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HSC 2015 MX2 Marathon ADVANCED (archive) (3 Viewers)

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glittergal96

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

Or is it the wording of the question that is throwing people off? Here is the exact wording of the question.

No, I understood it, am just not very good at / don't really like combinatorics so I thought I would let someone else do it :p. I am busy atm but can have a crack later tonight or tomorrow.

My guess is that it is a clever application of the pigeonhole principle.
 

RealiseNothing

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

No, I understood it, am just not very good at / don't really like combinatorics so I thought I would let someone else do it :p. I am busy atm but can have a crack later tonight or tomorrow.

My guess is that it is a clever application of the pigeonhole principle.
My exact thoughts.

Something to do with the fact that has 126 solutions for .

Compared to which is the amount of subsets size 5 of a 9 element set.

This was my first thought, not sure if it would arrive at a solution.

Edit: Oh and work in mod 5 too I should mention.
 
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RealiseNothing

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

My exact thoughts.

Something to do with the fact that has 126 solutions for .

Compared to which is the amount of subsets size 5 of a 9 element set.

This was my first thought, not sure if it would arrive at a solution.

Edit: Oh and work in mod 5 too I should mention.
For example, if we choose an arbitrary subset of size 5 from 9 elements, then it has 126 possible combinations mod 5.

Since there are 126 possible subsets, then if each subset were unique we'd be done.

Though I'm fairly sure they aren't unique :(

And just note that out of the 126 possible combinations, exactly one gives you a multiple of 5.
 

RealiseNothing

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

For example, if we choose an arbitrary subset of size 5 from 9 elements, then it has 126 possible combinations mod 5.

Since there are 126 possible subsets, then if each subset were unique we'd be done.

Though I'm fairly sure they aren't unique :(

And just note that out of the 126 possible combinations, exactly one gives you a multiple of 5.
Wait this might actually work.

My brain is a bit shut off after exams though, gonna go through my solution and try clarify/debunk it.
 

Chlee1998

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

While you guys work on sim's problem, I'll post another one: Find all integer solutions to x+x^2 +x^3= y+y^2
 
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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

even a year 10 student can merely state the answer without any kind of proof. So ill assume u couldnt solve this one!
what exactly are you looking for?

Hopefully nothing wrong with the way I've done it


<a href="http://www.codecogs.com/eqnedit.php?latex=f(x,y)&space;=&space;x&space;&plus;&space;x^{2}&space;&plus;&space;x^{3}&space;-&space;y&space;-&space;y^{2}&space;\\&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;x(1&plus;x&plus;x^{2})&space;-y(1&plus;y)&space;\\&space;$Let&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;0&space;\\&space;(1&plus;x&plus;x^{2})&space;\text{has&space;no&space;solution}\\&space;\\&space;\therefore&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;0&space;\&space;\text{IFF&space;x&space;=&space;0&space;and&space;y&space;=0&space;or&space;-1}" target="_blank"><img src="http://latex.codecogs.com/gif.latex?f(x,y)&space;=&space;x&space;&plus;&space;x^{2}&space;&plus;&space;x^{3}&space;-&space;y&space;-&space;y^{2}&space;\\&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;x(1&plus;x&plus;x^{2})&space;-y(1&plus;y)&space;\\&space;$Let&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;0&space;\\&space;(1&plus;x&plus;x^{2})&space;\text{has&space;no&space;solution}\\&space;\\&space;\therefore&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;0&space;\&space;\text{IFF&space;x&space;=&space;0&space;and&space;y&space;=0&space;or&space;-1}" title="f(x,y) = x + x^{2} + x^{3} - y - y^{2} \\ f(x,y) = x(1+x+x^{2}) -y(1+y) \\ $Let f(x,y) = 0 \\ (1+x+x^{2}) \text{has no solution}\\ \\ \therefore f(x,y) = 0 \ \text{IFF x = 0 and y =0 or -1}" /></a>
 

Chlee1998

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

what exactly are you looking for?

Hopefully nothing wrong with the way I've done it


<a href="http://www.codecogs.com/eqnedit.php?latex=f(x,y)&space;=&space;x&space;+&space;x^{2}&space;+&space;x^{3}&space;-&space;y&space;-&space;y^{2}&space;\\&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;x(1+x+x^{2})&space;-y(1+y)&space;\\&space;$Let&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;0&space;\\&space;(1+x+x^{2})&space;\text{has&space;no&space;solution}\\&space;\\&space;\therefore&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;0&space;\&space;\text{IFF&space;x&space;=&space;0&space;and&space;y&space;=0&space;or&space;-1}" target="_blank"><img src="http://latex.codecogs.com/gif.latex?f(x,y)&space;=&space;x&space;+&space;x^{2}&space;+&space;x^{3}&space;-&space;y&space;-&space;y^{2}&space;\\&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;x(1+x+x^{2})&space;-y(1+y)&space;\\&space;$Let&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;0&space;\\&space;(1+x+x^{2})&space;\text{has&space;no&space;solution}\\&space;\\&space;\therefore&space;f(x,y)&space;=&space;0&space;\&space;\text{IFF&space;x&space;=&space;0&space;and&space;y&space;=0&space;or&space;-1}" title="f(x,y) = x + x^{2} + x^{3} - y - y^{2} \\ f(x,y) = x(1+x+x^{2}) -y(1+y) \\ $Let f(x,y) = 0 \\ (1+x+x^{2}) \text{has no solution}\\ \\ \therefore f(x,y) = 0 \ \text{IFF x = 0 and y =0 or -1}" /></a>
why does f (x, y) =0 imply that both factors much equal to zero? This is clearly not necessarily true
 
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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

why does f (x, y) =0 imply that both factors much equal to zero? This is clearly not necessarily true
Thats not saying that x and y must equal to 0.

f(x,y) = 0 is saying that the function in terms of x and y, IS equal to 0.
 

Chlee1998

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

Thats not saying that x and y must equal to 0.

f(x,y) = 0 is saying that the function in terms of x and y, IS equal to 0.

Here it is by coincidence that x =0, y = 0 is a solution
where in your working have you shown that those are the ONLY possible solutions?
 
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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

where in your working have you shown that those are the ONLY possible solutions?
Where i said that 1 + x + x^2 has no solution. Therefore x can only be equal to 0.

It is pretty obvious that they are the ONLY solutions... If you let y(1+y) = 0, is that going to have 134124323423421 solutions? Is it going to have 22432332 solutions? NO. It's going to have 2 solutions, and its the 2 that Drsoccerball and i have mentioned.
 

InteGrand

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

Where i said that 1 + x + x^2 has no solution. Therefore x can only be equal to 0.

It is pretty obvious that they are the ONLY solutions... If you let y(1+y) = 0, is that going to have 134124323423421 solutions? Is it going to have 22432332 solutions? NO. It's going to have 2 solutions, and its the 2 that Drsoccerball and i have mentioned.
Why MUST x equal 0 (that's the essence of the required proof basically)?
 

Chlee1998

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

Where i said that 1 + x + x^2 has no solution. Therefore x can only be equal to 0.

It is pretty obvious that they are the ONLY solutions... If you let y(1+y) = 0, is that going to have 134124323423421 solutions? Is it going to have 22432332 solutions? NO. It's going to have 2 solutions, and its the 2 that Drsoccerball and i have mentioned.
so ur argument is, if g (x)=x (non zero factor) +h (y) =0, then these zeroes occur only when x=0 and h (y) =0? This is clearly not true, and both of yours + soccerball's solutions wouldn't get more than 1 mark in the actual exam!
 
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Drsoccerball

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

so ur argument is, if g (x)=x (non zero factor) +h (y) =0, then these zeroes occur only when x=0 and h (y) =0? This is clearly not true, and both of yours + soccerball's solutions wouldn't get more than 1 mark in the actual exam!
Whats wrong with my solution...
 
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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

Why MUST x equal 0 (that's the essence of the required proof basically)?
I see the flaw in my reasoning now
so ur argument is, if g (x)=x (non zero factor) +h (y) =0, then these zeroes occur only when x=0 and h (y) =0? This is clearly not true, and both of yours + soccerball's solutions wouldn't get more than 1 mark in the actual exam!
Yeap yeap now i get what you mean!
 

Drsoccerball

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level

Why MUST x equal 0 (that's the essence of the required proof basically)?
For my proof im essentially proving when both sides are zero what values work. And since theres an extra x^3 it wont work any other way unless theyre both zero...
EDIT: Would that be "legit" enough as a proof
 
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