1979 A-Level Pure Mathematics Paper I

1. Let , , , be the roots of the equation

b , c and d are real numbers.
(a) Show

x 4 ax 3 bx 2 cx d 0

a , b , d
(b) Suppose that the roots also satisfy .

Show that
, where

B b 1 a2
4

a
2

B ,

2 B

where a ,
that
.

B 2 4d

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

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2.

(a)

Show that

15

x 16 1 ( x cos
k 0

k
k
i sin
) . Hence show that
8
8

x 16 1 ( x 1) ( x 1) ( x 2 2 x cos
k 1

(b)
(c)

sin

Deduce from (a) that

k
1) .
8

k
2
.

6
16
2

k 1
A primitive 16-th root of 1 is a root of the equation x 16 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 ... A 8 .

i 1

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( 2)
a 1 , a 2 ,..., a n
3. Let
be n
distinct real numbers .
f ( x ) ( x a 1 )( 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 a 1 , 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 A 1 , A 2 , ..., A n such that
n

g ( x ) A i ( x a 1 )...( x a i 1 ) ( x a i 1 )...( x a n )
i 1

(*)
(ii)

Using (i) or otherwise , show that if

n
g (a i )

i 1 f ' (a i )

g(x)

is of degree less than

0.

(i 1, 2,. .., n )
(iii) By taking a i i
(ii) , show that , for any non-negative integer m n 2 ,
n

n -1 , then

(1) n i

im
0.
(i 1)!( n i)!

i 1
b1 , b 2 ,..., b n

and suitable g(x) in

( Given 0! = 1 )

(c)If
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 )
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 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
x y (a 1)z b 2

(i) a 0, 3 ,
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in x, y and z. Find S (a , b ) when

(ii) a = 0

and

(iii) a = -3

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 x 1 , x 2 ,..., x n 1 , if x 1 1 x n 1 and
x 1 x n 1 x 2 ... x n n , then x 1 x 2 ... x n 1 n 1 .
(b) Using (a) and mathematical induction prove that for any n ( n 1) positive real numbers
x 1 , x 2 ,..., x n
,
if
x 1 x 2 ...x n 1 ,

x 2 ... x n n .
Hence, or otherwise, show that for any n positive real numbers y1 , y 2 , ..., y n ,
y1 y 2 ... y n
n y1 y 2 ...y n
.
n
then

x1

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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 2 n 1 2n 1

, where for non-negative integers m, k, the symbol

n + 1, is ( )
2
np

denotes the coefficient of t k in the binomial expansion of

[Hint: Consider the coefficient of t p in the expansion of
(1 t ) n 1 (1

1 n
)
.]
t

(1 t ) m

m

k

(ii) Find the value of the expression

n1 1 2n1 2n 1

p1 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 ?
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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

G 1 {

.
(a)
(b)

M : ad bc 0},

x
x

(i) Find an element E 1 in G 1 such that E 1 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 .

(i) For any A

A B E1 .

(ii) For any A

A B E2 .

(c )

G 2 {

in G 1 , find B in G 1 such that

d
y

in G 2 , find B in G 2 such that

It is known that matrix multiplication is associative.

(i) Is (G 1 , 0) a group? Why?
(ii) Is (G 2 , 0) a group? Why?
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g: Y Z
8. (a) Let f : X Y ,
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
h

f
,
f

g
,
g

f
h . Prove that if
and their composites
h g f , f h g are injective and g f h is surjective , then f , g , h are all

bijective.

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1979 A-Level Pure Mathematics Paper II

1..

Let (h, k) be a fixed point which lies outside of the ellipse

E :

x2
a2

y2
b2

1. A

straight line passing through (h, k) with slope m cuts the ellipse E at
P1 ( x 1 , y1 ) and P2 ( x 2 , y 2 ) .
(a) Show that
(i)
(ii)

x1 x 2
2

y1 y 2
2

(b)

a 2 m ( mh k )
a 2m2 b2

b 2 ( mh k )
a 2m2 b2

Show that as the slope m varies the locus of the mid-point of the chord P1P2 lies on an ellipse
E' of the form

E' :

find the constants A and B.

2.

2
A

2
B

and

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(a) Let the equation a 1 x 2 a 2 xy a 3 y 2 0 represent two distinct

and a 3 are real constants.
straight lines L1 and L 2 , where a 1 , a 2
Show that L1 L 2 if and only if

a 1 a 3 0,

where

means

'is perpendicular to'.

(b) Let C be a conic represented by the equation
a 1 x 2 a 2 xy a 3 y 2 a 4 x a 5 y a 6

0,

where a i (i = 1, ..., 6) are real constants. Show that if the x-axis is tangent to C at the origin then
a4 a6 0 .

(c) Let C be a conic represented by the equation

a 1 x 2 a 2 xy a 3 y 2 a 5 y 0,

where
a5 0
and
a 1 a 3 0 . Let O be the origin and P, Q be
any other two distinct variable points on C such that OP OQ . Show that the line
passing through P and Q intersects the y-axis at a fixed point as P and Q vary on C. Find the
coordinates of this fixed point.
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3. (a) Evaluate the following integrals
dx

(1 e x ) 2

(i)

(ii)

sin(

e x e x
)dx
2

x ) 2 dx

1 ( x

(iii)

(b) Find a reduction formula for the integral I n 0 (1 x 2 ) n dx and use it to evaluate
1

2 8

0 (1 x

) dx

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1

4. (a) Let f ( x ) x 3 1 x 2 be defined on [0,

3

) . Show that f ( x ) 0 for

every x [0, ) . Hence deduce that x 3 y 3

x 0

and

y 0

1
2
x
y
3
3

for all

.
(b) Let F(x) and G(x) be two continuous , non-negative and real valued functions defined on [a , b]
such that

F( x ) dx

1.

G ( x ) dx

Show that

[ F( x )] 3 [G ( x )] 3 dx 1 .

(c) Show that if F(x) and G(x) are continuous , non-negative and real-valued functions on [a , b] then
b

F( x ) G ( x ) dx

[ {F( x )}3 dx ] 3

[ {G ( x )} 2 dx ] 3

( It is known that for any continuous , non-negative and real-valued functions H(x) on [a , b] , if
b

H ( x ) dx

0,

(d) Using (c) or otherwise , show that

then H(x) = 0 for all

1

0 (3 3x

1
)3

x [a , b ] )
dx

3
2

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5. (a) Show that

(b)

0 if 0 x 1 .
xn
lim

n n
if x 1

For any non-negative integer n , let B n ( x )

Show that for any x 0,

Hence deduce that

tn
dt.
1 t

t n dt B n ( x )

t n dt.

0 if 0 x 1,
lim B n ( x )
n
if x 1.

(c) Using (b) show that for any 0

i
n
dt
i 1 x

lim

1
)
.
0 1 t n i 1
i
x

1
1 x

1,

1 ).
lim (1 1
1
... ( 1) n 1 n
2
3

(d) Evaluate the expression

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6. For each non-negative integer n , let p n ( x ) be a given real polynomial of degree n .
(a) Show that for each integer m 0 , if p(x) is a real polynomial of degree m , then there are
a 0 , a 1 , ..., a m

real numbers

such that

p( x ) a i p i ( x ) .
i 0

n 0

(b) Assume that for each

, p n ( x ) satisfies
dp n ( x )
d
[(1 x 2 )
] n ( n 1) p n ( x ) 0 .
dx
dx

(*)

d
[(1 x 2 ) W ( x )] [n ( n 1) m( m 1)] p m ( x ) p n ( x ) ,
dx
d
d
p m ( x )] p n ( x ) p m ( x ) [
p n ( x )] .
where W ( x ) [
dx
dx

Show that

Hence show that , for

n m , 1 p m ( x )p n ( x )dx

0.

(c) Assume that for each n 0 , p n ( x ) satisfies (*) . Show that , for each real polynomial p(x)
of degree m and for every n > m ,

p ( x ) p n ( x ) dx

0.

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7. (a) (i) For any x 0, show that
integer n. By putting
lim

that

(1 x ) n

x n n 1

n ( n 1)
x2
2

for any positive

in the above inequality, or otherwise, show

n 1.

(ii) Evaluate the expression

n3 n 1

lim n

n5 1

(b) Find the absolution maximum of the function

f (x) x

among the sequence

1
x

on

) . Hence, or otherwise, find the greatest value

[ 1,

{n n }n 1,2,...

. (It is known that 2 < e < 3.)

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8.

Let C be the set of all complex numbers R {z C : I ( z ) 0} where I(z) denotes the
imaginary part of z . We also use z to denote the modulus of the complex number z . Let a , b be
two complex numbers and
(a)

Suppose

f : C \ {b} C

be defined by f ( z )

w C \ {1} and z

(i) if a b , then z b and f(z) = w .

(ii) if

a b
w

(b)

Suppose
(ii)

f (C \ {b})

. Show that

2
, then z z 1 w 2 (a a ) (1 w ) . Hence show that if
1, then z R .

f (z) 1

(i) a = b or a =

a bw
1 w

za
.
zb

for all

z R \ {b} . Show that

b.

consists of only one element if and only if a = b.

(iii)
a b.

f ( R \ {b}) {w C : w 1 and

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w 1}

if and only if