Rocket City Math League 2013-2014

Discovery Test Solutions Round 1

1. x3  x 2  8x  7  5  x3  x 2  8x  12  0  x  22 x  3  0 x  2, 3

2. If the polynomials in the numerator and denominator are of the same degree, the horizontal asymptote is given
by the ratio of the coefficient on the term with the largest exponent in the numerator to the coefficient of the term 4
 12 4 y
with the largest exponent in the denominator. is this ratio, which simplifies to . The question asks for 3
9 3 (must have “y=”)
the equation of the asymptote, however, so the answer must be the equation of this asymptote.

3. 3
8 
4 2
 3 88  3 224  28  256 256
log81 log36 2log9 2 log6

4. 6 log36  9 log81  6 2log6  9 2 log9  6log6 9  9log9 6  9  6  15 15

 1    1 
5. Solving from the inside out: tan arcsin     14
1 7
   sin arccos     
3 
2 2     2 2  2 2
4
6. Computing the determinant using diagonals, 0  3  6x  0  x 2  24  0  x 2  6x  27  0 and x  3, 9
thus x  3, 9

7. x  y 2
  
 22  x 2  y 2  8  2 xy  -4  xy  -2
20
x  y  3
 x  3x y  3xy  y 3  x3  y 3  3xy x  y   x3  y 3  3- 22  8  x3  y 3  20
3 2 2

8. Using the stars and bars paradigm, there are 13 stars (representing pieces of candy) and 4 bars (separating the
17!
5 “bins” that represent students). The number of ways to arrange this is  2380 . This is the total number
13!4!
of ways Professor Steinman can distribute the pieces of candy. If each student receives 2 pieces of candy,
13  5(2)  3 are left to distribute among the students. Once again using the stars and bars paradigm, there are 3 1
7!
stars and 4 bars, and  35 ways to arrange the pieces of candy such that every student receives at least 2 68
3!4!
35 1
pieces. Thus the probability that every student receives at least 2 pieces is  .
2380 68

9. The equation of the ellipse can be expressed in the form

x  32   y  52  1 . Substituting the x and y
a2 b2
values of point through which the ellipse passes yields
7  32  2  52 1
16 9
  1 . The eccentricity is
2 2
a b a 2 b2
c a b 2
4 a b
2
16 2 2
     25a 2  25b 2  16a 2  9a 2  25b 2 . Using the two equations to solve,
a a 5 a2 25
16 9 41 16 9
 2 1 2 
9 25
b
3 41 123π
2
  1  2  1  a  41 and . The area of an ellipse is
a 9 2 a 41 b b 41 5
a 5
25

ab  41   
 3 41 
5
 

123 .
5
 
10. The probability John loses on any of the first three turns is the sum of the probabilities he loses on either the
first, second, or third turns, since these outcomes are mutually exclusive. L13  L1  L2  L3 .
Pace  1
L1  ace flipped on first turn  
10 cards 10
Pace or 2'  P2 8 1 8
L2  (doesn’t lose on first turn)*(two flipped on second turn)     
10 cards 9 cards 10 9 90

L3  (doesn’t lose on first turn)*(doesn’t lose on second turn)*(three flipped on third turn)
Since the probability that John loses on the second turn is influenced by whether or not he draws a 2 on the first
turn, L3 must be separated into two cases; one where John draws a 2 on the first turn, and one where he draws
any other card (except an ace) on the first turn.

For the first case, that John draws a two on the first turn,
Ptwo Pthree' Pthree 1 8 1 1
L31       
10 cards 9 cards 8 cards 10 9 8 90
For the second case, that where John does not draw a two on the first turn,
Pace, two or three' Ptwo or three' Pthree 7 7 1 49
L32       
10 cards 9 cards 8 cards 10 9 8 720
1 4 1 49 193
Thus L13  L1  L2  L3  L3     
1 2
10 45 90 720 720 193
ALTERNATE SOLUTION: 720
# ways John loses =
# ways the 1st card is ace: 9!
+ # ways the 2nd card is 2: 9!
+ # ways the 3rd card is 3: 9!
- # ways ( ace, 2, anything): 8!
- # ways (ace, anything, 3): 8!
- # ways (anything, 2, 3): 8!
+ # ways (ace, 2, 3): 7!
= 3(9!) - 3(8!) + 7! = 193(7!)

Total permutations of all 10 cards = 10!

prob = 193(7!) / 10! = 193/720

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