Past Paper and Sample Solutions from Wednesday 31

st
October 2007
The Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT) is a paper based test that has been used by the University of
Oxford since 1996. This extract from the 2007 test and associated sample solutions constitute the test
undertaken by applicants to the Mathematics, Maths & Philosophy and Maths & Statistics undergraduate
degree courses at Oxford.
From 2013, the test will be used as part of the admissions process for applicants to the following courses
run by the Department of Mathematics at Imperial College.
UCAS code Course title
G100 Mathematics
G103 Mathematics
G125 Mathematics (Pure Mathematics)
GG31 Mathematics, Optimisation and Statistics
G104 Mathematics with a Year in Europe
G1F3 Mathematics with Applied Mathematics/Mathematical Physics
G102 Mathematics with Mathematical Computation
G1G3 Mathematics with Statistics
G1GH Mathematics with Statistics for Finance

IN 2013 THE ADMISSIONS TESTING SERVICE WILL BE ORGANIZING THE DISTRIBUTION AND RECEIPT OF
THE MATHEMATICS TEST. SEE THIS ADMISSIONS TESTING SERVICE PAGE FOR FULL DETAILS.

1. For ALL APPLICANTS.
For each part of the question on pages 37 you will be given four possible answers,
just one of which is correct. Indicate for each part AJ which answer (a), (b),
(c), or (d) you think is correct with a tick (X) in the corresponding column in the
table below. Please show any rough working in the space provided between the
parts.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
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Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
A. Let r and s be integers. Then
6
r+s
12
rs
8
r
9
r+2s
is an integer if
(a) r + s 6 0,
(b) s 6 0,
(c) r 6 0,
(d) r > s.
B. The greatest value which the function
f (x) =

3 sin
2
(10x + 11) 7

2
takes, as x varies over all real values, equals
(a) 9, (b) 16, (c) 49, (d) 100.
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Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
C. The number of solutions x to the equation
7 sinx + 2 cos
2
x = 5,
in the range 0 6 x < 2, is
(a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3, (d) 4.
D. The point on the circle
(x 5)
2
+ (y 4)
2
= 4
which is closest to the circle
(x 1)
2
+ (y 1)
2
= 1
is
(a) (3.4, 2.8) , (b) (3, 4) , (c) (5, 2) , (d) (3.8, 2.4) .
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Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
E. If x and n are integers then
(1 x)
n
(2 x)
2n
(3 x)
3n
(4 x)
4n
(5 x)
5n
is
(a) negative when n > 5 and x < 5,
(b) negative when n is odd and x > 5,
(c) negative when n is a multiple of 3 and x > 5,
(d) negative when n is even and x < 5.
F. The equation
8
x
+ 4 = 4
x
+ 2
x+2
has
(a) no real solutions;
(b) one real solution;
(c) two real solutions;
(d) three real solutions.
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Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
G. On which of the axes below is a sketch of the graph
y = 2
x
sin
2

x
2

?
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
H. Given a function f (x) , you are told that
Z
1
0
3f (x) dx +
Z
2
1
2f (x) dx = 7,
Z
2
0
f (x) dx +
Z
2
1
f (x) dx = 1.
It follows that
R
2
0
f (x) dx equals
(a) 1, (b) 0, (c)
1
2
, (d) 2.
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Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
I. Given that a and b are positive and
4 (log
10
a)
2
+ (log
10
b)
2
= 1,
then the greatest possible value of a is
(a)
1
10
, (b) 1, (c)

10, (d) 10

2
.
J. The inequality
(n + 1) +

n
4
+ 2

+

n
9
+ 3

+

n
16
+ 4

+ +

n
10000
+ 100

> k
is true for all n > 1. It follows that
(a) k < 1300,
(b) k
2
< 101,
(c) k > 101
10000
,
(d) k < 5150.
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Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
2. For ALL APPLICANTS.
Let
f
n
(x) = (2 + (2)
n
) x
2
+ (n + 3) x + n
2
where n is a positive integer and x is any real number.
(i) Write down f
3
(x) .
Find the maximum value of f
3
(x).
For what values of n does f
n
(x) have a maximum value (as x varies)?
[Note you are not being asked to calculate the value of this maximum.]
(ii) Write down f
1
(x).
Calculate f
1
(f
1
(x)) and f
1
(f
1
(f
1
(x))).
Find an expression, simplied as much as possible, for
f
1
(f
1
(f
1
( f
1
(x))))
where f
1
is applied k times. [Here k is a positive integer.]
(iii) Write down f
2
(x) .
The function
f
2
(f
2
(f
2
( f
2
(x)))) ,
where f
2
is applied k times, is a polynomial in x. What is the degree of this polynomial?
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Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
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3.
For APPLICANTS IN

MATHEMATICS
MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS
MATHEMATICS & PHILOSOPHY
MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE

ONLY.
Computer Science applicants should turn to page 14.
Let
I (c) =
Z
1
0

(x c)
2
+ c
2

dx
where c is a real number.
(i) Sketch y = (x 1)
2
+ 1 for the values 1 6 x 6 3 on the axes below and show on
your graph the area represented by the integral I (1) .
(ii) Without explicitly calculating I (c) , explain why I (c) > 0 for any value of c.
(iii) Calculate I (c) .
(iv) What is the minimum value of I (c) (as c varies)?
(v) What is the maximum value of I (sin) as varies?
6
- x
y
p p
p p
p p
p p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
10
Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
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Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
4.
For APPLICANTS IN

MATHEMATICS
MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS
MATHEMATICS & PHILOSOPHY

ONLY.
Mathematics & Computer Science and Computer Science applicants should turn to
page 14.
In the diagram below is sketched the circle with centre (1, 1) and radius 1 and a line
L. The line L is tangential to the circle at Q; further L meets the y-axis at R and the
x-axis at P in such a way that the angle OPQ equals where 0 < < /2.
(i) Show that the co-ordinates of Q are
(1 + sin , 1 + cos ) ,
and that the gradient of PQR is tan .
Write down the equation of the line PQR and so nd the co-ordinates of P.
(ii) The region bounded by the circle, the x-axis and PQ has area A(); the region
bounded by the circle, the y-axis and QR has area B (). (See diagram.)
Explain why
A() = B (/2 )
for any .
Calculate A(/4) .
(iii) Show that
A

3

3
.
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5. For ALL APPLICANTS.
Let f (n) be a function dened, for any integer n > 0, as follows:
f (n) =

1 if n = 0,
(f (n/2))
2
if n > 0 and n is even,
2f (n 1) if n > 0 and n is odd.
(i) What is the value of f(5)?
The recursion depth of f (n) is dened to be the number of other integers m such that
the value of f (m) is calculated whilst computing the value of f (n) . For example, the
recursion depth of f (4) is 3, because the values of f (2) , f (1) , and f (0) need to be
calculated on the way to computing the value of f (4).
(ii) What is the recursion depth of f (5)?
Now let g (n) be a function, dened for all integers n > 0, as follows:
g (n) =

0 if n = 0,
1 + g (n/2) if n > 0 and n is even,
1 + g (n 1) if n > 0 and n is odd.
(iii) What is g (5)?
(iv) What is g

2
k

, where k > 0 is an integer? Briey explain your answer.

(v) What is g

2
l
+ 2
k

where l > k > 0 are integers? Briey explain your answer.

(vi) Explain briey why the value of g (n) is equal to the recursion depth of f (n).
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Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
SOLUTIONS FOR ADMISSIONS TEST IN
MATHEMATICS, JOINT SCHOOLS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE
WEDNESDAY 31 OCTOBER 2007
Mark Scheme:
Each part of Question 1 is worth four marks which are awarded solely for the correct answer.
Each of Questions 2-7 is worth 15 marks
QUESTION 1:
A: Separating out the powers of 2 and 3 we have
6
r+s
12
rs
8
r
9
r+2s
= 2
(r+s+2r2s3r)
3
(r+s+rs2r4s)
= 2
s
3
4s
which is an integer if s 0. The answer is (b).
B:
sin(10x + 11) takes values between 1 and 1 as x varies;
sin
2
(10x + 11) takes values between 0 and 1 as x varies;
3 sin
2
(10x + 11) takes values between 0 and 3 as x varies;
3 sin
2
(10x + 11) 7 takes values between 7 and 4 as x varies;

_
3 sin
2
(10x + 11) 7
_
2
takes values between 16 and 49 as x varies.
The answer is (c).
C: Using the identity sin
2
x + cos
2
x = 1 we see
7 sinx + 2 cos
2
x = 5
2 sin
2
x 7 sinx + 3 = 0
(2 sinx 1) (sinx 3) = 0
Now sinx = 3 has no solutions, and in the range 0 x < 2 we note sinx takes the value 1/2 twice (at /6 and at
5/6). The answer is (b).
D: The circle with equation (x 5)
2
+ (y 4)
2
= 4 has centre (5, 4) and radius 2.
The circle with equation (x 1)
2
+ (y 1)
2
= 1 has centre (1, 1) and radius 1.
The vector from the rst circles centre to the second circles centre is (4, 3) which has length
_
(4)
2
+ (3)
2
= 5.
So the point on the rst circle, closest to the second is
(5, 4) +
2
5
(4, 3) = (5, 4) + (1.6, 1.2) = (3.4, 2.8) .
The answer is (a).
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Sample Solutions for Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
E: Let
f
n
(x) = (1 x)
n
(2 x)
2n
(3 x)
3n
(4 x)
4n
(5 x)
5n
.
If x = 4 then f
n
(x) = 0 and so (a) and (d) are false.
If n = 6 then each exponent in f
n
(x) is even and so (c) is false.
If x > 5 then each bracket is negative, and if n is odd then
f
n
(x) = (negative) (positive) (negative) (positive) (negative) < 0.
The answer is (b).
F: If we set y = 2
x
then the equation 8
x
+ 4 = 4
x
+ 2
x+2
can be rewritten as
y
3
+ 4 = y
2
+ 4y
y
3
y
2
4y + 4 = 0
(y 1)
_
y
2
4
_
= 0
So y = 1, 2, 2 are the possible values for y. But as y = 2
x
> 0 then only positive values for y will lead to real values
for x. Hence y = 1, 2 and x = 0, 1 are the only possible x-values. The answer is (c).
G: If y = 2
x
sin
2
_
x
2
_
then note that y > 0, which discounts (b). Also y (0) = 0 which discounts (d). Finally the
points where graph (c) meets the x-axis arise regularly this is not the case with y = 2
x
sin
2
_
x
2
_
where y = 0 at
x =

2,

3, . . . The answer is (a).

H: If we set
A =
_
1
0
f (x) dx, B =
_
2
1
f (x) dx
then we have the equations
3A + 2B = 7, (A +B) +B = 1.
Solving these simultaneous equations we nd A = 3 and B = 1. Hence
_
2
0
f (x) dx = A +B = 3 1 = 2.
The answer is (d).
I: Note that a is largest when log
10
a is largest. As 4 (log
10
a)
2
+ (log
10
b)
2
= 1 then (log
10
a)
2
is largest when b = 1
and log
10
b = 0. So
4 (log
10
a)
2
= 1 = log
10
a =
1
2
= a =

10.
The answer is (c).
J: Note that
(n + 1) +
_
n
4
+ 2
_
+
_
n
9
+ 3
_
+
_
n
16
+ 4
_
+ +
_
n
10000
+ 100
_
increases as n increases. So the inequality will hold for all n 1 if it holds for n = 1. So we need
(1 + 1) + (1 + 2) + (1 + 3) + (1 + 4) + + (1 + 100) > k
2 + 3 + 4 + + 101 > k

100
2
(2 + 101) > k
5150 > k.
The answer is (d).
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Sample Solutions for Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
QUESTION 2: We have
f
n
(x) = (2 + (2)
n
) x
2
+ (n + 3) x +n
2
.
(i) So
f
3
(x) = 6x
2
+ 6x + 9 = 6
_
x
2
x
3
2
_
= 6
_
_
x
1
2
_
2

7
4
_
= 6
_
x
1
2
_
2
+
21
2
.
So the maximum is
21
2
= 10.5 achieved at x = 1/2.
For any n, f
n
(x) is a quadratic in x which has a maximum when the lead coecient is negative. If 2 + (2)
n
< 0
then n is an odd number greater than 1.
(ii) Setting n = 1 we have f
1
(x) = 4x + 1. So
f
1
(f
1
(x)) = 4 (4x + 1) + 1 = 16x + 5
f
1
(f
1
(f
1
(x))) = 4 (16x + 5) + 1 = 64x + 21
More generally
f
k
1
(x) = 4
k
x +
_
1 + 4 + + 4
k1
_
= 4
k
x +
4
k
1
3
.
(iii) Setting n = 2 we have f
2
(x) = 6x
2
+ 5x + 4. So f
k
2
(x) is a polynomial of degree 2
k
.
QUESTION 3: (i)
(ii) As
_
x c
2
_
+c
2
0 for all x then I (c) 0.
(iii)
I (c) =
_
1
0
_
(x c)
2
+c
2
_
dx =
_
(x c)
3
3
_
1
0
+c
2
=
(1 c)
3
3
+
c
3
3
+c
2
= 2c
2
c +
1
3
.
(iv) Completing the square
I (c) = 2
_
c
2

c
2
+
1
6
_
= 2
_
_
c
1
4
_
2
+
5
48
_
= 2
_
c
1
4
_
2
+
5
24
.
So the minimum is 5/24.
(v) If c can only vary between 1 then the maximum is at I (1) as 1 is furthest from 1/4. In this case
I (1) = 2
_
5
4
_
2
+
5
24
=
50
16
+
5
24
=
150 + 10
48
=
160
48
=
10
3
.
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Sample Solutions for Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test
QUESTION 4: (i) Let C = (1, 1) denote the centre of the circle. then CQ makes angle with the vertical and is of
length 1. So
Q = C +

CQ = (1, 1) + (sin, cos ) = (1 + sin, 1 + cos ) .

The gradient of the line is
RO
PO
= tan
by looking at the triangle OPR. So using the formula y y
Q
= m(x x
Q
) we have
y 1 cos = tan (x 1 sin) .
At P we have y = 0 and so we have
x = cot (1 + cos ) + 1 + sin =
cos + cos
2
+ sin + sin
2

sin
= 1 + cot + csc .
(ii) If we consider the diagram with /2 as the angle OPR rather than , then this is just a reection of the
-diagram in the y = x line. Hence, comparing areas,
A() = B(/2 ) .
So when = /4 we have, dividing up the triangle
A(/4) +B(/4) + 3/4 + 1 =
1
2
P
/4
R
/4
But A(/4) = B(/4) and P
/4
= R
/4
= 1 + 1 +

2 = 2 +

2. Hence
2A(/4) + 3/4 + 1 =
1
2
_
2 +

2
_
2
= 3 + 2

2
giving
A(/4) = 1 +

2
3
8
.
(iii) Let D = (1, 0). When = /3 we can calculate A(/3) as the area of the congruent right-angled triangles DCP
and PCQ minus 1/3 of the circle. So
A(/3) = 2
_
1
2

_
P
/3
1
_
1
_

3
=
_
1 +
1

3
+
2

3
1
_

3
=

3

3
.
QUESTION 5: (i)
f (5) = 2f (4) = 2 (f (2))
2
= 2
__
f (1)
2
__
2
= 2
_
_
2
2
_
2
_
= 32.
(ii) As we had to calculate f (4) , f (2) , f (1) , f (0) on the way then f (5) has recursion depth 4.
(iii)
g (5) = 1 +g (4) = 1 + 1 +g (2) = 1 + 1 + 1 +g (1) = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + g (0) = 4.
(iv) For any natural number k
g
_
2
k
_
= 1 +g
_
2
k1
_
= = k +g
_
2
0
_
= k +g (1) = k + 1.
(v) For natural numbers l > k 0
g
_
2
l
+ 2
k
_
= k +g
_
2
lk
+ 1
_
= k + 1 +g
_
2
lk
_
= k + 1 +l k + 1 = l + 2.
(vi) In the denition of g (n) a further 1 is added to previously calculated values at each stage whether n is even or
odd; as g (0) = 0 then g (n) is a measure of the number of previously calculated values, i.e. g (n) equals the recursion
depth.
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Sample Solutions for Extract from 2007 Mathematics Admissions Test