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1991 Paper 1 Q3
D: 1516.0 B: 1500.0

A path is made up in the Argand diagram of a series of straight line segments \(P_{1}P_{2},\) \(P_{2}P_{3},\) \(P_{3}P_{4},\ldots\) such that each segment is \(d\) times as long as the previous one, \((d\neq1)\), and the angle between one segment and the next is always \(\theta\) (where the segments are directed from \(P_{j}\) towards \(P_{j+1}\), and all angles are measured in the anticlockwise direction). If \(P_{j}\) represents the complex number \(z_{j},\) express \[ \frac{z_{n+1}-z_{n}}{z_{n}-z_{n-1}} \] as a complex number (for each \(n\geqslant2\)), briefly justifying your answer. If \(z_{1}=0\) and \(z_{2}=1\), obtain an expression for \(z_{n+1}\) when \(n\geqslant2\). By considering its imaginary part, or otherwise, show that if \(\theta=\frac{1}{3}\pi\) and \(d=2\), then the path crosses the real axis infinitely often.


Solution: \begin{align*} && | \frac{z_{n+1}-z_{n}}{z_{n}-z_{n-1}} | &= d \\ && \arg \left ( \frac{z_{n+1}-z_{n}}{z_{n}-z_{n-1}} \right) &= \arg (z_{n+1}-z_{n}) - \arg(z_{n}-z_{n-1}) \\ &&&= \theta \\ \Rightarrow && \frac{z_{n+1}-z_{n}}{z_{n}-z_{n-1}} &= d e^{i \theta} \end{align*} \begin{align*} && z_1 &= 0 \\ && z_2 &= 1 \\ && \frac{z_3-z_2}{z_2-z_1} &= de^{i \theta} \\ \Rightarrow && z_3 &= de^{i \theta} + 1 \\ && \frac{z_4-z_3}{z_3-z_2} &= de^{i \theta} \\ \Rightarrow && z_4 &= (d e^{i \theta})^2 + d e^{i \theta} + 1\\ \Rightarrow && z_{n+1} &= \frac{(de^{i \theta})^{n}-1}{de^{i \theta}-1} \end{align*} If \(d = 2, \theta = \tfrac13 \pi\), then, \(2e^{i \tfrac13 \pi} = 1 + \sqrt{3}i\) \begin{align*} \textrm{Im}(z_{n+1})) &= \textrm{Im} \left ( \frac{(2e^{i \tfrac13 \pi})^{n}-1}{2e^{i \tfrac13 \pi}-1}\right) \\ &= \textrm{Im} \left ( \frac{(2e^{i \tfrac13 \pi})^{n}-1}{\sqrt{3}i}\right) \\ &= -\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}\textrm{Re} \left (2^n e^{i \frac{n}{3} \pi} \right) + \frac{1}{\sqrt{3}} \end{align*} Which clearly changes sign infinitely many times, ie crosses the origin infinitely many times.

1988 Paper 2 Q5
D: 1600.0 B: 1484.0

By considering the imaginary part of the equation \(z^{7}=1,\) or otherwise, find all the roots of the equation \[ t^{6}-21t^{4}+35t^{2}-7=0. \] You should justify each step carefully. Hence, or otherwise, prove that \[ \tan\frac{2\pi}{7}\tan\frac{4\pi}{7}\tan\frac{6\pi}{7}=\sqrt{7}. \] Find the corresponding result for \[ \tan\frac{2\pi}{n}\tan\frac{4\pi}{n}\cdots\tan\frac{(n-1)\pi}{n} \] in the two cases \(n=9\) and \(n=11.\)


Solution: Suppose \(z^7 = 1\), then we can write \(z = \cos \theta + i \sin \theta\) and we must have that: \begin{align*} 0 &= \textrm{Im}((\cos \theta + i \sin \theta)^7) \\ &= \binom{7}{6}\cos^6 \theta \sin \theta - \binom{7}{4} \cos^4 \theta \sin^3 \theta + \binom{7}{2} \cos^2 \theta \sin^5 \theta - \sin^7 \theta \\ &= 7 \cos^6 \sin \theta - 35 \cos^4 \theta \sin ^3 \theta + 21 \cos^2 \theta \sin^5 \theta - \sin^7 \theta \\ &= -\cos^7 \theta \l \tan^7 \theta - 21 \tan^5 \theta + 35 \tan^3 \theta - 7 \tan \theta\r \\ &= \cos^7 \theta \cdot t (t^7-21t^4+35t^2-7) \end{align*} Where \(t = \tan \theta\). So if \(z\) is a root of \(z^7 = 1\) and \(\cos \theta \neq 0, \tan \theta \neq 0\) then \(t\) is a root of the equation. Thererefore the roots are: \(\tan \frac{2\pi k}{7}\) where \(k = 1, 2, \ldots 6\). Noting that \(\tan \frac{\pi}7 = -\tan \frac{6\pi}{7}, \tan \frac{3\pi}{7} = -\tan \frac{4 \pi}{7}, \tan \frac{5\pi}{7} = -\tan \frac{2 \pi}{7}\) we can conclude that: \begin{align*} && 7 &= \prod_{k=1}^k \tan \frac{k \pi}{6} \\ &&&= \l \tan\frac{2\pi}{7}\tan\frac{4\pi}{7}\tan\frac{6\pi}{7} \r^2 \\ \Rightarrow&& \pm \sqrt{7} &= \tan\frac{2\pi}{7}\tan\frac{4\pi}{7}\tan\frac{6\pi}{7} \end{align*} However, we know that \(\tan \frac{2\pi}{7}\) is positive, \(\tan \frac{4\pi}{7},\tan \frac{6\pi}{7}\) are negative, therefore the result must be positive, ie \(+\sqrt{7}\) Using a similar method, we notice that: \begin{align*} 0 &= \textrm{Im} \l (\cos \theta + i \sin \theta)^n \r \\ &= \cos^n \theta \cdot t (t^{n-1} + \cdots - \binom{n}{n-1}) \end{align*} Therefore \(\prod_{k=0}^{n-1} \tan \frac{k \pi}{n} = n\) and since \(\tan \frac{(2k+1) \pi}{n} = \tan \frac{(n-2k-1)\pi}{n}\) is a map of all the odd numbers to the even numbers (and vice versa) when \(n\) is odd. We also know that the terms less where \(\tan \theta\) has \(\theta < \frac{\pi}{2}\) are positive, and the others even, we can determine the signs: \begin{align*} \tan \frac{2 \pi}{9} \tan \frac{4 \pi}{9} \tan \frac{6 \pi}{9} \tan \frac{8 \pi}{9} & = 3 \\ \tan \frac{2 \pi}{11} \tan \frac{4 \pi}{11} \tan \frac{6 \pi}{11} \tan \frac{8 \pi}{11} \tan \frac{10 \pi}{11} &= -\sqrt{11} \end{align*}

1987 Paper 1 Q7
D: 1500.0 B: 1500.0

Sum each of the series \[ \sin\left(\frac{2\pi}{23}\right)+\sin\left(\frac{6\pi}{23}\right)+\sin\left(\frac{10\pi}{23}\right)+\cdots+\sin\left(\frac{38\pi}{23}\right)+\sin\left(\frac{42\pi}{23}\right) \] and \[ \sin\left(\frac{2\pi}{23}\right)-\sin\left(\frac{6\pi}{23}\right)+\sin\left(\frac{10\pi}{23}\right)-\cdots-\sin\left(\frac{38\pi}{23}\right)+\sin\left(\frac{42\pi}{23}\right), \] giving each answer in terms of the tangent of a single angle. {[}No credit will be given for a numerical answer obtained purely by use of a calculator.{]}


Solution: \(\sin x = \frac{e^{ix} - e^{-ix}}{2i}\). Also let \(z = e^{ \frac{2\pi i}{23}}\) \begin{align*} \sum_{k=0}^{10} \sin \l \frac{(4k +2)\pi}{23} \r &= \sum_{k=0}^{10} \textrm{Im} \l \exp\l \frac{(4k +2)\pi i}{23} \r \r \\ &= \textrm{Im} \l \sum_{k=0}^{10} \exp\l \frac{(4k +2)\pi i}{23} \r \r \\ &= \textrm{Im} \l e^{ \frac{2\pi i}{23}} \sum_{k=0}^{10} z^{2k} \r \\ &= \textrm{Im} \l z \l \frac{z^{22}-1}{z^2-1} \r \r \\ &= \textrm{Im} \l z \l \frac{z^{11}(z^{11}-z^{-11})}{z(z-z^{-1})} \r \r \\ &= \textrm{Im} \l \frac{z^{11}2i \sin \frac{22 \pi}{23} }{2i \sin \frac{2 \pi}{23}} \r \r \\ &= \frac{\sin \frac{22 \pi}{23}}{\sin \frac{2 \pi}{23}} \textrm{Im} ( z^{11}) \\ &= \frac{\sin^2 \frac{22 \pi}{23}}{\sin \frac{2 \pi}{23}} \\ &= \frac{\sin^2 \frac{\pi}{23}}{2\sin \frac{\pi}{23}\cos \frac{\pi}{23}} \\ &= \frac12 \tan \frac{\pi}{23} \end{align*} Similarly, \begin{align*} \sum_{k=0}^{10} (-1)^k\sin \l \frac{(4k +2)\pi}{23} \r &= \sum_{k=0}^{10} \textrm{Im} \l (-1)^k\exp\l \frac{(4k +2)\pi i}{23} \r \r \\ &= \textrm{Im} \l \sum_{k=0}^{10} (-1)^k\exp\l \frac{(4k +2)\pi i}{23} \r \r \\ &= \textrm{Im} \l e^{ \frac{2\pi i}{23}} \sum_{k=0}^{10} (-1)^kz^{2k} \r \\ &= \textrm{Im} \l z \l \frac{z^{22}+1}{z^2+1} \r \r \\ &= \textrm{Im} \l z \l \frac{z^{11}(z^{11}+z^{-11})}{z(z+z^{-1})} \r \r \\ &= \textrm{Im} \l \frac{z^{11}2 \cos \frac{22 \pi}{23} }{2 \cos\frac{2 \pi}{23}} \r \r \\ &= \frac{\cos\frac{22 \pi}{23}}{\cos \frac{2 \pi}{23}} \textrm{Im} ( z^{11}) \\ &= \frac{\cos \frac{22 \pi}{23}\sin \frac{22 \pi}{23}}{\cos\frac{2 \pi}{23}} \\ &= \frac12 \frac{\sin \frac{44 \pi}{23}}{\cos\frac{2 \pi}{23}} \\ &= \frac12 \frac{-\sin \frac{2\pi}{23}}{\cos\frac{2 \pi}{23}} \\ &= -\frac12 \tan \frac{2\pi}{23} \end{align*}