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Mathematics and Problem Solving: Own Work

The document outlines a series of mathematical and problem-solving questions for applicants to AIMS, emphasizing the importance of academic honesty and originality in responses. It includes various topics such as population migration, probability, linear transformations, and functional analysis, with specific questions requiring detailed solutions. Applicants are instructed to submit their answers in separate PDF files and to confirm that their work is their own.

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7 views3 pages

Mathematics and Problem Solving: Own Work

The document outlines a series of mathematical and problem-solving questions for applicants to AIMS, emphasizing the importance of academic honesty and originality in responses. It includes various topics such as population migration, probability, linear transformations, and functional analysis, with specific questions requiring detailed solutions. Applicants are instructed to submit their answers in separate PDF files and to confirm that their work is their own.

Uploaded by

avevedabboang
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Step 0 Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Confirmation

✓ ✓ ✓ • Ο Ο

Mathematics and problem solving


The following section contains mathematical and problem solving questions. Some are more challenging
than others. There is no requirement to attempt or answer all or any of the questions, although this is
your opportunity to distinguish yourself and showcase your mathematical and problem solving skills.
Please upload a separate .pdf file for each question that you attempt.

* Own work
While we like modern AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT, we ask you to please not use any such tools in
your application to AIMS. The admissions committees are fully aware that you might not speak English as
a first or second or even a third language.
Copying any answers from anywhere, including from a friend, will automatically disqualify your
application. We value academic honesty, and the admissions committees would like to get to know you.
I confirm that the answers provided to the mathematics questions are my own work.

Question 1. Polulation migration


People move between an urban and rural area.
In year one, 300 people live in the urban area and 500 people live in the rural area.
Every year,
(a) half of the people who live in the urban area move to the rural area (the other half remain in the
urban area);
(b) a quarter of the people who live in the rural area move to the urban area (the other three quarters
remain in the rural area).
What is the population of each area for any year n ≥ 1?

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Question 2. Probability
In a population 7% of people are infected by a virus.
A screening test for the virus shows positive (for infection) or negative.
The correctly shows positive for 99% of cases of infected people.
The test for the virus incorrectly shows positive for 3% of cases of uninfected people.
a) What is the probability that the test shows positive when used on any person?
b) What is the probability that someone is really infected when the test shows positive?
c) What is the probability that someone is really infected when the test shows negative?

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Question 3. Linear Transformations


Consider the following vectors in R3 :
α1 ​ = (1, 0, 0)
α2 ​ = (1, 0, 1)
α3 ​ = (0, 1, 0)
α4 ​ = (−2, 3, 1)
β1 ​ = (1, 0, 2)
β2 ​ = (0, 1, 1)
β3 ​ = (1, −4, 0)
β4 ​ = (1, 3, 1)
Determine if there is a linear transformation T : R3 → R3 such that T αi ​ = βi ​ for i = 1, 2, 3, 4.

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Question 4. Intra-university dance


n universities each send two students to a dance, a male and a female student.
There are therefore n male and n female students at the dance, or 2n students in total.
At the dance, a male student dances with a female student as a pair, and all students participate.
At a special dance, two students from the same university are not allowed to dance together.
Let Dn ​ be the number of possible special dances obtained from n participating universities.
The questions below examine how many ways students can pair up to create a special dance.
a) Compute D1 ​, D2 ​ and D3 ​ and provide an explanation for your results.
b) Let Mi ​ and Fi ​ indicate the male (Mi ​) and female (Fi ​) student from university i.
Let integer k ≥ 2 and assume that M1 ​ dances with Fk ​.
We want to find an intuitive relation between Dn ​ and Dj ​ for j < n.
We consider two possibilities:
Mk ​ dances with F1 ​ (so the students from universities 1 and k dance with each other)
Mk ​ doesn't dance with F1 ​.
b.1) In how many ways can students pair up to create a special dance, if M1 ​ dances with Fk ​ and Mk ​
dances with F1 ​?
b.2) In how many ways can students pair up to create a special dance, if M1 ​ dances with Fk ​ and Mk ​ does
not dance with F1 ​?
b.3) Use answers from b.1) and b.2) to justify why Dn ​ = (n − 1)(Dn−1 ​ + Dn−2 ​) for n ≥ 2.
c) From Dn ​ = (n − 1)(Dn−1 ​ + Dn−2 ​), derive the following four results when n ≥ 2:
c.1) Dn ​ − nDn−1 ​ = −(Dn−1 ​ − (n − 1)Dn−2 ​)
c.2) Dn ​ − nDn−1 ​ = (−1)n−2 D2 ​
c.3) Dn ​​ − Dn−1 ​ ​ = (−1)n ​
n! (n−1)! n!
k
c.4) Dn ​ = n! (∑nk=2 ​ (−1)
k! )
​

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Question 5. Functional analysis


Let f : Rn → R and let a = (a1 ​, ⋯ , a ) and x = (x , ⋯ , x ) be n-dimensional vectors.
n​ 1​ n​

Assume that f has a maximum a in a given ball. This means that there exists some h > 0 such that
∣ ∣
f(x) ≤ f(a) for all vectors x with xj ​ − aj ​ < h for components 1 ≤ j ≤ n.
Show that if the first derivatives exist at a = (a1 ​, ⋯ , a ) then they are all zero.
n​

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Question 6. Matrices
Consider the following 3 × 3 matrix:
⎛ 0 1 0⎞
A = ​ 0 ​ 0 ​ 1 ​ ​.
⎝−2 1 2⎠

Let I be the 3 × 3 identity matrix.


a) Find the characteristic polynomial f(x) = det(xI − A), and verify the Cayley-Hamilton Theorem in this
case: f(A) = 0.
b) Find the minimal polynomial p(x) of A.
c) Determine if A is similar to a diagonal matrix, and if so, identify a diagonal matrix that is similar to A.

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Question 7. Clubs in a village


There are n people living in a small village. Their main pass time is forming various clubs, which is
starting to threaten the economy of the village. In order to limit the number of clubs, the mayor has
decided to decree the following rules:
Each club has to have an odd number of members.
Every two clubs must have an even number of members in common.
Prove the following theorem, making sure that you explain your reasoning.
Theorem. Under these rules, it is impossible to form more clubs than n, the number of people in the
village.

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