A thin non-uniform bar \(AB\) of length \(7d\) has centre of mass at a point \(G\), where \(AG=3d\). A light inextensible string has one end attached to \(A\) and the other end attached to \(B\). The string is hung over a smooth peg \(P\) and the bar hangs freely in equilibrium with \(B\) lower than~\(A\). Show that \[ 3\sin\alpha = 4\sin\beta\,, \] where \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) are the angles \(PAB\) and \(PBA\), respectively. Given that \(\cos\beta=\frac45\) and that \(\alpha\) is acute, find in terms of \(d\) the length of the string and show that the angle of inclination of the bar to the horizontal is \(\arctan \frac17\,\).
I am selling raffle tickets for \(\pounds1\) per ticket. In the queue for tickets, there are \(m\) people each with a single \(\pounds1\) coin and \(n\) people each with a single \(\pounds2\) coin. Each person in the queue wants to buy a single raffle ticket and each arrangement of people in the queue is equally likely to occur. Initially, I have no coins and a large supply of tickets. I stop selling tickets if I cannot give the required change.
Solution:
In this question, you may use without proof the following result: \[ \int \sqrt{4-x^2}\, \d x = 2 \arcsin (\tfrac12 x ) + \tfrac 12 x \sqrt{4-x^2} +c\,. \] A random variable \(X\) has probability density function \(\f\) given by \[ \f(x) = \begin{cases} 2k & -a\le x <0 \\[3mm] k\sqrt{4-x^2} & \phantom{-} 0\le x \le 2 \\[3mm] 0 & \phantom{-}\text{otherwise}, \end{cases} \] where \(k\) and \(a\) are positive constants.
Solution: First notice that \begin{align*} && 1 &= \int_{-a}^2 f(x) \d x \\ &&&= 2ka + k\pi \\ \Rightarrow && k &= (\pi + 2a)^{-1} \end{align*}
Solution:
Write down the cubes of the integers \(1, 2, \ldots , 10\). The positive integers \(x\), \(y\) and \(z\), where \(x < y\), satisfy \[ x^3+y^3 = kz^3\,, \tag{\(*\)} \] where \(k\) is a given positive integer.
Solution: \begin{array}{c|c} n & n^3 \\ \hline 1 & 1 \\ 2 & 8 \\ 3 & 27 \\ 4 & 64 \\ 5 & 125 \\ 6 & 216 \\ 7 & 343 \\ 8 & 512 \\ 9 & 729 \\ 10 & 1000 \\ \end{array}
In this question, you may assume without proof that any function \(\f\) for which \(\f'(x)\ge 0\) is increasing; that is, \(\f(x_2)\ge \f(x_1)\) if \(x_2\ge x_1\,\).
Solution:
The points \(A\) and \(B\) have position vectors \(\bf a \) and \(\bf b\) with respect to an origin \(O\), and \(O\), \(A\)~and~\(B\) are non-collinear. The point \(C\), with position vector \(\bf c\), is the reflection of \(B\) in the line through \(O\) and \(A\). Show that \(\bf c\) can be written in the form \[ \bf c = \lambda \bf a -\bf b \] where \(\displaystyle \lambda = \frac{2\,{\bf a .b}}{{\bf a.a}}\). The point \(D\), with position vector \(\bf d\), is the reflection of \(C\) in the line through \(O\) and \(B\). Show that \(\bf d\) can be written in the form \[ \bf d = \mu\bf b - \lambda \bf a \] for some scalar \(\mu\) to be determined. Given that \(A\), \(B\) and \(D\) are collinear, find the relationship between \(\lambda\) and \(\mu\). In the case \(\lambda = -\frac12\), determine the cosine of \(\angle AOB\) and describe the relative positions of \(A\), \(B\) and \(D\).
For any given function \(\f\), let \[ I = \int [\f'(x)]^2 \,[\f(x)]^n \d x\,, \tag{\(*\)} \] where \(n\) is a positive integer. Show that, if \(\f(x)\) satisfies \(\f''(x) =k \f(x)\f'(x)\) for some constant \(k\), then (\(*\)) can be integrated to obtain an expression for \(I\) in terms of \(\f(x)\), \(\f'(x)\), \(k\) and \(n\).
Solution: If \(f''(x) = kf(x)f'(x)\) then we can see \begin{align*} && I &= \int [\f'(x)]^2 \,[\f(x)]^n \d x \\ &&&= \int f'(x) \cdot f'(x) [f(x)]^n \d x \\ &&&= \left[ f'(x) \cdot \frac{[f(x)]^{n+1}}{n+1} \right] - \int f''(x) \frac{[f(x)]^{n+1}}{n+1} \d x \\ &&&= \frac{1}{n+1} \left (f'(x) [f(x)]^{n+1} - \int kf'(x) [f(x)]^{n+2} \d x \right) \\ &&&= \frac{1}{n+1} \left (f'(x) [f(x)]^{n+1} - k \frac{[f(x)]^{n+3}}{n+3} \right) +C\\ &&&= \frac{[f(x)]^{n+1}}{n+1} \left ( f'(x) - \frac{k[f(x)]^2}{n+3} \right) + C \end{align*}
The two sequences \(a_0\), \(a_1\), \(a_2\), \(\ldots\) and \(b_0\), \(b_1\), \(b_2\), \(\ldots\) have general terms \[ a_n = \lambda^n +\mu^n \text { \ \ \ and \ \ \ } b_n = \lambda^n - \mu^n\,, \] respectively, where \(\lambda = 1+\sqrt2\) and \(\mu= 1-\sqrt2\,\).