CSCI 2200

Foundations of Computer Science (FOCS)

RPI
2014

ASSIGNMENT 6
1

Warm Up (do before recitation lab)

(1) Let g(n) =

n
P

i. What is the Big-Theta, Big-Oh and Little-Oh relationship between g(n) and n, n2 , n3 .

i=1

For example, is g(n) = O(n) or o(n) or (n), and similarly for n2 , n3 ?

(2) Use the integration method to give upper and lower bounds for

n
X
i=0

1
1 + i2

(3) A recursive function takes an input of size n reduces it to two problems of size n/2 and does extra work
of n to combine the results to get the output. The running time depends only on n, the size of the input.
Let T (n) be the time to run on any input of size n. Show that
T (n) = 2T (n/2) + n.
(4) Find formulas for:

m
n X
X
i=1 j=1

(i + j);

m
n X
X

i+j

m
n Y
Y

3i+j .

i=0 j=0

i=0 j=0

(5) Tn = 2Tn1 Tn2 + 2; T0 = 1; T1 = 2. Use the method of differences to conjecture a formula for Tn
and then prove your formula by induction.
(6) Prove that if a divides bc and GCD(a, b) = 1 then a divides c.

Recitation Lab (TA will work these out in lab)

(1) Tn = 2 Tn1 + 1; T0 = 1. Deduce a formula for Tn and prove it by induction.

(2) Let p be prime. Show that x2 y 2 (mod p) if and only if x y
the claim true if p is not prime? [Hint: x2 y 2 = (x y)(x + y).]
(3) Use integration to get upper and lower bounds for

n
P

i=1

i
i2 +1

(mod p) or x y

(mod p). Is

and give the asymptotic behavior (Big-Theta).

(4) T (n) = 2 T (n/2) + n. Let n = 2k . Show that T (n) = (n log n). [Hint: Induction. Show that
T (n) c1 n log n and T (n) c2 n log n for constants c1 , c2 .]
(5) Let p be prime. Prove that if p divides a1 a2 ak then p divides one of the ai .
[Hint: Warm up problem 6.]
(6) Consider all permutations of {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}. A permutation is good if any of the sub-sequences 12, 23
or 56 appear. How many good permutations are there?

Problems (hand these in)

For all these problems, n N = {1, 2, 3, . . .}.

(1) Compute GCD(2250, 1200) and find s, t Z for which GCD(2250, 1200) = s 2250 + t 1200.
(2) Use the integration method to give upper and lower bounds for the function f (n) =

n
P

i2i and give the

i=1

asymptotic behavior of f (n) for n (Big-Theta).

(3) Here is a collection of dating preferences for a group of 3 boys b1 , b2 , b3 and 3 girls g1 , g2 , g3 .
b1
g2
g1
g3

b2
g1
g3
g2

b3
g1
g2
g3

g1
b1
b3
b2

g2
b2
b3
b1

g3
b3
b1
b2

Use the dating algorithm from class to find a stable set of marriages:
(a) With the boys being the wooers and the girls the deciders.
(b) With the girls being the wooers and the boys the deciders.
Define the regret for a person as how far away from their top choice they got married. For example, if
a marriage is b1 g3 then regret(b1 ) = 2 and regret(g3 ) = 1. Compute the total regret for the boys and
girls using the stable marriages you got from parts (a) and (b).
[FYI (you do not have to show this): The regret for each girl will never be more for (b) than (a), and
the reverse is true for the boys. Be the side that makes the first move!]
(4) Let S be a set of n + 1 distinct numbers chosen from the set {1, 2, . . . , 2n}.
(a) Estimate the number of ways to choose S when n = 100. Use an approximation for n! that we
derived in class.
(b) Show that no matter what S you choose, there are two numbers x, y S with GCD(x, y) = 1.
[Hint: GCD(k, k + 1) = 1.]
(5) Prove or disprove:
There exists n 3 for which there are preferences of n boys and n girls such that every
matching is stable.
If you think the claim is true, give the preferences of the n boys and n girls and show that every matching
is stable. If you think it is false, prove it - show that for any set of preferences and any n 3 there is
at least one unstable matching.

Prove or disprove: 2p 1 is prime when p is prime. The student gave a faulty proof by induction and got zero points.
Student (to prof ): Why did I get 0 points?
Prof (to student): Look, the claim is clearly false: 211 1 = 2047 which is not prime (2047 = 23 89).
Student (to prof ): Hmm. . . your proof seems correct, but so what? The question said Prove OR disprove. You choose to
prove and I choose to disprove.

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