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STEP Support Programme

Assignment 10

Warm-up

1 (i) In the triangle below, BP is perpendicular to AC.

Show, using the sine rule, that:

sin( + ) sin(90 )
= 1
tan + tan cos

and hence that

sin( + ) = sin cos + sin cos .
Use this result, together with properties of sin and cos such as cos = sin(90 ), to
obtain expressions for sin( ), cos( + ) and cos( ).

(ii) Find the values of sin 75 and sin 15 .

(iii) By expressing cos 3A as cos(2A + A), find an expression for cos 3A in terms of cos A.

Assignment 10 1
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Preparation
2 (i) Write down the prime factors of 120. Find the value of:
   
1 1 1
120 1 1 1
2 3 5

 
1
(ii) Show that if x is an integer and a is a positive integer, then xa 1 is an integer.
x

(iii) Write 39600 and 52920 as products of prime numbers. Hence find the highest common
factor of 39600 and 52920.

(iv) The phrases if and only if mean very different things. For example, the statement

a2 = b2 if a = b

is true, but the statement

a2 = b2 only if a = b

is not true (because a2 = b2 also when a = b).

State whether the following are true or false. Express your answers using (im-
plies), (is implied by), 6 (does not imply) and 6 (is not implied by) .
For example,

a2 = b2 if a = b

is True: a2 = b2 a = b and

a2 = b2 only if a = b

is False: a2 = b2 6 a = b.
(a) ab is even if both a and b are even
(b) ab is even only if both a and b are even
(c) a = b if a2 = b2
(d) a = b only if a2 = b2
(e) a triangle is equilateral if it has three equal sides
(f ) a triangle is equilateral only if it has three equal sides.
It can sometimes be helpful to rephrase the statement, so a2 = b2 if a = b becomes
if a = b then a2 = b2 and a2 = b2 only if a = b becomes only if a = b is it true
that a2 = b2 .

Assignment 10 2
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(v) Sometimes the implication works both ways. We can use the phrase if and only if in
these cases. For example:

a triangle is scalene if and only if no two sides have equal lengths

Which means that the statements if a triangle is scalene then no two sides have equal
lengths and if no two sides have equal lengths then a triangle is scalene are both
true.
If and only if is sometimes abbreviated as iff or denoted by the symbol .
State whether the following are true or false:
(a) an even number is prime iff it is 2
(b) an odd number is prime iff it is 3
(c) x = 3 iff x2 9 = 0
(d) a triangle with sides of lengths a, b and c is right-angled iff a2 + b2 = c2
(e) a triangle is scalene iff no two angles are the same.
For those parts where the statement is false, re-write the statement using if or only
if to make it true.

The STEP question

3 For any positive integer N , the function f(N ) is defined by

 1  1  1
f(N ) = N 1 1 1
p1 p2 pk
where p1 , p2 , . . . , pk are the only prime numbers that are factors of N .
Thus f(80) = 80(1 21 )(1 15 ) .

(i) (a) Evaluate f(12) and f(180).

(b) Show that f(N ) is an integer for all N .

(ii) Prove, or disprove by means of a counterexample, each of the following:

(a) f(m)f(n) = f(mn) ;
(b) f(p)f(q) = f(pq) if p and q are distinct prime numbers;
(c) f(p)f(q) = f(pq) only if p and q are distinct prime numbers.

(iii) Find a positive integer m and a prime number p such that f(pm ) = 146410 .

Assignment 10 3
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Discussion

Again, a STEP question where a (possibly) unfamiliar function is presented to you. Dont be
frightened of the last part: it is easier than it looks!

Part (i) (b) requires a formal proof. It will probably help to start by writing N as a product
of prime factors, i.e. N = pa11 pa22 pakk where p1 , p2 , are distinct prime numbers and
a1 , a2 , are positive integers.

When looking for counterexamples, as in part (ii), the golden rule is to keep it simple: try to
understand why the result is false, then use (in this case) low numbers.

The function defined in this question is called the Euler totient function. The value of f(N ) is
exactly equal to the number of integers less than or equal to N that are coprime to N (i.e. have
no prime factors in common with N ). Try it out maybe starting with f(12) and f(20) and youll
begin to see how it works. For f(12), the numbers less than or equal to 12 that are coprime to 12
are 1,5,7,11; four of them, as expected.

Warm down

4 The following questions are taken from the first examinations set by the The University of
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate in 1858. The Junior papers were for candidates
under 16 years of age and the Senior papers were for candidates under 18 years of age.
The first two parts of the question below are from the Junior papers and the second two
parts are from the Senior papers.
On another paper, candidates were asked to draw, from memory, a wheelbarrow turned
upside down. They were allowed an hour to do so. You can do this if you want.

(i) Workmen can perform a certain labour in a week if they work 11 hours a day for 6
days; how many hours a day must they work to perform the same in the same time if
they take half of Saturday as a holiday, but do a twelfth more work each hour?
We didnt get a very nice answer for this. Note that they worked long hours in those
days!

(ii) The difference between two numbers is 3, and the difference of their cubes is 279, find
the numbers.

3 2 2 1 1 1 3 5
(iii) Multiply a 4 x 3 b 5 y 6 by a 4 x 3 b 5 y 6 .
Some not very nice numbers, again(!), for the cross terms.

p
12 + 6 3
(iv) Simplify .
3+1
At last a nice answer.

Assignment 10 4