UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS

October/November 2022

STA3710
Mathematical Techniques in Statistics

100 Marks

Duration: 2 Hours

EXAMINERS:
FIRST: Prof PM Njuho
SECOND: Prof P Ndlovu
EXTERNAL: Prof T Zewotir, UKZN
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

This paper consists of 6 pages.

MODULE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

1. This is an OPEN BOOK examination. You may use your textbook, your course material or any other printed
material to answer the questions.

2. You must UPLOAD your answers in one PDF file.

3. Answer ALL the questions.

4. Marks denote percentages.

5. This examination is IRIS invigilated. If IRIS is not used while you are writing, you will be subjected to
disciplinary processes.

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Open Rubric
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ADDITIONAL STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS

1. Students must upload their answer scripts in a single PDF file on the official myExams platform (answer
scripts must not be password protected or uploaded as “read-only” files).

2. NO e-mailed scripts will be accepted.

3. Students are advised to preview submissions (answer scripts) to ensure legibility and that the correct answer
script file has been uploaded.

4. Students are permitted to resubmit their answer scripts should their initial submission be unsatisfactory.

5. Incorrect file format and uncollated answer scripts will not be considered.

6. Incorrect answer scripts and/or submissions made on unofficial examination platforms (including the invig-
ilator cellphone application) will not be marked and no opportunity will be granted for resubmission.

7. A mark awarded for an incomplete submission will be the student’s final mark. No opportunity for resub-
mission will be granted.

8. A mark awarded for illegible scanned submission will be the student’s final mark. No opportunity for
resubmission will be granted.

9. Only the last file uploaded and submitted will be marked.

10. Submissions will only be accepted from registered student accounts.

11. Students who have not utilised invigilation or proctoring tools will be deemed to have transgressed Unisa’s
examination rules and will have their marks withheld.

12. Students must complete the online declaration of their work when submitting. Students suspected of dis-
honest conduct during the examinations will be subjected to disciplinary processes. Students may not com-
municate with other students or request assistance from other students during examinations. Plagiarism is
a violation of academic integrity, and students who do plagiarise or copy verbatim from published work
will be in violation of the Policy on Academic Integrity and the Student Disciplinary Code and may be re-
ferred to a disciplinary hearing. Unisa has zero tolerance for plagiarism and/or any other forms of academic
dishonesty.

13. Students are provided 30 minutes to submit their answer scripts after the official examination time. Students
who experience technical challenges should report to the SCSC on 080 000 1870 or their College exam sup-
port centers (refer to the Get help during the examinations by contacting the Student Communication Service
Centre (unisa.ac.za)) within 30 minutes. Queries received after one hour of the official examination duration
time will not be responded to. Submissions made after the official examination time will be rejected by the
examination regulations and will not be marked.

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14. Non-adherence to the processes for uploading examination responses will not qualify the student for any
special concessions or future assessments.

15. Queries that are beyond Unisa’s control include the following:

(a) Personal network or service provider issues

(b) Load shedding/limited space on personal computer
(c) Crashed computer
(d) Using work computers that block access to myExams site (work firewall challenges)
(e) Unlicensed software (eg license expires during exams)

Postgraduate students experiencing the above challenges are advised to apply for an aegrotat and submit
supporting evidence within ten days of the examination session. Students will not be able to apply for an
aegrotat for a third examination opportunity. Postgraduate/Undergraduate students experiencing the above
challenges in their second examination opportunity will have to reregister for the affected module.

16. Students experiencing technical challenges should contact the SCSC on 080 000 1870 or via e-mail at
Examenquiries@unisa.ac.za or refer to the Get help during the examinations by contacting the Student
Communication Service Centre (unisa.ac.za) for the list of additional contact numbers. Communication re-
ceived from your myLife account will be considered.

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QUESTION 1 [22 Marks]

2 3
a11 a12 a1n
6 7
6 a21 a22 a2n 7
1.1 Consider matrix A D 6
6 :: :: :: 7:
7
4 : : : 5
am1 am2 amn
Indicate if the following statements are true or false.

1.1.1 A is a square matrix if m D n and a rectangular matrix if m 6D n: (1)

1.1.2 An m 1 matrix is called a row vector. (1)
1.1.3 An upper triangular matrix is one that has all its elements above the diagonal equal to zero. (1)

1.2 Suppose matrices A and B are defined. Indicate if the following statements are true or false.

0
1.2.1 A0 D A0 : (1)
1.2.2 .AB/0 D A0 B0 : (1)
1.2.3 B is a skew–symmetric if B D B0 : (1)
1.2.4 tr .A C B/ D tr .B/ C tr .A/ : (1)
m
1.2.5 j Aj D jAj if is a scalar and A is an m m matrix. (1)
1.2.6 An m m matrix A is a nonsingular matrix if jAj 6D 0 and a singular matrix if jAj D 0: (1)

1.3 If 6D 0 is a scalar and A is a nonsingular m m matrix, indicate if the following statements are true or
false.

1 1
1.3.1 . A/ D A0 : (1)
1 1
1.3.2 A D A: (1)
1
1.3.3 If A D diag .a11 ; :::; amm / then A D diag .a11 ; :::; amm / : (1)
1.3.4 An m 1 vector p is a normalized vector if p0p D 1. (1)

1.3.5 An m m matrix P whose columns form an orthonormal set of vectors is called an orthogonal matrix. (1)

1.4 Let A be an m m idempotent matrix.

1.4.1 Show that .Im A/ is idempotent. (4)

1
1.4.2 Show that BAB is idempotent where B is any m m nonsingular matrix. (4)

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QUESTION 2 [36 Marks]

2.1 Consider the vector space

S D .a; a C b; a C b; b/0 : 1 < a < 1; 1<b<1 :

Determine if the following set of vectors are span sets of S:

2.1.1 .1; 0; 0; 1/0 ; .1; 2; 2; 1/0 : (5)

0 0 0
2.1.2 .2; 1; 1; 1/ ; .3; 1; 1; 2/ ; .3; 2; 2; 1/ : (5)

2.2 Using the law of cosines, find the angle between

x D .1; 2; 1; 2/0 and y D .3; 0; 1; 1/0 :
(6)

2.3 Let A be an m n matrix and B be an n p matrix with rank.B/ D n: Show that

rank .A/ D rank .AB/ :
(5)

2.4 For some angle , consider the 2 2 matrix

" #
cos sin
PD :
sin cos

2.4.1 Show that P is an orthogonal matrix. (7)

2.4.2 Find the eigenvalues of P. (8)

QUESTION 3 [31 Marks]

3.1 Obtain a singular value decomposition for the matrix

" #
1 2 2 1
AD :
1 1 1 1
(18)

3.2 Find the Moore–Penrose inverse of the vector

2 3
2
6 7
6 1 7
aD6
6
7:
7
4 3 5
3
(6)

3.3 Let A be an m n matrix with rank .A/ D 1: Show that AC D c 1 A0 where c D tr A0 A : (7)

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QUESTION 4 [11 Marks]

4.1 Let A and B be the 1 3 and 2 2 matrices, respectively

" #
h i 1 2
AD 0 1 2 and B D :
4 3

Find .A B/ : (6)

4.2 Let A be the 2 3 matrix " #

2 0 5
AD :
8 1 3

Find vec .A/ ; a 6 1 vector. (5)

Total: [100]

c
UNISA 2022