ENTRANCE TEST

Total Marks: 216 Duration: 3 hours

INSTRUCTIONS

QUESTIONS: The questions are of multiple choice type. Each question has FOUR options and each
question carries TWELVE marks. Every question has one or more correct options. You must pick all the
correct options of a question. If a question has n correct options, where n can be 1, 2, 3 or 4, you will
get 12/n marks for each correct option chosen. You will lose THREE marks for each wrong option chosen.

SUBMISSION: Submission process (similar to mock test) is the following:

Step-1: Submit your answer choices in the google form at the link provided (finish before 2pm).
Step-2: Upload the scanned copy of your one-page answer-sheet-cum-signed-declaration.
Only after both steps are completed, your test submission will be considered complete.

1. Consider the two statements (i) 22225555 + 55552222 is divisible by 7; and (ii) 270 + 370 is divisible by
13. Pick the correct statements:

(A) (i) is true but (ii) is false.

(B) (ii) is true but (i) is false.
(C) Both (i) and (ii) are true.
(D) Both (i) and (ii) are false.

2. Let a and b are elements of a group G such that the order of a is 59. If a43 b = ba43 then the least
positive integer m for which am b = bam holds in G is:

(A) 1
(B) 42
(C) 43
(D) 2

3. Let p be a prime number and F := Z/pZ be the finite field of p elements. Let M2 (F ) be the set of all
2 × 2 matrices over F . If det : M2 (F ) → F is the determinant function, then which of the following
statements are correct?

(A) The map det is surjective.

(B) The map det is not injective.
(C) If a, b ∈ F are any two nonzero elements, then the number of matrices with determinant a is same
as the number of matrices with determinant b.
(D) There are more matrices of determinant 1 than of determinant 0.

4. Let a1 ≥ a2 ≥ · · · ≥ ak ≥ 0 be real numbers. Then pick the correct statement(s).

1
(A) limn→∞ (an1 + an2 + · · · + ank ) n need not exist.
1
(B) limn→∞ (an1 + an2 + · · · + ank ) n = ak .
1
(C) limn→∞ (an1 + an2 + · · · + ank ) n = 1.
1
(D) limn→∞ (an1 + an2 + · · · + ank ) n = a1 .
 5. Let f and g be two periodic functions on R such that f (x + a) = f (x) and g(x + b) = g(x) for all
x ∈ R, where a, b > 0 are fixed. Pick the correct statement(s).

(A) f + g is a periodic function.

(B) f + g is periodic if and only if a + b ∈ Q.
(C) f + g is periodic if and only if a/b ∈ Q.
(D) None of the above.

6. Define f : [0, 1] → R as
(
1
2n if x = 2an with a ∈ N odd and n ∈ N,
f (x) :=
0 otherwise.

Pick the correct statement(s).

(A) The set of discontinuities of f is countable.

(B) The set of discontinuities of f is uncountable.
(C) The function f is Riemann integrable.
(D) The function f is not Riemann integrable.

7. Let V := R3 . Let V ∗ be the set of all linear transformations from V to R. Let x ∈ V \ {0}. Consider
the map ϕ : V ∗ → R, given by ϕ(f ) = f (x) for all f ∈ V ∗ . Pick the correct statement(s).

(A) ϕ is surjective.
(B) ϕ = 0.
(C) There exists a subspace W ⊆ V such that W 6= V and ϕ(W ) = R.
(D) If πi : V → R is the projection onto the i-th co-ordinate, then πi ∈ ker ϕ for all i = 1, 2, 3.

8. Let A ∈ M (n, R) be a skew-symmetric matrix, i.e. At = −A. Then pick the correct statement(s).

(A) If n = 2 and A 6= 0, then A is invertible.

(B) If n is odd, then A is not invertible.
(C) A2 is symmetric.
(D) A must have a real eigenvalue.
√
9. Let ∞
P
n=0 an be a convergent series of positive real numbers. For a positive real number x, let x
denote the unique positive square root of x. Now pick the correct statement(s).
P∞ 2
(A) n=0 an converges.
(B)
P∞ n √a converges.
n=0 (−1) n
P∞ n
(C) n=0 (−1) an converges.
P∞ √
(D) n=0 an converges.

10. Let f : [a, b] → R be a uniformly continuous function. Pick the correct statement(s).

(A) f is bounded.
(B) f achieves its maximum on the open interval (a, b).
(C) f is differentiable.
(D) f is differentiable and the derivative f 0 is bounded.
11. Let G be a cyclic group of order 2r for some positive integer r ≥ 1. Then how many generators does
G have?

(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 2r−1
(D) None of the above

12. How many integers n are there with 1000 < n < 10000 with all its digits odd?

(A) 5000
(B) 625
(C) 4500
(D) none of the above

13. How many solutions in integers does the equation X 2 + 1 = 3Y 7 have?

(A) Infinitely many

(B) 14
(C) 0
(D) None of the above
Z


14. How many group homomorphisms are there from 100Z , + to (Z, +)?

(A) 0
(B) 1
(C) 100
(D) None of the above

such that the matrix a3ij

15. Let S be the set of all 3 × 3 real matrices A := aij 1≤i,j≤3 1≤i,j≤3
has rank
one. Let R := {rk A | A ∈ S}. Then R is equal to

(A) {1}
(B) {1, 2}
(C) {1, 3}
(D) {1, 2, 3}

16. Let G1 be the group of nonzero rational numbers under multiplication. Let G2 be the group of integers
under addition. How many group homomorphisms are there from G1 to G2 ?

(A) 0
(B) 1
(C) More than 1 but finitely many
(D) Infinitely many

17. Which of the following statements are true about the ring Z/12Z?

(A) The ring has no nilpotent elements.

(B) The only multiplicative units are 1 and 11.
(C) Every non-zero divisor of the ring is a multiplicative unit.
(D) The sum of any two zero divisors is also a zero divisor.
18. Let A be a 3 × 3 matrix over real numbers. Which of the following statements are correct?

(A) A has an eigenvector in R3 .

(B) The characteristic polynomial of A has a real root.
(C) If x ∈ R3 belongs to the row space of A and y ∈ R3 belongs to the null space of A, then x is
perpendicular to y.
(D) A is diagonalizable over R.