Re: MX2 2015 Integration Marathon
I guess it can be made quicker.
I_R=\int_R^R \arctan(x+1/2)-\arctan(x-1/2)\, dx = 2\int_R^{R+1/2}\arctan(x)\, dx.\\ \\ $So $2\arctan(R)\leq I_R \leq 2\arctan(R+1/2)\\ \\ $from which the squeeze law completes the proof.$
Re: MX2 2015 Integration Marathon
I think they are both equal to \pi.
For the sum one:
\sum_{n\in\mathbb{Z}}\arctan\left(\frac{1}{n^2+3/4}\right)\\ \\= \lim_{N\rightarrow\infty}\sum_{|n|\leq N}(\arctan(n+1/2)-\arctan(n-1/2)\right))\\ \\=...
Re: 2015 permutation X2 marathon
Okay, I will illustrate the idea for a simpler problem.
Q/ How many ways are there to colour the 4 sides of a square using n colours?
A/ Consider strings of the form (ABCD). In this problem we have 4 symmetries (that correspond to rotating the square...
Re: 2015 permutation X2 marathon
I haven't done the calculation yet myself, but the answer will look something like braintics.
I won't completely give away the method yet, because I think it is a fantastic exercise in counting things with symmetry (although a decent bit harder than syllabus...
Re: 2015 permutation X2 marathon
How many ways can we paint the 4 faces of a tetrahedron using n colours? (colours can be repeated.)
Answer the same question for the cube.
Re: 2015 permutation X2 marathon
Given any four distinct points, there is exactly one way of dividing the four points into two pairs and joining each pair with a line such that the intersection is interior to the convex polygon defined by the initial four points. (The lines are just the...
Re: 2015 permutation X2 marathon
You can visualise this problem as counting the number of paths (consisting of moves right and moves up) along the edges of a 6x6 grid from the bottom left corner to the top right corner that always stay below the diagonal.
We will solve the generalisation...
Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level
$Take $y=\frac{u+v}{2},x=\frac{u-v}{2}$ (it is easy to see this is a bijection on $\mathbb{R}^2$). \\ \\ The rearranged inequality then becomes\\ \\ $f(v)\geq f(u)-f\left(\frac{u^2-v^2}{4}\right)\quad \textrm{ for all }u,v\in\mathbb{R}.$\\ \\ But for...
Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon
Also, an application for the above extension problem in geometry:
Find all triangles with sides lengths that are consecutive positive integers that also have their area as an integer. You may find it helpful to first find an expression for a triangles area purely in...
Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon
We will prove existence and uniqueness separately.
Existence we do inductively.
It is trivial for n=1.
Now suppose that there exist positive integers p_n,q_n such that (1+\sqrt{2})^n=p_n+q_n\sqrt{2}.
Then...
Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon - Advanced Level
It's been a few days, so I will finish off your solution so we can move to something new :). You were very close, and my method started out essentially the same as yours.
Since we have f(x+1)=f(x)+1, we have f(x+m)=f(x)+m for all integers m.
Since we...
Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon
I might as well just prove the inductive step of your extension question, as the same method is how we answer the earlier parts of the question.
Consider the polynomial p(x)=(x+a)^n-bx.
By considering its first two derivatives, it has at most two stationary points...
Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon
Another approach that is nice and works is to consider the recurrence relation
u_n-u_{n-1}=p(n),u(0)=0.
for polynomials p of degree d. (When p(x) is the monomial x^d, finding a closed solution to the recurrence is the same thing as finding a closed form for S_d(n).)...
Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon
I don't think this works, we need a fixed polynomial that evaluates the n-th partial sum.
Here is a way of proving that it is a degree d+1 polynomial (where d is the power we are raising the terms to).
Suppose by inductive hypothesis that...