A particle rests at a point \(A\) on a horizontal table and is joined to a point \(O\) on the table by a taut inextensible string of length \(c\). The particle is projected vertically upwards at a speed \(64\surd(6gc)\). It next strikes the table at a point \(B\) and rebounds. The coefficient of restitution for any impact between the particle and the table is \({1\over 2}\). After rebounding at \(B\), the particle will rebound alternately at \(A\) and \(B\) until the string becomes slack. Show that when the string becomes slack the particle is at height \(c/2\) above the table. Determine whether the first rebound between \(A\) and \(B\) is nearer to \(A\) or to \(B\).
Solution: \begin{align*} \text{N2}(radially): && T + mg \cos \theta &= m\frac{v^2}{r} \\ \Rightarrow && v^2-gc \cos \theta &\geq 0 \\ \text{COE}: && \frac12 m u^2 &= \frac12mv^2 + mgc\cos \theta \\ \Rightarrow && u^2 &= v^2 + 2gc\cos \theta \\ && u^2 &\geq gc \cos \theta+2gc\cos \theta \\ \Rightarrow && u^2 &\geq 3gc\cos \theta \end{align*} Therefore it will complete bounces with the string taught if it leaves the table with \(u^2 \geq 3gc\). After \(6\) bounces it will leave the table with speed \(\sqrt{6gc} > \sqrt{3gc}\) and after \(7\) bounces it will leave the table with speed \(\sqrt{\frac{3}{2} gc} < \sqrt{3 gc}\). When it leaves the table with speed \(\sqrt{\tfrac32 gc}\), the string will go slack when \begin{align*} && \tfrac32 gc &= 3gc \cos \theta \\ \Rightarrow && \cos \theta &= \frac{1}{2} \end{align*} ie at a height \(c\cos \theta = \frac12c\) above the table. Once the string goes slack, the particle travels under circular motion, \begin{align*} && u^2 &= \frac12 gc \\ \Rightarrow && u_\rightarrow &= \sqrt{\tfrac12 gc} \cos \theta \\ && u_{\uparrow} &= \sqrt{\tfrac12 gc} \sin \theta \\ \Rightarrow && s &= ut - \tfrac12 gt^2 \\ \Rightarrow && -\frac{c}{2} &= \sqrt{\tfrac12 gc} \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} t - \tfrac12 g t^2 \\ \Rightarrow && t &= \sqrt{\frac{c}{g}} \left ( \frac{\sqrt{6}+\sqrt{22}}{4} \right) \\ \Rightarrow && s_{\rightarrow} &= \tfrac12 \sqrt{\tfrac12 gc} \sqrt{\frac{c}{g}} \left ( \frac{\sqrt{6}+\sqrt{22}}{4} \right) - \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}c \\ &&&= \left ( \frac{\sqrt{11}-3\sqrt{3}}{8} \right)c \\ \end{align*} We need to establish whether this position is positive or negative (ie if we cross the centre line. Clearly \(\sqrt{11} < 3\sqrt{3}\) so we haven't crossed the centre line and we land closer to where we took off. Since it's the 7th take off, this is closer to \(B\).
The probability of throwing a head with a certain coin is \(p\) and the probability of throwing a tail is \(q=1-p\). The coin is thrown until at least two heads and at least two tails have been thrown; this happens when the coin has been thrown \(N\) times. Write down an expression for the probability that \(N=n\). Show that the expectation of \(N\) is $$ 2\bigg({1\over pq} -1-pq\bigg). $$
Solution: This can either occur via \(N-2\) heads and \(1\) tail in the first \(N-1\) flips, followed by a tail, or \(N-2\) tails and \(1\) head in the first \(N-1\) flips, followed by another head, ie \begin{align*} \mathbb{P}(N = n) &= \underbrace{\binom{n-1}{1}}_{\text{ways to choose when the first tail occurs}}p^{n-2}q^2 + \underbrace{\binom{n-1}{1}}_{\text{ways to choose when the first head occurs}}q^{n-2}p^2 \\ &= (n-1)p^2q^2(p^{n-4}+q^{n-4}) \\ \\ \mathbb{E}(N) &= \sum_{n=4}^{\infty} n \cdot \mathbb{P}(N = n) \\ &= \sum_{n=4}^{\infty} n \cdot (n-1)p^2q^2(p^{n-4}+q^{n-4}) \\ &= \sum_{n=4}^{\infty} n \cdot (n-1)(p^{n-2}q^2+q^{n-2}p^2) \\ &= q^2\sum_{n=4}^{\infty} n(n-1)p^{n-2}+p^2\sum_{n=4}^{\infty} n(n-1)q^{n-2} \\ &= q^2\left ( \sum_{n=2}^{\infty} n(n-1)p^{n-2} -2 \cdot 1 - 3 \cdot 2 \cdot p\right)+p^2\left ( \sum_{n=2}^{\infty} n(n-1)q^{n-2} - 2-6q\right) \\ &= q^2\left ( 2(1-p)^{-3} -2 - 6 p\right)+p^2\left ( 2(1-q)^{-3} - 2-6q\right) \\ &= q^2\left ( 2q^{-3} -2 - 6 p\right)+p^2\left ( 2p^{-3} - 2-6q\right) \\ &= \frac{2}{q} - 2q^2 - 6pq^2+\frac{2}{p} -2p^2-6p^2q \\ &= \frac{2}{q}+\frac2p - 2(p^2+q^2) - 6pq \\ &= \frac{2}{pq} - 2((p+q)^2-2pq) - 6pq \\ &= \frac{2}{pq} - 2 -2pq \\ &= 2 \left (\frac1{pq} - 1 - pq \right) \end{align*}
The time taken for me to set an acceptable examination question it \(T\) hours. The distribution of \(T\) is a truncated normal distribution with probability density \(\f\) where \[ \mathrm{f}(t)=\begin{cases} \dfrac{1}{k\sigma\sqrt{2\pi}}\exp\left(-\dfrac{1}{2}\left(\dfrac{t-\sigma}{\sigma}\right)^{2}\right) & \mbox{ for }t\geqslant0\\ 0 & \mbox{ for }t<0. \end{cases} \] Sketch the graph of \(\f(t)\). Show that \(k\) is approximately \(0.841\) and obtain the mean of \(T\) as a multiple of \(\sigma\). Over a period of years, I find that the mean setting time is 3 hours.
Today's date is June 26th 1992 and the day of the week is Friday. Find which day of the week was April 3rd 1905, explaining your method carefully. {[}30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31, excepting February alone which has 28 days clear and 29 in each leap year.{]}
Solution: There are \(87\) years between 1905 and 1992. Of those years, every 4th is a leap years, starting with 1908, and ending with 1992, so there are 22 leap years. There are 30 days between Apr 3 and May 3, 31 days between May 3 and Jun 3 and a further 23 days to the 26th. Therefore \(87 \times 365 + 22 \cdot 1 + 61 + 23\) total days. \(\pmod{7}\) this is \(3 \times 1 + 1 + 5 + 2 = 3\), therefore it is \(4\) week days before Friday, ie Monday.
A \(3\times3\) magic square is a \(3\times3\) array \[ \begin{array}{ccc} a & b & c\\ d & e & f\\ g & h & k \end{array} \] whose entries are the nine distinct integers \(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9\) and which has the property that all its rows, columns and main diagonals add up to the same number \(n\). (Thus \(a+b+c=d+e+f=g+h+k=a+d+g=b+e+h=c+f+k=a+e+k=c+e+g=n.)\)
Solution:
Evaluate
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Sketch the following subsets of the complex plane using Argand diagrams. Give reasons for your answers.
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Let \(\mathrm{p}_{0}(x)=(1-x)(1-x^{2})(1-x^{4}).\) Show that \((1-x)^{3}\) is a factor of \(\mathrm{p}_{0}(x).\) If \(\mathrm{p}_{1}(x)=x\mathrm{p}_{0}'(x)\) show, by considering factors of the polynomials involved, that \(\mathrm{p}_{0}'(1)=0\) and \(\mathrm{p}_{1}'(1)=0.\) By writing \(\mathrm{p}_{0}(x)\) in the form \[ \mathrm{p}_{0}(x)=c_{0}+c_{1}x+c_{2}x^{2}+c_{3}x^{3}+c_{4}x^{4}+c_{5}x^{5}+c_{6}x^{6}+c_{7}x^{7}, \] deduce that \begin{alignat*}{2} 1+2+4+7 & \quad=\quad & & 3+5+6\\ 1^{2}+2^{2}+4^{2}+7^{2} & \quad=\quad & & 3^{2}+5^{2}+6^{2}. \end{alignat*} Show that we can write the integers \(1,2,\ldots,15\) in some order as \(a_{1},a_{2},\ldots,a_{15}\) in such a way that \[ a_{1}^{r}+a_{2}^{r}+\cdots+a_{8}^{r}=a_{9}^{r}+a_{10}^{r}+\cdots+a_{15}^{r} \] for \(r=1,2,3.\)
Solution: \begin{align*} && p_0(x) &= (1-x)(1-x^2)(1-x^4) \\ &&&= (1-x)(1-x)(1+x)(1-x^2)(1+x^2) \\ &&&= (1-x)^2 (1+x)(1-x)(1+x)(1+x^2) \\ &&&= (1-x)^3 (1+x)^2 (1+x^2) \end{align*} \begin{align*} && p_0'(x) &= 3(1-x)^2(1+x)^2(1+x^2) + (1-x)^3 q(x) \\ \Rightarrow && p_0'(1) &= 3 \cdot 0 \cdots + 0 \cdots \\ &&&= 0 \\ && p_1'(x) &= p_0(x) + xp'_0(x) \\ \Rightarrow && p_1'(1) &= p_0(1) + 1\cdot p_0'(1) \\ &&&= 0 + 1 \cdot 0 \\ &&&= 0 \end{align*} Notice that \(p_0(x) = (1-x-x^2+x^3)(1-x^4) = 1-x-x^2+x^3-x^4+x^5+x^6-x^7\), so: \(p'_0(x) = -1-2x+3x^2-4x^3+5x^4+6x^5-7x^6 \Rightarrow p'_0(1) = 0 = -1 -2 -4 -7 + 3 + 5+6\). \((xp'_1(1))' = 0 = -1^2-2^2-4^2-7^2 + 3^2 + 5^2 + 6^2\). Consider \(q_0(x) = (1-x)(1-x^2)(1-x^4)(1-x^8)\), then \((1-x)^4\) is a factor, so in particular we know \(q_0(1), (xq_0(x))'|_{x=1} = 0,(x(xq_0(x))')'|_{x=1} = 0\), and so: \(q_0(x) = 1-x-x^2+x^3-x^4+x^5+x^6-x^7 - x^8+x^9+x^{10}-x^{11}+x^{12}-x^{13}-x^{14}+x^{15}\), and so: \(1^r+2^r+4^r+7^r+8^r+11^r+13^r+14^r = 3^r+5^r+6^r+9^r+10^r+12^r+15^r\) for \(r = 1,2,3\)
Explain briefly, by means of a diagram, or otherwise, why \[ \mathrm{f}(\theta+\delta\theta)\approx\mathrm{f}(\theta)+\mathrm{f}'(\theta)\delta\theta, \] when \(\delta\theta\) is small. Two powerful telescopes are placed at points \(A\) and \(B\) which are a distance \(a\) apart. A very distant point \(C\) is such that \(AC\) makes an angle \(\theta\) with \(AB\) and \(BC\) makes an angle \(\theta+\phi\) with \(AB\) produced. (A sketch of the arrangement is given in the diagram.) \noindent
Let \(\mathrm{g}(x)=ax+b.\) Show that, if \(\mathrm{g}(0)\) and \(\mathrm{g}(1)\) are integers, then \(\mathrm{g}(n)\) is an integer for all integers \(n\). Let \(\mathrm{f}(x)=Ax^{2}+Bx+C.\) Show that, if \(\mathrm{f}(-1),\mathrm{f}(0)\) and \(\mathrm{f}(1)\) are integers, then \(\mathrm{f}(n)\) is an integer for all integers \(n\). Show also that, if \(\alpha\) is any real number and \(\mathrm{f}(\alpha-1),\) \(\mathrm{f}(\alpha)\) and \(\mathrm{f}(\alpha+1)\) are integers, then \(\mathrm{f}(\alpha+n)\) is an integer for all integers \(n\).
Solution: If \(g(0) \in \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow b \in \mathbb{Z}\). If \(g(1) \in \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow a+b \in \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow a \in \mathbb{Z}\), therefore \(a \cdot n + b \in \mathbb{Z}\), in particular \(g(n) \in \mathbb{Z}\) for all integers \(n\). \(f(0) \in \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow C \in \mathbb{Z}\), \(f(1) \in \mathbb{Z} = A+ B + C \in \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow A+ B \in \mathbb{Z}\) \(f(-1) \in \mathbb{Z} = A- B + C \in \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow A- B \in \mathbb{Z}\) \(\Rightarrow 2A, 2B \in \mathbb{Z}\) \begin{align*} f(n) &= An^2 + Bn + C \\ &= An^2-An + An+Bn + C \\ &= 2A \frac{n(n-1)}2 + (A+B)n + C \\ &\in \mathbb{Z} \end{align*} Consider \(g(x) = f(x + \alpha)\), therefore \(g(0), g(1), g(-1) \in \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow g(n) \in \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow f(n+\alpha) \in \mathbb{Z}\)