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National Board For Higher Mathematics M. A. and M.Sc. Scholarship Test September 20, 2014 Time Allowed: 150 Minutes Maximum Marks: 30
National Board For Higher Mathematics M. A. and M.Sc. Scholarship Test September 20, 2014 Time Allowed: 150 Minutes Maximum Marks: 30
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INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
• There are three parts to this test: Algebra, Analysis and Miscellaneous.
Each part consists of 10 questions adding up to 30 questions in all.
• In certain questions you are required to pick out the qualifying state-
ment(s) from multiple choices. None of the statements, or one or more
than one statement may qualify. Write none if none of the statements
qualify, or list the labels of all the qualifying statements (amongst
(a),(b) and (c)).
• Points will be awarded in the above questions only if all the correct
choices are made. There will be no partial credit.
• Notations
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Section 1: Algebra
1.2 Let G be an arbitrary group and let a and b be any two distinct elements
of G. Which of the following statements are true?
(a) If m is the order of a and if n is the order of b, then the order of ab is the
l.c.m. of m and n.
(b) The order of ab equals the order of ba.
(c) The elements ab and ba are conjugate to each other.
1.4 Give an example of an ideal in the ring C[0, 1] of all continuous real
valued functions on the interval [0, 1] with pointwise addition and pointwise
multiplication as the ring operations.
V = {(x, y, z, t) ∈ R4 | z = x + y, x + y + t = 0}.
1.8 Let V be the vector space of all polynomials in a single variable with real
coefficients and of degree less than, or equal to, 3. Equip this space with the
standard basis consisting of the elements 1, x, x2 and x3 . Consider the linear
transformation T : V → V defined by
Write down the corresponding matrix of T with respect to the standard basis.
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1.9 With the notations and definitions of Problem 1.8 above, find p ∈ V such
that
xp00 (x) + 3xp0 (x) + 2p(x) = 11x3 + 14x2 + 7x + 2.
1.10 If α, β and γ are the roots of the equation
x3 − 3x2 + 4x − 4 = 0,
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Section 2: Analysis
2.2 Evaluate:
1
1 2 n n
lim 1+ 1+ ··· 1 + .
n→∞ n n n
2.3 In each of the following, evaluate the limit if the limit exists, or state
that the limit does not exist if that is the case.
(a)
[x]
lim .
x→0 x
(b)
1
lim x .
x→0 x
(c)
cos( π2 cos x)
lim .
x→0 sin(sin x)
(Note: The symbol [x] denotes the greatest integer less than, or equal to, x.)
2.4 In each of the following find the points of continuity of the function f .
(a)
0, if x ∈ Q,
f (x) =
1, if x 6∈ Q.
(b)
0, if x ∈ Q.
f (x) = 2
x − 1, if x 6∈ Q.
2.5 Let f : R → R be differentiable at x = a and let f (a) > 0. Evaluate:
1
log x−log
f (x) a
lim .
x→a f (a)
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2.6 Which of the following functions are differentiable at x = 0?
(a) (
tan−1 |x|1
, if x 6= 0,
f (x) = π
2
, if x = 0.
(b)
1
f (x) = |x| 2 x.
(c)
x2 cos πx , if x 6= 0,
f (x) =
0, if x = 0.
2.7 Let x, y ∈]0, ∞[. Which of the following statements are true?
(a) | log(1 + x2 ) − log(1 + y 2 )| ≤ |x − y|.
(b) | sin2 x − sin2 y| ≤ |x − y|.
(c) | tan−1 x − tan−1 y| ≤ |x − y|.
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Section 3: Miscellaneous
3.10 Find the equation of the plane in R3 which passes through the point
(−10, 5, 4) and which is perpendicular to the line joining the points (4, −1, 2)
and (−3, 2, 3).