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HSC 2015 MX2 Marathon (archive) (1 Viewer)

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RealiseNothing

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

My latex is stuffing up in two places above, not really sure why.
 

t_davis9

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

Nice work all,
Next Question
http://imgur.com/ZLWDxr8

It's quite simple, try to do part 2 with as little expanding as possible
 
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Kaido

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

It's quite simple, try to do part 2 with as little expanding as possible
Just...LOL

When i first did these types of question, I have to say, I was a bit retarded...
 

Sy123

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

 

PhysicsMaths

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

Haha, you're not alone - I've spent way too long expanding some of those




Nice work, you too a different approach to my attempt for both parts.
I had the same method as porcupine for the 2nd part. Mind sharing your approach?
 

t_davis9

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

I don't actually have my original approach as our test paper is still at school.

Although, looking back at porcupine's answer, mine was somewhat similar, but I expanded at one stage.
I'll have a look when school goes back
 

t_davis9

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

I don't actually have my original approach as our test paper is still at school.

Although, looking back at porcupine's answer, mine was somewhat similar, but I expanded at one stage.
I'll have a look when school goes back
 

Kaido

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

Lol just realised there's an unanswered question.
Btw Sy, is it "THE ROOT" or should it be "A ROOT"
Because THE root would not have rational coefficients (because it would be linear)
 
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InteGrand

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

Lol just realised there's an unanswered question.
Btw Sy, is it "THE ROOT" or should it be "A ROOT"
Because THE root would not have rational coefficients (because it would be linear)
The polynomial just needs to have that as a zero (it can have others too).
 

Kaido

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

Right...
From observation, something like x^3+3x+1=0 :lol:

Holy crap, that question was from 5 days ago, how come noone noticed :chainsaw2:
 
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InteGrand

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

Right...
From observation, something like x^3+3x+1=0 :lol:

Holy crap, that question was from 5 days ago, how come noone noticed :chainsaw2:
Proof that it's the lowest degree one?
 

PhysicsMaths

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

Right...
From observation, something like x^3+3x+1=0 :lol:

Holy crap, that question was from 5 days ago, how come noone noticed :chainsaw2:
Some insight into how you got to there? o.o
 

InteGrand

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

Some insight into how you got to there? o.o
For convenience, we let:







so that .

Note that

and .

We first find a cubic polynomial with rational coefficients that has as a zero. We then show that no polynomial with rational coefficients of degree 1 or 2 can have as a zero.

Using the identity , with (so ), we have











,



.

So the required polynomial is , assuming that no polynomial with rational coefficients of degree 1 or 2 can have as a zero, which we show below.

Clearly, cannot be the root of a degree 1 polynomial equation , because otherwise we would have



, a contradiction as the LHS is irrational whilst the RHS is rational.

Now we show that we cannot have be the root of a degree 2 polynomial equation with rational coefficients. Assume by way of contradiction that we could, so that satisfies the equation . Let be the other root of this equation.

Then by product of roots, .

We now rationalise the denominator:





, since and

, as



.

Now, by sum of roots,

, a contradiction, as the RHS is rational but the LHS is irrational for any rational b.

(I'm not entirely sure how to prove that last line though)
 

Kaido

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

I question whether this guy is really a 2014er. ^
 

Kaido

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

Proof that it's the lowest degree one?
Sadly, I can't do these types of proofs yet. But after reading your solution, I think I get the general concept of contradiction

Btw Sy, could you show us your solution.

:D
 

Sy123

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

Sadly, I can't do these types of proofs yet. But after reading your solution, I think I get the general concept of contradiction

Btw Sy, could you show us your solution.

:D
Pretty much exactly the same as InteGrand's one
 

dan964

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Re: HSC 2015 4U Marathon

@kaido proof by contradiction is
to take an assumption and take it to its logical conclusion (mathematically) and then show how the original assumption cannot be true, because you end up with a contradiction. You can use it to prove sqrt 2 is irrational.

then this is coming from someone whose strength includes mathematical induction (which we learnt in second lesson in yr 11 - because our teacher taught it then)
 
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