1976 A-Level Pure Mathematics Paper I

1. Let p and q be two real numbers.

(a) (i) Show that the system (E) of linear equations

x y z 6

3x y 11z 6
2 x y pz q

(E )

in x , y , z has a unique

solution if and only if p 4

(ii) Let p = 4 in the system (E) . Find q such that the system (E) has no solution. Find q such
that the system (E) has infinitely many solutions.
(b) Show that for all values of p and q , the system ( E ' ) of linear equations

x y z 6
3x py 11z 6

2 x y pz q

(E )
solution.

in x , y , z has a unique

(1976)

2. (a) State De Moivre' s Theorem for a positive integral index.

(b) Find a polynomial f(x) such that cos 5 cos f (cos ) . Determine the values of
(0 ) such that f (cos )0 .
(c) Using (b) or otherwise, show that (1 cos
Hence show that sin

3
7
9
1
)(1 cos
)(1 cos
)(1 cos
)
.
10
10
10
10
16

3
1
sin

.
10
10
4

(1976)
3. (a)A student taking examinations in mathematics, English, physics and philosophy estimates that the
probabilities of his getting a grade A in these subjects are respectively 0.1, 0.5, 0.3, 0.7. Assume that
the gradings of the subjects are independent of each other. Find the probability that the student receives
(i) no A's, and
(ii) exactly one A.
(b) A box contains 40 balls in 4 different colours. There are 10 balls in each colour and they are marked
from 1 to 10. If 5 balls are taken from the box, find
(i) the probability p1 that all 5 balls are of the same colour,
(ii) the probability p 2 that exactly 3 balls are marked with the same number, and
(iii) the ratio p 1 : p 2 .
(1976)

4.

Let p

(p

2p

A 1
0

0 ,1) be a real number, and

1

p2
0

Let

x 0 0 and

(a)

Prove that

x n kp k 1 for all positive integers n.

k 1

( n 1) p n

n 1

np
0

xn

np n 1
( n 1) p
0

x n 1
1

for all positive

integers n.
(b)

Let

y 0 a , y 1 b

and

y n 1 2 py n p 2 y n 1 1 for all positive

integers n. Verify that

yn1 yn

yn A yn1
1 1

Hence show that y n bnp n 1 a ( n 1) p n x n 1 for all positive

integers n, and verify that
x n 1

1np n 1 ( n 1) p n
(1p ) 2

(1976)

5. (a) Let f (x) be a polynomial with real coefficients, f ' (x) its derivative and r a real number. Prove that
f (x) has r as a multiple root if and only if f (r) = f ' (r) = 0.
(b) f (x) and g (x) are polynomials with real coefficients without multiple roots , and f (x) , g (x) has
no common root. Let
F (x) = f (x) g (x) k where k is a positive integer greater than 1.

(i) Show that if F (x) and F ' (x) are expressed in the form
F (x) = g (x) k 1 P (x) , F '(x) = g (x) k 1 Q (x) ,
then P (x) and Q (x) are polynomials having no common roots.
[ You may assume that (a) holds when r is a complex number. ]
(ii) Show that g (x) is a greatest common factor of the polynomials P (x) and Q (x) - k P ' (x) , i. e.
that g (x) is a factor of both polynomials and every common factor of the two polynomials is a
factor of
g (x).
(1976)
6. (a) Let x be a non-zero real number greater than - 1. Prove by induction that for any integer n greater
than 1,
( 1 + x ) n > 1 + nx
(b) Let t be any fixed positive number. Consider the sequence
a 1,a

,..., a

,...where a

t ,the positive

n-th root of t.
(i) Let t > 1. Show that
Putting

t 1 .

t 1 x

Hence show that for t > 1,

and using (a) or otherwise , show that

t 1
n

lim a
n

for

n 2 .

1
.

a n 1.
(ii) Show that for all t > 0, lim
n
(1976)
a k and b k
integer, and
the coefficients
n
n 2
x
in (1 x )
and (1 x )
respectively.
0 k
n 2
(a) Show
that,
for
b k 2 a k 2a k 1 a k 2 .

7. Let

be

positive

of

(b) Show that

n
( 1) k a k
n!

k 0
x ( x 1)...( x n )
xk

(c) Using (a) and (b) or otherwise, show that

( 1) k a k

k 0 ( x k )( x k 1)( x k 2)
2x (
n

(1976)

8.

Let R be the set of all real numbers and M the set of all 2 x 2 real matrices. A mapping f: R M is

defined by

for all

cos sin
f()
sin cos

R. Denote by X the direct image

{m M : m = f() for some

R}

of R under f.
(a) Show that f ( ) f ()f () for all , R . Hence or otherwise, show that X forms a
commutative group under the usual multiplication of matrices.
(b) Let ~ be the relation in R defined by ~ if and only if is a multiple of 2.
Show that
(i) ~ is an equivalence relation.
(ii) f () f () if and only if ~ .
(iii) the mapping F : R/~ X defined by F(/~) = f() is bijective.
[Here /~ denotes the equivalence class of and R/~ denotes the set of equivalence classes.]
(1976)

1976 A-Level Pure Mathematics Paper II

1.

(a) Let a i x b i yc i = 0 (i = 1, 2, 3) be three distinct straight lines which are not all parallel.
Show that the three lines are concurrent if and only if

a 1 b 1 c1
a 2 b2 c2 0 .
a 3 b3 c3
(b)Find the equation of the normal to the parabola y 2 = 4ax at the point ( at 2 , 2at). A circle with
centre (p, q) passes through the origin and meets the parabola again at three different points with
parametric values t 1 , t 2 , t 3 .
Show that

at i

2pt i 4at i 4q

( i = 1, 2, 3 ) and hence show that the

normals at these three points are concurrent.

(1976)

2. Let u = ( x y l ),

x 0 1 0

u' = y , E 1 0 0

l 0 0 1

and v = ( m n) where , m , n are constants with l , m not both

zero.
(a) For any constants p and q, show that the equation

vu '
vEu '

p
q

of perpendicular lines. [Here we simply write a 1 x 1 matrix ( )

(b) consider the conic

ax

as

represent a pair
.]

2 hxy by 2 2gx 2fy c 0 .

(i) Show that the equation of can be written as u A u ' = 0 where

a h g

A h b f
g f c

(ii) If

P1 ( x 1 , y1 ) , P2 ( x 2 , y 2 )

are two different points on

 and u 1

(x1

y1

1) , u

(x

, show that the equation of the line passing through P1 and P2 is

u 1 Au' u Au 2 ' u 1 Au 2 '

.
(iii) Assume that the tangents to at P
exists . Show that the equation of the
1
tangent is u 1 A u ' 0 , and the equation of the normal to
at P
is
1
u 1 AEu ' u 1 AEu 1 ' .
[ You may assume that u 1Au ' uAu1 ' . ]
(1976)

3. (a) By using a definite integral , show that the volume of a right circular cone of height h , whose base
is a circle of radius r ,is

(b)

4.

1 2
r h .
3

A container in the shape of a right circular cone is formed by removing a sector from a circular
disc of radius R and joining the straight edges of the remaining portion . For a fixed R , find the
maximum capacity of the container.
(1976)

(a) Let f(x) = ( x 2 1) n where n is any fixed positive integer , f

f (k ) (x)

(0)

(x) f (x)

and

d f (x)
for any positive integer k . Show that
dx k
( x 2 1)f ( 2 ) ( x ) 2( n 1) x f (1) ( x ) 2n f ( x )0.

Hence show that for any non-negative integer k,

( x 2 1)f ( k 2 ) ( x ) 2( n k 1) x f ( k 1) ( x ) ( k 1)(2n k )f ( k ) ( x )0.

(b) For any positive integer n , let Pn ( x )

Pn ' ( x )

dn
( x 2 1) n ,
dx n

dPn ( x )
and
dx

Pn " ( x

By using (a) , prove that

( x 2 1) Pn " ( x ) 2 x Pn ' ( x ) n ( n 1) Pn ( x )0,

and deduce that for all positive integers m and n ,

d
[( x 2 1){Pm ( x ) Pn ' ( x ) Pn ( x ) Pm ' ( x )}]{n ( n 1) m( m 1)}Pm ( x ) Pn ( x ) 0.
dx

Hence show that if

n m,

Pn ( x ) Pm ( x ) dx 0.

(1976)

5. (a) Show that , for any positive constant c , if the function f(x) satisfies f(x) = f(x + 2c) for all x , then

f ( x )dx

2 c

2c

Hence prove that for any constant a ,

f ( x ) dx

f ( x ) dx

c a

c a

f ( x ) dx

(b) Let the function g(x) satisfy g(x) = g(-x) for all x . Show that for any positive integer m ,

g ( x ) cosmx dx 2

g ( x ) cosmx dx

(c) Let g(x) be a function such that g(x) = g(x+ ) for all x , and g(x) =
x

for x [ 0, ]

. By using the graph of g(x) or otherwise , show that

g(x) = g(x+2 ) and g(x) = g(-x) for all x. Using (a) and (b) or otherwise , show that for any
positive integer m ,

g ( x ) cosmxdx

 0 if m is odd or m is a multiple of

8
m 2 otherwise.

(1976)

6. For any non-negative m , let I m 2 sin m x dx

0
(a) Using integration by parts, show that if m 2 , mI m ( m 1)I m 2 .
Hence show that for any positive integer k ,

2
0

1.3.5...( 2 k 1)
sin 2 k x dx
2.4.6...( 2k ) 2

2
0

sin 2 k 1 x dx

2.4.6...( 2k )
.
3.5.7...( 2k 1)

(b) By comparing the values of sin m x and sin m1 x , show that

I 2 k 2 I 2 k 1 I 2 k .
{(
Hence show that lim
k

2.4.6...( 2k )
1
)2
}
1.3.5...( 2k 1)
k

(1976)

7. Let f 0 ( x ) x , and , for each positive integer p , f p ( x ) p[ 0 f p 1 ( t ) dt x 0 f p 1 ( t ) dt ] .

Prove that for any positive integer p ,
(i) f p ( 1) f p (0) 0
(ii) f p ( x ) is a polynomial in x of degree p +1 whose constant term is zero and the coefficients of
x p 1 and

xp

are respectively

1
and
p 1

1
.
2

(iii) f p ( x ) f p ( x 1) x
p
p
p
(iv) if n is any positive integer , f p ( n ) 1 2 ... n . Hence express
1p 2 p ... n p as a polynomial in n for p = 1, 2 , 3 .
[ Hint : Use induction in (ii) and (iii) . ]
p

(1976)

8. (a) Prove that for any

x (0,) ,

sin ( n 12 ) x sin 12 x
cos kx
k 1
2 sin 12 x
n

(b) For any positive integer n , let

n

Sn ( x )

k 1

sin kx
,
k

x [0,].

(i) Prove that if

x 0 (0,)

and S n ' ( x 0 ) 0 ,

then

sin ( n

and hence deduce that sin nx 0 0.

(ii) It is given that for each n , Sn ( x ) attains its absolute minimum on
[0,].
If S m 1 ( x )
attains its absolute minimum at some
x 0 (0,) , show that S m 1 ( x 0 ) 0, and deduce from (i)
that S m ( x 0 ) 0.
Hence show that if S m ( x ) 0 for all x (0,), then Sm1 ( x )

attains its absolute minimum only at x = 0 and x = .

(iii) Prove by induction that for any positive integer n ,
S n ( x ) 0 for all x (0,) .

(1976)