• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

HSC 2013 MX2 Marathon (archive) (6 Viewers)

Status
Not open for further replies.

Sy123

This too shall pass
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
3,730
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

Prove that for all non-negative a,b,c

a(a-b)(a-c)+b(b-a)(b-c)+c(c-a)(c-b) >= 0
First, we will prove this is true for distinct a,b,c





















-----







Hence we account for all cases and inequality holds each time
 

RealiseNothing

what is that?It is Cowpea
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
4,591
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

Prove that for all non-negative a,b,c

a(a-b)(a-c)+b(b-a)(b-c)+c(c-a)(c-b) >= 0
Let

Now out of all 3 terms the only negative one is

Change this to as and so this term is an even larger negative number now.

Now consider the first 2 terms together as the last term is positive:







 

gustavo28

New Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2013
Messages
21
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

Find all real polynomials p(x) such that p(x)p(x+1)=p(x^2) for all integers x.
 

Sy123

This too shall pass
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
3,730
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon







I hope that's right and you can just assume that the cancelling out continues for the entire sum o.o
Yep that is correct, I would think that you'd need to mention:




There are some cases where the sum would go to infinity and there would be mass cancellation (telescoping), but you still have a limiting value at the end, i.e.

 

ColdLipstick

Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
52
Gender
Female
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

Find all real polynomials p(x) such that p(x)p(x+1)=p(x^2) for all integers x.



I'm not sure if this is correct but I guess i found one polynomial solution?

EDIT:
(there should be a plus minus sign after the quadratic is solved)
When I solved the quadratic, I should get two solutions
so the 2nd polynomial would be
p(x) = (-1)^(2n) x^n (x-1)^n
= x^n (x-1)^n
That should justify why I took either solution
 
Last edited:

gustavo28

New Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2013
Messages
21
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon




I'm not sure if this is correct but I guess i found one polynomial solution?

EDIT:
(there should be a plus minus sign after the quadratic is solved)
When I solved the quadratic, I should get two solutions
so the 2nd polynomial would be
p(x) = (-1)^(2n) x^n (x-1)^n
= x^n (x-1)^n
That should justify why I took either solution
So, for the case with one root, you can just use the fact that a1^2-2a1x+x is identically equal to zero. So, the constant term is zero. But I don't think you can extrapolate this for larger degrees of P.
 

ColdLipstick

Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
52
Gender
Female
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

So, for the case with one root, you can just use the fact that a1^2-2a1x+x is identically equal to zero. So, the constant term is zero. But I don't think you can extrapolate this for larger degrees of P.
I guess I'll have to continue it for two roots, three roots.... rather than extrapolation?
 

ColdLipstick

Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
52
Gender
Female
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon


New question by me.

EDIT: Deduce that Z1,Z3 and Z3 are Cyclic with the centre as k.
Sorry about that
 
Last edited:

seanieg89

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2006
Messages
2,662
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

Find all real polynomials p(x) such that p(x)p(x+1)=p(x^2) for all integers x.
0. The only constant solutions are p=0,1. Let us now assume that p is nonconstant. By comparing leading coefficients we must have p monic.
1. For any such p, the identity p(x)p(x+1)=p(x^2) must hold for all complex numbers, as nonzero polynomials have only finitely many roots. (Equivalently, the two polynomials on either sides are identical in the sense that all coefficients are equal upon expansion.)
2. The set of roots is closed under the maps z->z^2 and z->(z-1)^2. The former of these maps (and the fact that polys only have finitely many roots) implies that all roots of p must lie on the origin or unit circle. The latter map then implies that p has roots 0 and 1 (and ONLY 0 and 1).
3. Plugging in p=(x^m)((x-1)^n) into the initial functional equation (for m,n > 0), cancelling and equating multiplicity of roots of both sides, we get m=n. All steps in this process are biconditional so this is indeed a solution.

Conclusion: Solutions are p=0,1,[x(x-1)]^n (n>0).
 

gustavo28

New Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2013
Messages
21
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

0. The only constant solutions are p=0,1. Let us now assume that p is nonconstant. By comparing leading coefficients we must have p monic.
1. For any such p, the identity p(x)p(x+1)=p(x^2) must hold for all complex numbers, as nonzero polynomials have only finitely many roots. (Equivalently, the two polynomials on either sides are identical in the sense that all coefficients are equal upon expansion.)
2. The set of roots is closed under the maps z->z^2 and z->(z-1)^2. The former of these maps (and the fact that polys only have finitely many roots) implies that all roots of p must lie on the origin or unit circle. The latter map then implies that p has roots 0 and 1 (and ONLY 0 and 1).
3. Plugging in p=(x^m)((x-1)^n) into the initial functional equation (for m,n > 0), cancelling and equating multiplicity of roots of both sides, we get m=n. All steps in this process are biconditional so this is indeed a solution.

Conclusion: Solutions are p=0,1,[x(x-1)]^n (n>0).
Yep that's probably the best way to do it.

Q: Show that z1,z2,z3 form an equilateral triangle if and only if (z1)^2+(z2)^2+(z3)^2=z1z2+z2z3+z3z1
 

Sy123

This too shall pass
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
3,730
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

Yep that's probably the best way to do it.

Q: Show that z1,z2,z3 form an equilateral triangle if and only if (z1)^2+(z2)^2+(z3)^2=z1z2+z2z3+z3z1
First move the complex numbers and make the origin











This corresponds to an equilateral triangle translated

Which would mean:



----------



 
Last edited:

gustavo28

New Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2013
Messages
21
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

First move the complex numbers and make the origin











This corresponds to an equilateral triangle translated

Which would mean:



----------



Let r=x(cost+isint) and use the fact that r^k+(conjugate of r)^k=2x^k(cos(kt)) and -i(r^k-(conjugate of r)^k)=2x^ksin(kt) and then sum using the geometric progression sum for infinite series (there are probably some fiddly convergence issues to deal with tho) to eventually get that x=sint-sqrt(1+(sint)^2) or sint+sqrt(1+(sint)^2) depending on which one is between 1 and -1.
 

Sy123

This too shall pass
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
3,730
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

Let r=x(cost+isint) and use the fact that r^k+(conjugate of r)^k=2x^k(cos(kt)) and -i(r^k-(conjugate of r)^k)=2x^ksin(kt) and then sum using the geometric progression sum for infinite series (there are probably some fiddly convergence issues to deal with tho) to eventually get that x=sint-sqrt(1+(sint)^2) or sint+sqrt(1+(sint)^2) depending on which one is between 1 and -1.
Yea something like that, though I'm getting:



Which yields, x=1 - (cos t + sin t)
 

gustavo28

New Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2013
Messages
21
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: HSC 2013 4U Marathon

Yea something like that, though I'm getting:



Which yields, x=1 - (cos t + sin t)
Right yep my bad. (I don't think i needed that conjugate stuff after all) But I think it yields x=sint+cost instead. Can someone post a question?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 6)

Top