1979 A-Level Pure Mathematics Paper I

1. Let , , ,  be the roots of the equation x 4  ax 3  bx 2  cx  d  0 where a , b , c and d are real

numbers.
(a) Show that         a ,             b,   d .
(b) Suppose that the roots also satisfy        .
a
Show that      ,     B , 2  B  B 2  4d , where B  b  1 a 2 .
2 4

a B  B 2  4d a B  B 2  4d
Hence show that x 4  ax 3  bx 2  cx  d  ( x 2  x ) (x 2  x  ).
2 2 2 2
(1979)

15 k k
2. (a) Show that x16  1   ( x  cos  i sin ) . Hence show that
k 0 8 8
7 k
x16  1  ( x  1) (x  1)  (x 2  2x cos  1) .
k 1 8
7 k 2
(b) Deduce from (a) that  sin  .
k 1 16 6
2
(c) A primitive 16-th root of 1 is a root  of the equation x16  1 such that  m  1 for any
divisor m of 16 where 1  m  16 . Show that there are eight primitive 16-th roots of 1 ,  i (i =
1, 2 , ... , 8) and find the constants A 1 , A 2 , ..., A 8 such that
8
 (x   i )  x 8  A1x 7  A 2 x 6  ...  A8 . (1979)
i 1

3. Let a1 , a 2 ,... , a n be n ( 2) distinct real numbers . f ( x )  ( x  a1 )( x  a 2 )...( x  a n ) and f '(x) the

derivative of f(x).
(a) Express f '( a i ) ( i = 1 , 2 , ... , n ) in terms of a1 , a 2 , ..., a n .
(b) Let g(x) be a real polynomial of degree less than n .
(i) Show that there exists unique real numbers A1 , A 2 , ..., A n such that
n
g(x)   A i ( x  a1 )...( x  a i1 ) (x  a i1 )...(x  a n ) (*)
i1
n g(a )
(ii) Using (i) or otherwise , show that if g(x) is of degree less than n -1 , then  i  0.
i 1 f ' (a i )
(iii) By taking a i  i (i  1, 2,. .., n) and suitable g(x) in (ii) , show that , for any non-negative
integer m  n  2 ,
n im
 (1) n i 0. ( Given 0! = 1 )
i 1 (i  1)!(n  i)!
(c) If b1 , b 2 ,..., b n are n real numbers , find a polynomial h(x) of degree less than n in the form of the
right hand side of (*) so that h (a i ) = b i ( i = 1 , 2 , ... , n ) (1979)
 a  1 1 1 
4. (a) Find the multiplication inverse of the real matrix  1 a  1 1  when a  0,  3

 1 1 a  1
(b) For any real numbers a and b, let S(a, b) be the set of solutions of the following system of linear
(a  1) x  y  z  1

equations x  (a  1) y  z  b in x, y and z. Find S(a, b) when
x  y  (a  1)z  b 2

(i) a  0,  3 , (ii) a = 0 and (iii) a = -3 (1979)

5. (a) Show that if x < 1 < y , then x + y – xy – 1 > 0 . Hence prove that for any n + 1 ( n  1 ) real
numbers x1 , x 2 ,..., x n 1 , if x 1  1  x n 1 and x1x n1  x 2 ... x n  n , then
x1  x 2  ...  x n 1  n  1 .
(b) Using (a) and mathematical induction prove that for any n (n  1) positive real numbers
x1 ,x 2 ,...,x n , if x1 x 2 ...x n  1, then x1  x 2 ... x n  n . Hence, or otherwise, show that for any n
y  y 2 ... y n
positive real numbers y1, y 2 , ..., y n , 1  n y1 y 2 ...y n . (1979)
n

6. In a game between two players A and B, the winner is decided by a series of coin-tossings. Initially,
each has a certain number of coins. During every round, each of the players will toss his own coins.
Then
(1) if one player gets fewer heads than the other, one coin is taken away from him but not given to the
other.
(2) if both players get the same number of heads, then no coin is taken away.
The next round will be played after the above adjustment. The game will continue until one player has
lost all his coins.
(a) A certain round is played when A has n + 1 coins and B has n coins (n  1) .
(i) Show that the probability that A will get p heads more than B for any fixed p = 0, 1, . . . ,
1  2n  1  m
n + 1, is ( ) 2n 1   , where for non-negative integers m, k, the symbol  
2 np k 
denotes the coefficient of t k in the binomial expansion of (1  t ) m .
1
[Hint: Consider the coefficient of t p in the expansion of (1  t ) n 1 (1  ) n .]
t
n 1  1  2 n 1
 2n  1
(ii) Find the value of the expression     .
p1  2  n  p 
(iii) What is the probability that A will get more heads than B ?
(b) If A has 2 coins and B has 1 coin. What is the probability that B will lose his coin in just 2 rounds ?
(1979)
7. Let M be the set of all 2 2 real matrices. For any two elements A , B in M , let A  B denote the
usual product AB of A and B . Let
a b  x y
G1  {   M : ad  bc  0}, G 2  {   M : x  y  0} .
c d  x y
(a) (i) Find an element E1 in G1 such that E1  A  A for all A in G 1 .
(ii) Find an element E 2 in G 2 such that E 2  A  A for all A in G 2 .
a b
(b) (i) For any A   in G1 , find B in G 1 such that A  B  E1 .
c d
 x y
(ii) For any A    in G 2 , find B in G 2 such that A  B  E 2 .
 x y
(c ) It is known that matrix multiplication is associative.
(i) Is (G 1 , 0) a group? Why?
(ii) Is (G 2 , 0) a group? Why? (1979)

8. (a) Let f : X  Y , g: Y  Z be mappings and g  f their composite. Prove the following .

(i) If g  f is injective , then f is injective ; if furthermore f is surjective , then g is injective.
(ii) If g  f is surjective , then g is surjective ; if furthermore g is injective , then f is surjective.
(b) Consider the mappings f : X  Y , g: Y  Z , h: Z  X and their composites
h  g  f , f  h  g , g  f  h . Prove that if h  g  f , f  h  g are injective and g  f  h is
surjective , then f , g , h are all bijective. (1979)