha}\) is a diagonal matrix (i.e. has the value zero in top-right and bottom-left positions).
  2. Find values of \(a\), \(b\) and \(c\) such that the equation of the ellipse \[x^2+(y+2x\cot2\theta)^2=1\qquad(0 < \theta < \tfrac{1}{4}\pi)\] can be expressed in the form \[\begin{pmatrix}x&y\end{pmatrix}A\begin{pmatrix}x\\y\end{pmatrix}=1.\] Show that, for this \(A\), \(R_{-\alpha}AR_{\alpha}\) is diagonal if \(\alpha=\theta\). Express the non--zero elements of this matrix in terms of \(\theta\).
  3. Deduce, or show otherwise, that the minimum and maximum distances from the centre to the circumference of this ellipse are \(\tan\theta\) and \(\cot\theta\).


Solution: \begin{questionparts} \item \begin{align*} R_{-\alpha}AR_{\alpha} &= \begin{pmatrix} \cos \alpha & \sin\alpha \\ -\sin \alpha & \cos \alpha \end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix} a & b \\ b & c \end{pmatrix} \begin{pmatrix} \cos \alpha & -\sin\alpha \\ \sin \alpha & \cos \alpha \end{pmatrix} \\ &= \begin{pmatrix} \cos \alpha & \sin\alpha \\ -\sin \alpha & \cos \alpha \end{pmatrix} \begin{pmatrix} a\cos \alpha + b \sin \alpha & -a\sin\alpha + b \cos\alpha \\ b\cos\alpha + c \sin\alpha & c\cos\alpha-b\sin\alpha \end{pmatrix} \\ &= \begin{pmatrix} a\cos^2\alpha+2b\sin\alpha\cos\alpha+c\sin^2\alpha & -a\sin\alpha\cos \alpha+b\cos^2\alpha +c\sin\alpha\cos\alpha-b\sin^2 \alpha\\ (c-a)\sin\alpha\cos \alpha +b(\cos^2\alpha-\sin^2 \alpha) & a\sin^2 \alpha -2b\sin\alpha\cos\alpha+c\cos^2\alpha \end{pmatrix} \\ &= \begin{pmatrix} * & \frac{c-a}{2}\sin2\alpha+b \cos 2\alpha\\\frac{c-a}{2}\sin2\alpha+b \cos 2\alpha & * \end{pmatrix} \end{align*} Therefore this will be diagonal if \(\tan 2\alpha = \frac{2b}{a-c} \Rightarrow \alpha = \frac12 \tan^{-1} \l \frac{2b}{a-c} \r\) \item \begin{align*} x^2+(y+2x\cot2\theta)^2 &= x^2(1 + 4\cot^22\theta) + 4\cot2\theta xy + y^2 \\ &= \begin{pmatrix}x&y\end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix} 1 + 4\cot^22\theta & 2\cot 2\theta \\ 2\cot 2\theta & 1 \end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}x\\y\end{pmatrix} \end{align*} Plugging this \(\mathbf{A}\) in our result from before we discover \begin{align*} \frac12 \tan^{-1} \l \frac{2b}{a-c} \r &= \frac12 \tan^{-1} \l \frac{4\cot 2\theta}{1 + 4\cot^22\theta-1} \r \\ &= \frac12 \tan^{-1} \l \tan 2 \theta \r \\ &= \theta \end{align*} Therefore, the matrix will be: \begin{align*} & \textrm{diag}\begin{pmatrix} (1+4\cot^2 2\theta)\cos^2 \theta + 4\cot2\theta \sin\theta\cos\theta + \sin^2 \theta \\ (1+4\cot^2 2\theta)\sin^2 \theta - 4\cot2\theta \sin\theta\cos\theta + \cos^2 \theta \end{pmatrix} \\ =& \textrm{diag}\begin{pmatrix} \cos^2\theta + \frac{\cos^2 2\theta}{\sin^2 \theta} + 2\cos 2\theta + \sin^2 \theta \\ \sin^2\theta + \frac{\cos^2 2\theta}{\cos^2 \theta} - 2\cos 2\theta + \cos^2 \theta \end{pmatrix} \\ =& \textrm{diag}\begin{pmatrix} 1 + \cos 2\theta \l \frac{\cos2\theta}{\sin^2 \theta} + 2\r \\ 1 + \cos 2\theta \l \frac{\cos2\theta}{\cos^2 \theta} - 2\r \\ \end{pmatrix} \\ =& \textrm{diag}\begin{pmatrix} 1 + \cos 2\theta \l \frac{\cos^2 \theta + \sin^2 \theta}{\sin^2 \theta}\r \\ 1 -\cos 2\theta \l \frac{-\cos^2 \theta - \sin^2 \theta}{\cos^2 \theta}\r \\ \end{pmatrix} \\ =& \textrm{diag}\begin{pmatrix} 1 + (\cos^2\theta - \sin^2 \theta) \cosec^2 \theta \\ 1 - (\cos^2\theta - \sin^2 \theta) \sec^2 \theta \\ \end{pmatrix} \\ =& \textrm{diag}\begin{pmatrix} \cot^2 \theta \\ \tan^2 \theta \\ \end{pmatrix} \\ \end{align*} Therefore this is a rotation of an ellipse with equation: \((\cot \theta x)^2 + (\tan \theta y)^2 = 1\), ie the shortest side and longest side are \(\cot \theta\) and \(\tan \theta\) respectively, but we know since \(0 < \theta < \tfrac{1}{4}\pi\) the shortest will be \(\tan \theta\) and the longest \(\cot \theta\).

1993 Paper 2 Q10
D: 1600.0 B: 1500.0

Verify that if \[ \mathbf{P}=\begin{pmatrix}1 & 2\\ 2 & -1 \end{pmatrix}\qquad\mbox{ and }\qquad\mathbf{A}=\begin{pmatrix}-1 & 8\\ 8 & 11 \end{pmatrix} \] then \(\mathbf{PAP}\) is a diagonal matrix. Put $\mathbf{x}=\begin{pmatrix}x\\ y \end{pmatrix}\( and \)\mathbf{x}_{1}=\begin{pmatrix}x_{1}\\ y_{1} \end{pmatrix}.$ By writing \[ \mathbf{x}=\mathbf{P}\mathbf{x}_{1}+\mathbf{a} \] for a suitable vector \(\mathbf{a},\) show that the equation \[ \mathbf{x}^{\mathrm{T}}\mathbf{Ax}+\mathbf{b}^{\mathrm{T}}\mathbf{x}-11=0, \] where $\mathbf{b}=\begin{pmatrix}18\\ 6 \end{pmatrix}\( and \) \mathbf{x}^{\mathrm{T}} \( is the transpose of \)\mathbf{x},$ becomes \[ 3x_{1}^{2}-y_{1}^{2}=c \] for some constant \(c\) (which you should find).


Solution: \begin{align*} \mathbf{PAP} &= \begin{pmatrix}1 & 2\\ 2 & -1 \end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}-1 & 8\\ 8 & 11 \end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}1 & 2\\ 2 & -1 \end{pmatrix} \\ &= \begin{pmatrix}1 & 2\\ 2 & -1 \end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}15 & -10\\ 30 & 5 \end{pmatrix} \\ &= \begin{pmatrix}75 & 0\\ 0 & -25 \end{pmatrix} \end{align*} Which is diagonal as required. Letting \(\mathbf{x}=\mathbf{P}\mathbf{x}_{1}+\mathbf{a}\) \begin{align*} && \mathbf{x}^{\mathrm{T}}\mathbf{Ax}+\mathbf{b}^{\mathrm{T}}\mathbf{x}-11&=0 \\ \Leftrightarrow && (\mathbf{P}\mathbf{x}_{1}+\mathbf{a})^T\mathbf{A}(\mathbf{P}\mathbf{x}_{1}+\mathbf{a}) + \mathbf{b}^T(\mathbf{P}\mathbf{x}_{1}+\mathbf{a}) - 11 &= 0 \\ \Leftrightarrow && \mathbf{x}_{1}^T\mathbf{PAP}\mathbf{x}_1 + \mathbf{x}_{1}^T\mathbf{PAa} + \mathbf{a}^T\mathbf{AP}\mathbf{x}_{1}+\mathbf{a}^T\mathbf{Aa} + \mathbf{b}^T(\mathbf{P}\mathbf{x}_{1}+\mathbf{a}) - 11 &= 0 \\ \Leftrightarrow && \mathbf{x}_{1}^T\mathbf{PAP}\mathbf{x}_1 +(2\mathbf{a}^T\mathbf{A}+\mathbf{b}^T)\mathbf{P}\mathbf{x}_{1}+\mathbf{a}^T\mathbf{Aa} + \mathbf{b}^T\mathbf{a} - 11 &= 0 \\ \end{align*} It would be nice if we picked \(\mathbf{a}\) such that \(2\mathbf{a}^T\mathbf{A}+\mathbf{b}^T = 0\), if \(\mathbf{a} = \begin{pmatrix} a_1 \\a_2 \end{pmatrix}\) then this equation becomes: \begin{align*} && 2\begin{pmatrix}-a_1 + 8a_2 & 8a_1+11a_2 \end{pmatrix} + \begin{pmatrix}18 & 6 \end{pmatrix} &= 0 \\ \Rightarrow && a_1 = 1, a_2 = -1 \end{align*} So our equation is now \begin{align*} && \mathbf{x}_{1}^T\mathbf{PAP}\mathbf{x}_1 +(2\mathbf{a}^T\mathbf{A}+\mathbf{b}^T)\mathbf{P}\mathbf{x}_{1}+\mathbf{a}^T\mathbf{Aa} + \mathbf{b}^T\mathbf{a} - 11 &= 0 \\ \Leftrightarrow && \mathbf{x}_{1}^T\mathbf{PAP}\mathbf{x}_1-6 +12 - 11 &= 0 \\ \Leftrightarrow && 25(3x_1^2 - y_1^2) &= 5 \\ \Leftrightarrow && 3x_1^2 - y_1^2 &= \frac{1}{5} \end{align*}