• Want to help us with this year's BoS Trials?
    Let us know before 30 June. See this thread for details
  • Looking for HSC notes and resources?
    Check out our Notes & Resources page

Preliminary mathematics marathon (2 Viewers)

Gussy Booo

Mathematics <3
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
251
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Hi, I was just wondering if this solution is entirely correct.

Doesn't this imply that for any value for 'a' that the answer is '3a+2'? However doesn't this violate the first condition as a^2=a+2 only has two solutions?
Any value of "a", the answer is 3a+2 ......??
a^3 = 3a+2 my friend, not a.

I got this question from The Australian Maths Competition :D, hehe :) .
 

Gussy Booo

Mathematics <3
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
251
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Wow! Very nice Drongoski. Very creative how you used logs.

But here is an alternative solution:

Let 2^x = 5^y = 10^z = A

Then: 2 = A^(1/x) , 5 = A^(1/y) , 10 = A(1/z)

Now, 10 = 2 x 5.

.'. A(1/z) = A^(1/x) x A^(1/y) = A^(1/x + 1/y)

Now, all the "front values" are the same.

So: 1/z = 1/x + 1/y = (x+y)/xy
Therefore: z = xy/(x+y) #
 

Drongoski

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
4,251
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Very nice.
I like the change of base part.

But he said you didn't need to use log, didn't he?
I didn't see that; but logs & indices(exponents) are closely linked. What you can do via logs, you should be able to do via corresponding exponential equations. I have not tried that. Doing via logs was already quite a challenge, for me, anyway.
 

Gussy Booo

Mathematics <3
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
251
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Very nice.
I like the change of base part.

But he said you didn't need to use log, didn't he?
Well, that's the beauty of maths :) . There are many ways of retrieving an answer.
Look above for an alternative solution.
 

hscishard

Active Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2009
Messages
2,033
Location
study room...maybe
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Wow! Very nice Drongoski. Very creative how you used logs.

But here is an alternative solution:

Let 2^x = 5^y = 10^z = A

Then: 2 = A^(1/x) , 5 = A^(1/y) , 10 = A(1/z)

Now, 10 = 2 x 5.

.'. A(1/z) = A^(1/x) x A^(1/y) = A^(1/x + 1/y)

Now, all the "front values" are the same.

So: 1/z = 1/x + 1/y = (x+y)/xy
Therefore: z = xy/(x+y) #
Makes sense. Will never be able to think like that in an exam.
 

Gussy Booo

Mathematics <3
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
251
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Makes sense. Will never be able to think like that in an exam.
That's why past papers are the key to success :D.
You've seen the question now. If you see a similar question in an exam, you've increased your chances to solve it by at least 60%.
 

Gussy Booo

Mathematics <3
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
251
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
More Questions :D !!!

1) If 2^(2p).3^(p) = 12^(x), find p in terms of x and hence find p such that 2^(2p).3^(p)=144

2) If sinA = 2sinB and tanA = 3tanB, find A and B to the nearest degree, given that A and B are acute angles

Have fun!
 

Drongoski

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
4,251
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Wow! Very nice Drongoski. Very creative how you used logs.

But here is an alternative solution:

Let 2^x = 5^y = 10^z = A

Then: 2 = A^(1/x) , 5 = A^(1/y) , 10 = A(1/z)

Now, 10 = 2 x 5.

.'. A(1/z) = A^(1/x) x A^(1/y) = A^(1/x + 1/y)

Now, all the "front values" are the same.

So: 1/z = 1/x + 1/y = (x+y)/xy
Therefore: z = xy/(x+y) #
Wow! Although quite good at indices, I'd not have thought this one out myself. It's so elegant.
 

AAEldar

Premium Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2010
Messages
2,246
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
More Questions :D !!!

1) If 2^(2p).3^(p) = 12^(x), find p in terms of x and hence find p such that 2^(2p).3^(p)=144

2) If sinA = 2sinB and tanA = 3tanB, find A and B to the nearest degree, given that A and B are acute angles

Have fun!
For 1:



Hmmm...On looking at this I don't think it makes sense :S
 
Last edited:

hscishard

Active Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2009
Messages
2,033
Location
study room...maybe
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
More Questions :D !!!

1) If 2^(2p).3^(p) = 12^(x), find p in terms of x and hence find p such that 2^(2p).3^(p)=144

2) If sinA = 2sinB and tanA = 3tanB, find A and B to the nearest degree, given that A and B are acute angles

Have fun!
For Q2.
It's funny.
For the first part A and B could be 0
But for the Tan part, A can be 60 and B can be 30. Or 0 :D
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 2)

Top