1971 A-level Pure Mathematics Paper II

1. (a) A triangle ABC is such that A = (0, -3), B = (3, 1), the equation of BC is x + 2y - 5 =
0, and the equation of the median AM through A is 5x - y - 3 = 0. Find
(i) the equation of the line through C and perpendicular to AB,
(ii) the distance from C to AB, and
(iii) the coordinates of the centroid of the triangle ABC.
x 2 y2
(b) Prove that the tangents with slope m to the hyperbola   k are
a 2 b2
y  mx k(a 2 m 2  b 2 ) . Hence, or otherwise, find the equation of the locus of the point from
which the two tangents to the hyperbola are perpendicular.
(1971)

x2
2. (a) Let f(x) = ( x  2) .
x2
(i) Find the asymptotes of the graph y = f(x) ;
(ii) Find the maxima and minima of f(x) ;
(iii) Sketch the graph of y = f(x) .
cos 2 ax  cos 2 bx
(b) Evaluate lim
x  x2
1p  2 p  . . .  n p
(c) Using a definite integral or otherwise, find lim , where p is a positive integer.
n  n p1
(1971)

3. Let a be a positive number and f (x) = a x 2 2x a.

(i) Sketch the graph of f (x).
(ii) Prove that the equation f (x) = 0 has two real roots and that the larger one is positive and less
than both 1 and a/2 while the smaller one is less than -1.
(iii) Let a 1  a. For n = 2, 3, ... , let an be the positive root of the equation
a n 1 x 2  2x  a n 1 0. Find lim a n .
n 

(1971)

4. Let n be a positive integer.

(i) Find the roots of x n  1  0 ;
 2 (n  1)
(ii) Prove that x 2 n  1  ( x 2  1)(x 2  2x cos  1)(x 2  2x cos  1) ... ( x 2  2x cos  1) ;
n n n
 2 (n  1) n
(iii) Using (ii) or otherwise , show that sin sin ... sin  n 1 .
n n n 2
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dx
5. (a) (i) For any non- negative integer m , let I m   sin m
x
, prove the following recurrence formula

1 cosx n 2
In   n 1
 I n 2 (n  2)
n 1 sin x n 1
2 dx 2 dx
(ii) Suppose that 1 sin x A. Express 1 sin 3 x in terms of A.
 4
(b) Evaluate 4
2x x 2 dx
(c) Let f be a continuous function defined on the interval [ a , b ]. prove that
b b b

a
f ( x)dx  
a
f (x)dx  
a
f ( x) dx
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x1  x 2
6. (a) Let f(x) be a convex function defined on [a , b] , i.e. , f ( x1 )  f ( x 2 )  2 f ( ) for all
2
x1 , x 2  [a,b]. For each positive integer n , consider the statement I(n) : If x i  [a,b] , i =
 x  x 2  ...  x n 
1,2, ... , n , then f ( x 1 )  ...f ( x n ) n f  1  .
 n 
(i) Prove by induction that I( 2 k ) is true for every positive integer k .
(ii) Prove that if I(n) (n 2) is true , then I(n-1) is true.
(iii) Prove that I(n) is true for every positive integer n .

(b) Prove that f(x) = sin x is convex on [0, ] , and hence that
1    2  ...  n
(sin1  sin 2  ... sin n )  sin 1 for 0  i   .
n n
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7. (a) Let n be a positive integer and f a function defined by

1
cos(n )t
f (x) = 
x
2 dt, x0,  
t  n1
0
2 cos  
2
Prove that
  
(i) f is increasing on the interval [ 0, ] and decreasing on the interval [ , ];
2 n 1 2n 1 n 1

 1 t
(ii) f()   n 1 sin(n1)t tan dt ( hint : put k = n + 1 ) ;
n1 2 0 2

(iii) f ( )  0 ;
n1

(iv) f (x) 0 for all x  [0, ]
n 1
(b) Prove that if x  (2k +1 )  for any integer k , then
1
cos(n  )x
1  2
(1) n   cos x cos 2x  . . . (1) n cos nx   .
2  2cos
x
2
(c) Using (a) and (b) or otherwise, prove that the function g defined by
x sin 2 x sin nx    
g (x) = (1) n  sin x   ...  (1) n  is non-negative on 0, n1 .
2 2 n   
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8. (a) The Archimedean axiom states that for every real number x there is a natural number
 M > x. Let a be a non-negative number. Making use of the Archimedean axiom or otherwise, prove
1
that if a  for every positive integer n, then a = 0.
n
(b) let a, b, c be three positive numbers such that a  b  c . Prove that if for every integer n there is a
triangle Δ(n)whose sides are a n , b n , and c n , then a = b and every triangle Δ(n) is isosceles.
(1971)

9. (a) Let f1 ( x )( x  a ) 2  b 2 ,f 2 ( x )( x  c) 2 d 2 where a , b , c , d are real numbers and a > c .
Set F(x) = Max {f1 ( x ),f 2 ( x )} for all x. where
 s if s  t 
 Max{s,t} 
  
  t if t s. 
 f1 ( x ) if x  x 0
(i) Find x0 such that F(x) =  .
f 2 ( x ) if x  x 0
(ii) Find x 1 such that F( x 1 )  F( x ) for all x .
(b) Making use of (a) or otherwise , solve the following problem :
Two persons are at points P1 ,P2 separated by a straight line L on a plane . They want to see each
other at some point on L and agree that whoever arrives there first should wait for the other.
Assuming that they start at the same time and walk at the same speed , find the point P on L so
that they can meet within the shortest time.
(1971)