RMO / INMO

PRE-NURTURE COURSECAREER FOUNDATION

TARGET- RMO / INMO

PRACTICE SHEET # 2 ALGEBRA MATHEMATICS
1. Let k and n be positive integers and x1 ......, xk positive real numbers satisying x1 + ..... + xk = 1. Prove
that x1–n + .... + xk–n ³ kn+1.
2. If one of the roots of x2 + px + q = 0 is the square of the other, show that p3 – q(3p – 1) + q2 = 0.
3. Solve the equation x4 – 5x2 – 6x – 5 = 0.

a b c b 1+a c 1+b
4. Find three irreducible fractions , and , that form an arithmetic progression, if = , = .
d d d a 1+ d b 1+ d

x 3 - ax2 + 19x - a - 4
5. Find the value of a for which the fraction admits of reduction. Reduce it to its
x3 - (a + 1)x2 + 23x - a - 7
lowest terms.
6. If a, b, c, x, y, z are real quantities, and (a + b + c)2 = 3(bc + ca + ab – x2 – y2 – z2), show that a = b =
c, and x = 0, y = 0, z = 0.
7. An equation x3 + ax2 + bx + c = 0 has three (not necessarily distinct) real roots t, u, v. For what values of
a, b, c are the numbers t3, u3, v3 roots of an equation x3 + a3x2 + b3x + c3 = 0 ?
8. Solve the equations :
(i) x4 + 3x2 = 16x + 60
(ii) y2 + z2 – x = z2 + x2 – y = x2 + y2 – z = 1.
9. Solve the equations :

(i) m
(a + x)2 + 2 m (a - x)2 = 3m a2 - x2 .

1 1 1 1 1 1

(ii) (x - a) 2 ´ (x - b) 2 - (x - c) 2 (x - d) 2 = (x - c) 2 (b - d) 2
10. Denote by m the average of the positive numbers m1, ....., mk. Prove that

2 2 2
æ 1 ö æ 1 ö æ 1ö
ç m1 + ÷ + ... + ç mk + ÷ ³ kçm + ÷
è m1 ø è mk ø è mø

11. Solve 3
6(5x + 6) - 3 5(6x - 11) = 1.
12. The arithmetic mean between m and n and the geometric mean between a and b are each equal to
ma + nb
: find m and n in terms of a and b.
m+n
13. Can the equation z3 – 2z2 – 2z + m = 0 have three distinct rational roots? Justify your answer.
14. Solve the equations :
(i) 2x - 1 + 3x - 2 = 4x - 3 + 5x - 4 .

ìï 2 3
ü 1
4 (x - 16) 4 + 8 ï = x 2 + 16(x 2 - 16) 4
(ii) í ý .
îï ïþ

y-z z-x x-y

15. Prove that two of the quantities x, y, z must be equal to one another, if + + = 0.
1 + yz 1 + zx 1 + xy

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 PRE-NURTURE COURSE RMO / INMO
2ab a2 + b2
æ a öa 2
-b 2 ab æ a b ö
æ a ö a2 -b2
16. If x = ç ÷ , show that 2 ç xb + xa ÷ = ç ÷ .
è bø a + b2 ç ÷ èbø
è ø

ì x2 + y2 + z 2 + t 2 = 50
ï 2
ï x - y2 + z2 - t 2 = -24
17. Solve the system í
ï xz = yt,
ï x-y+z+t = 0
î

x-a x-b b a
18. Solve the equation + = + .
b a x-a x-b

æ p2 ö p2
19. ç
If the roots of the equation ç 1 - q + ÷÷ x2 + p (1 + q)x + q (q – 1) + = 0 are equal, show that p2 =
è 2 ø 2
4q.

1 1 2
20. Let t1, ...., tn be real numbers with 0 < p £ tk £ q (k = 1, ....., n). Let t = (t1 + ... + tn) and T = (t
n n 1

t2 4pq
+ ... + tn2). Prove that ³ .
T (p + q)2

When does equality occur ?

ANSWER KEY

-1 ± -3 1 ± 21 ad - bc
3. ,or . [x 4 – x – 5(x2 + x + 1) (ii)
2 2 a -b-c +d
= 0] [Put (a – c) (b – d) = {(x – c) – (x – a)} {(x – d) –
(x – b)}; then square]
3 2 1
4. , ,
5 5 5 161
11. 6, - .
30
x-4
5. a = 8;
x -5 2b a 2a b
12. m = ,n = .
7. ab = c a+ b a+ b
b £ 0 13. No

-1 ± -39 14. (i) 1 (ii) ± 4 2

8. (i) 3, –2, . [Add x2 + 4 to each side.]
2 [putting x2 – 16 = y4, we find y4 – 16 – 4y (y2
– 4) = 0]
1 1
(ii) x = 1, - , –1, 0, 0; y = 1, - , 0, –1, 0; 17. (3, 6, 2, 1); (2, 6, 3, 1); (3, –1, 2, –6); (2, –1,
2 2
3, –6); (–3, –6, –2, –1), (–2, –6, –3, –1), (–3, 1,
1 –2, 6); (–2, 1, –3, 6)
z = 1, - , 0, 0, –1
2
a 2 + b2
18. 0, a + b, .
2m - 1 a+b
9. (i) 0, a
2m + 1

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