Ch9 HL IB Exam Questions- Mathematical induction

1. Using mathematical induction, prove that the number 22n – 3n – 1 is

divisible by 9, for n = 1, 2, ..... .
(Total 7 marks)

2. (a) Evaluate (1 + i)2, where i = 1 .

(2)

(b) Prove, by mathematical induction, that (1 + i)4n = (–4)n, where n *.

(6)

(c) Hence or otherwise, find (1 + i)32.

(2)
(Total 10 marks)

3. Prove by mathematical induction that d (xn) = nxn–1, for all positive integer values of n.
dx
(Total 10 marks)

1
 dn  n 
4. Using mathematical induction, prove that (cos x )  cos x  , for all positive integer
 2 
n
dx
values of n.
(Total 7 marks)

8. (a) Prove, using mathematical induction, that for a positive integer n,

(cos + i sin)n = cos n + i sin n where i2 = –1.

(5)

(b) The complex number z is defined by z = cos + i sin.

1
(i) Show that = cos (–) + i sin (–).
z

(ii) Deduce that zn + z–n = 2 cos nθ.

(5)

(c) (i) Find the binomial expansion of (z + z–l)5.

1
(ii) Hence show that cos5 = (a cos 5 + b cos 3 + c cos ),
16
where a, b, c are positive integers to be found.
(5)
(Total 15 marks)

2
9. (a) Use mathematical induction to prove De Moivre’s theorem
(cos + i sin)n = cos (n) + i sin (n), n +.
(7)

(b) Consider z5 – 32 = 0.

  2π   2π  
(i) Show that z1 = 2  cos    i sin    is one of the complex roots of this
  5  5 
equation.

(ii) Find z12, z13, z14, z15, giving your answer in the modulus argument form.

(iii) Plot the points that represent z1, z12, z13, z14 and z15, in the complex plane.

(iv) The point z1n is mapped to z1n+1 by a composition of two linear transformations,
where n = 1, 2, 3, 4. Give a full geometric description of the two transformations.
(9)
(Total 16 marks)

10. Use mathematical induction to prove that 5n + 9n + 2 is divisible by 4, for n +

.
(Total 9 marks)

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11. The function f is defined by f (x) = epx(x + 1), here p  .

(a) (i) Show that f (x) = epx(p(x + 1) + 1).

(ii) Let f (n)(x) denote the result of differentiating f (x) with respect to x, n times.
Use mathematical induction to prove that

f (n)(x) = pn–1epx (p(x + 1) + n), n  +

.
(7)

(b) When p = 3 , there is a minimum point and a point of inflexion on the graph of f. Find
the exact value of the x-coordinate of

(i) the minimum point;

(ii) the point of inflexion.

(4)

(c) Let p = 1 . Let R be the region enclosed by the curve, the x-axis and the lines x = –2 and
2
x = 2. Find the area of R.
(2)
(Total 13 marks)

12. (a) Use mathematical induction to prove that

 (2 r  1) (2 r  1)  2 n  1 , n
1 n +
.
r 1
(6)

(b) Hence show that the sum of the first (n + 1) terms of the series

1 1 1 1 (n  1)
+ + + + ... is .
3 15 35 63 (2 n  3)
(3)
(Total 9 marks)

(9)
(Total 24 marks)

4
14. (a) Use mathematical induction to prove that

(1)(1!) + (2)(2!) + (3)(3!) + ...+ (n)(n!) = (n +1)!−1 where n +

.
(8)

(b) Find the minimum number of terms of the series for the sum to exceed 109.
(3)
(Total 11 marks)

15. Prove by induction that 12n + 2(5n−1) is a multiple of 7 for n  +

.
(Total 10 marks)

16. Let u =1+ 3 i and v =1+ i where i2 = −1.

u 3 1 3 1
(a) (i) Show that   i.
v 2 2

(ii) By expressing both u and v in modulus-argument form show that

u  π π
 2  cos  i sin  .
v  12 12 

5
 π
(iii) Hence find the exact value of tan in the form a  b 3 where a, b  .
12
(15)

(b) Use mathematical induction to prove that for n  +

,

1 3 i  2
n n  nπ nπ 
 cos  i sin .
 3 3 
(7)

2 vu
(c) Let z = .
2 v u

Show that Re z = 0.
(6)
(Total 28 marks)

18. Given that y = xe−x,

dy
(a) find ;
dx
(2)

dn y
(b) use mathematical induction to prove that, for n  +
, n
; = (–1)n+1 e–x (n – x).
dx
(10)
(Total 12 marks)

6
19. The function f is defined by f (x) = x e2x.

It can be shown that f (n) (x) = (2n x + n 2n−1) e2x for all n +
, where f (n) (x) represents the nth
derivative of f (x).

(a) By considering f (n) (x) for n =1 and n = 2, show that there is one minimum point P on the
graph of f, and find the coordinates of P.
(7)

(b) Show that f has a point of inflexion Q at x = −1.

(5)

(c) Determine the intervals on the domain of f where f is

(i) concave up;

(ii) concave down.

(2)

(d) Sketch f, clearly showing any intercepts, asymptotes and the points P and Q.
(4)

(e) Use mathematical induction to prove that f (n) (x) = (2nx + n2n−1) e2x for all n +
, where
f (n) (x) represents the nth derivative of f (x).
(9)
(Total 27 marks)

20. (a) Find the sum of the infinite geometric sequence 27, −9, 3, −1, ... .
(3)

(b) Use mathematical induction to prove that for n  +

,

a + ar + ar2 + ... + arn–1 =


a 1 r n
.

1 r
(7)
(Total 10 marks)

7
22. (a) The independent random variables X and Y have Poisson distributions and Z = X +Y. The
means of X and Y are  and  respectively. By using the identity

n
P Z  n    P  X  k  P Y  n  k 
k 0

show that Z has a Poisson distribution with mean ( +).

(6)

(b) Given that U1, U2, U3, … are independent Poisson random variables each having mean m,
n
use mathematical induction together with the result in (a) to show that U
r 1
r has a

Poisson distribution with mean nm.

(6)
(Total 12 marks)