• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

The Math Help Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
Thanks for this. I probably will have to or other people in my class will as well. There were some dispute in the review midterm we were given and the TA just said to clarify with the professor on exam time.

@Partial Gamification, I don't think so. Here's the question follow by the answer of the subscript
iWgYET4.jpg

The following notation of B's space is 12*11*10*9*8*7*6*5*4? I think that what it means. It makes sense since the probability of that question is P(B)= 12*11*10*9*8*7*6*5*4/ 12^9

OO7DXJq.jpg

For this problem, the four aces and kings(thus the power to the 2) must be distributed to all 4 players, simple, it's (4!)^2. After taking those eight cards away(52-8), I need to distribute the remaining cards that aren't aces and kings. So I can choose 11 of them thus: (44 11) (33 11) (22 11). I need to divide this by the sample space of bridge.

wpoS1Q0.jpg

But I don't really get this one. The answer included. I get the choose. There are 9 people I can choose two from and then minus one of the two so not all have a pair?
 
Thanks for this. I probably will have to or other people in my class will as well. There were some dispute in the review midterm we were given and the TA just said to clarify with the professor on exam time.

@Partial Gamification, I don't think so. Here's the question follow by the answer of the subscript
iWgYET4.jpg

The following notation of B's space is 12*11*10*9*8*7*6*5*4? I think that what it means. It makes sense since the probability of that question is P(B)= 12*11*10*9*8*7*6*5*4/ 12^9

OO7DXJq.jpg

For this problem, the four aces and kings(thus the power to the 2) must be distributed to all 4 players, simple, it's (4!)^2. After taking those eight cards away(52-8), I need to distribute the remaining cards that aren't aces and kings. So I can choose 11 of them thus: (44 11) (33 11) (22 11). I need to divide this by the sample space of bridge.

wpoS1Q0.jpg

But I don't really get this one. The answer included. I get the choose. There are 9 people I can choose two from and then minus one of the two so not all have a pair?
For |B| = 12! / (12-9)! this is the size of ways nine people can have birthdays without two people having the same month for a birthday.
The first person has 12 choices,
the second has 11 choices,
the third has ten,
...
the ninth has four months to choose from; 12*11*10*9*8*7*6*4 = 12! / (12-9)!
or n! / (n-r)! edit: P(n,r)

There are 12^9 possible ways for these nine people to have birthdays, with respect to the month.

Therefore, P(B) = 12*11*10*9*8*7*6*5*4 / 12^9

I think you have it but I'm just a little confused with what you posted - maybe the book (if there is one) has an appendix or inside the cover with a notation key or the instructor is the best resource to confirm, if someone else can't verify.
 
Thanks for this. I probably will have to or other people in my class will as well. There were some dispute in the review midterm we were given and the TA just said to clarify with the professor on exam time.

@Partial Gamification, I don't think so. Here's the question follow by the answer of the subscript
iWgYET4.jpg

The following notation of B's space is 12*11*10*9*8*7*6*5*4? I think that what it means. It makes sense since the probability of that question is P(B)= 12*11*10*9*8*7*6*5*4/ 12^9

OO7DXJq.jpg

For this problem, the four aces and kings(thus the power to the 2) must be distributed to all 4 players, simple, it's (4!)^2. After taking those eight cards away(52-8), I need to distribute the remaining cards that aren't aces and kings. So I can choose 11 of them thus: (44 11) (33 11) (22 11). I need to divide this by the sample space of bridge.

wpoS1Q0.jpg

But I don't really get this one. The answer included. I get the choose. There are 9 people I can choose two from and then minus one of the two so not all have a pair?

the subscript looks like the notation for a falling factorial to me. (12)_9 = 12*11*8*...*(12-(9-1))
 
For |B| = 12! / (12-9)! this is the size of ways nine people can have birthdays without two people having the same month for a birthday.
The first person has 12 choices,
the second has 11 choices,
the third has ten,
...
the ninth has four months to choose from; 12*11*10*9*8*7*6*4 = 12! / (12-9)!
or n! / (n-r)! edit: P(n,r)

There are 12^9 possible ways for these nine people to have birthdays, with respect to the month.

Therefore, P(B) = 12*11*10*9*8*7*6*5*4 / 12^9

I think you have it but I'm just a little confused with what you posted - maybe the book (if there is one) has an appendix or inside the cover with a notation key or the instructor is the best resource to confirm, if someone else can't verify.
You're using the permutation formula, so that's essential it, I think. I think it's just better to write that but the subscript thingy isn't a bad way to write the answer. I emailed my TA but he has yet to reply, which is understandable, they have other things to do.

the subscript looks like the notation for a falling factorial to me. (12)_9 = 12*11*8*...*(12-(9-1))
Ah, so that's the name! Thank you! I tried googling it before but I couldn't come up with anything.
 
Speaking of fourier, I need some help with duality.

I know the property F(t) <=> 2pi*f(-w) but I'm having trouble with problems giving X(jw) first.

X(jw) = u(w)

I know that x(t) = u(t) <=> X(jw) = 1/(jw) + pi*d(w)

I'm not sure how to go about this. I have the answer and I know its in the form of X(-t)/(2pi) but I'm not sure if I can simply multiply the arguments of each function by -1 from the property and have it be legal. Anyone know?
 
Can anyone here help with fourier series? Specifically, determining coefficients when given a function? More engineering, I know...

You mean just the general equations for the coefficients? For a function on 0<x<L, the form of the series is:

F(x) = (a0) + &#931;(an)cos(2&#960;nx/L) + &#931;(bn)sin(2&#960;nx/L)

Where you integrate from 0 to L to get the coefficients

an = (2/L) &#8747; f(x) cos(2&#960;nx/L) dx
bn = (2/L) &#8747; f(x) sin(2&#960;nx/L) dx
a0 = (1/L) &#8747; f(x) dx

The complex exponential form sometimes easier to solve, especially if f(x) is exponential. Note that sigma is from -infinity to infinity for the complex form, instead of 0 to infinity.

F(x) = (c0) + &#931;(cn) e^(i2&#960;nx/L)

The integrals are still over the period 0 to L for the coefficients

cn = (1/L) &#8747; f(x) e^(i2&#960;nx/L) dx
c0 = (1/L) &#8747; f(x) dx = a0

If the period is just 2&#960;, then all the 2&#960;nx/L terms simplify to nx.
 
Here's a calculus optimization problem. I've done this with cubes and squares and stuff before but the cylinder stuff is just throwing me off. Anybody care to help?

For its beef stew, Betty Moore Company uses aluminum containers that have the form of right circular cylinders. Find the radius and height of a container if it has a capacity of 28 in^3 and is constructed using the least amount of metal. (Round your answers to two decimal places.)

So I think you set it up as this:

28=(pi)r^2 * h
28/pi = h*r^2
~8.9=h*r^2
~8.9/r^2 = h

Is that right? And where do I go from there? Do I put that in for h in the original equation? 28=(pi) *(~8.9/r^2) * r^2 ?

Like I said, any help would be appreciated. Thanks fellas.
 
Here's a calculus optimization problem. I've done this with cubes and squares and stuff before but the cylinder stuff is just throwing me off. Anybody care to help?

For its beef stew, Betty Moore Company uses aluminum containers that have the form of right circular cylinders. Find the radius and height of a container if it has a capacity of 28 in^3 and is constructed using the least amount of metal. (Round your answers to two decimal places.)

So I think you set it up as this:

28=(pi)r^2 * h
28/pi = h*r^2
~8.9=h*r^2
~8.9/r^2 = h

Is that right? And where do I go from there? Do I put that in for h in the original equation? 28=(pi) *(~8.9/r^2) * r^2 ?

Like I said, any help would be appreciated. Thanks fellas.

Think about what you're trying to optimize. In this case, you're trying to minimize the surface area of the cylinder. It may seem like there are two variables, radius and height, but with the constraint that volume must be 28 in^3, radius and height are not independent. Ultimately what you want to do is find the equation for surface area as a function of radius (or height), and then find the minimum of that function.
 
Guys, I need help with fourier transforms and series. My prof just threw it into our class without explaining it and it's going to be on our test.

These are the two kinds of problems I expect to be on it. DFT stands for Discrete Fourier Transform.

8Gw6UdY.png

wywTWfu.png


I don't really understand how to plot the phase/amplitude spectra or how to analyze the fourier transform for the second problem.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
My questions is: How do you make a series converge to a specific number by changing the signs?

the series will converge by the geometric series test, if positive and if negative... And if you alternate the signs, the series also converges.

so for
a) I believe you cannot make the series diverge since its a geometric series and |r| < 1

b) and c) I don't know how I could change signs to make it converge to a certain number...

Is there a method I can use? I tried searching the internet but I have came back fruitless...

 
That really hurt my brain to think about...
So... 1 is actually really 0.99999999.... Hmm..
There's actually a little bar over the .9999, which means that the 9's repeat forever as it gets infinitely close to 1 (effectively 1) whereas .9999 without the bar is a precise number.

Two very different meanings.
 
Anyone mind a quick explanation of how you evaluate a variable that has a double square root? i.e. the square root of the square root of x: the answer is given as the square root of x with index 4. Why?
 
Anyone mind a quick explanation of how you evaluate a variable that has a double square root? i.e. the square root of the square root of x: the answer is given as the square root of x with index 4. Why?
Multiply the square roots together. 1/2 • 1/2 = 1/4

Root index 4 = (x)^(1/4)
 
Hoping I could get some help with a triple integral problem:

The problem asks to use a triple integral with a change of coordinates to find the volume of the region bounded by the xy-plane, the surface z=x^2+y^2, and the cylinder (x^2)/9 + (y^2)/4 = 1.

I have a feeling I need multiple coordinate changes. I tried using x=3u, y=2v, z=w and then went from there to cylindrical coordinates, but couldn't work out what my limits of integration should be, so I'm not sure if I'm on the right track there.
 
How in the world do i begin to tackle these two?

"Andy and his younger cousin Alice both have their birthdays today. Remarkably, Andy is now the same age as the sum of the digits of the year of his birth and the same is true of Alice. How many years older than Alice is Andy?"

"Mr and Mrs Stevens were married on a Saturday in July 1948. On what day of the week did their diamond wedding anniversary fall in 2008?"
 
How in the world do i begin to tackle these two?

"Andy and his younger cousin Alice both have their birthdays today. Remarkably, Andy is now the same age as the sum of the digits of the year of his birth and the same is true of Alice. How many years older than Alice is Andy?"

"Mr and Mrs Stevens were married on a Saturday in July 1948. On what day of the week did their diamond wedding anniversary fall in 2008?"
know the second one right away:
Every normal year a date advances one day of the week from the last, every leap year it advances two days of the week from the last. So if halloween were a Wednesday in 2006, it'd be a Thursday in 2007 but a Saturday in 2008 (leaping over Friday). Since '48 was a leap year, the Stevens' anniversary would be a Sunday in 49, Monday in 50, Tuesday in 51, and a Thursday in 52.

Now you could do that or you could realize that it'll move forward 5 days of the week every 4 years, and you're looking 60 years into the future. Thus, it'll move forward 5 days of the week 15 times. 5x15=75. It wouldn't really move forward 75 days of course; every 7 days forward it's "back" at Saturday. Since 70 is divisible by 7, the remainder is 5 days. 5 days forward is Thursday.
 
"Mr and Mrs Stevens were married on a Saturday in July 1948. On what day of the week did their diamond wedding anniversary fall in 2008?"

For every regular year, you add a year - it would be Sunday in 1949, Monday in 1950, and so on. For every leap year, you have to add an extra day, so for every 4 years you add 5 days.

That should be enough to figure it out on your own, but let me know if you need more help.

EDIT: Beaten.
 
How in the world do i begin to tackle these two?

"Andy and his younger cousin Alice both have their birthdays today. Remarkably, Andy is now the same age as the sum of the digits of the year of his birth and the same is true of Alice. How many years older than Alice is Andy?"

Not really sure how to do the this without iteration, but you know for this to work twice with Andy being older, Andy has to be born in 19XX and Alice in 20XX because if they were both 19XX or both 20XX, then Alice's age would add up to be greater which is impossible.

Otherwise, I just guessed sometime in the 90s which ends up being 1992 and 21. For the 20XX age, you can just count down from 2013 until you find one that works like 2010 and 3.

I tried writing out equations, but only got like 2 equations for 5 unknowns

A+B+C+D = 2013-Y
1000A+100B+10C+D=Y

Y=Birth Year
I guess you can assume A=1 and B=9 for one case and A=2, B=0 for another, but that still means 3 unknowns 2 equations
 
How in the world do i begin to tackle these two?

"Andy and his younger cousin Alice both have their birthdays today. Remarkably, Andy is now the same age as the sum of the digits of the year of his birth and the same is true of Alice. How many years older than Alice is Andy?"

"Mr and Mrs Stevens were married on a Saturday in July 1948. On what day of the week did their diamond wedding anniversary fall in 2008?"

1987 and 2005, today is 2012.

Edit: actually, today can be any even year after 2000, and you can find a solution.
 
Hoping I could get some help with a triple integral problem:

The problem asks to use a triple integral with a change of coordinates to find the volume of the region bounded by the xy-plane, the surface z=x^2+y^2, and the cylinder (x^2)/9 + (y^2)/4 = 1.

I have a feeling I need multiple coordinate changes. I tried using x=3u, y=2v, z=w and then went from there to cylindrical coordinates, but couldn't work out what my limits of integration should be, so I'm not sure if I'm on the right track there.
here is a pic to help visualize; looking down on xy-plane, ellipse in red, circle in blue obviously increases with z:
graph00cvyvc.gif

Think a tuning fork's head with the prongs sharpend, note the symmetry.
The circle (surface parallel cross-section to xy-axis) is 'hollowing-out' the cylinder.
 
My friend is having a lot of trouble with several problems in his math class so I thought I would bring them to you guys to try to help him out.

The first problem is x^4+x^3-6x^2-4x+8. He is not too sure how to get the x and y intercepts from the problem. It has been a while since I have done these so I cannot help him much on these.
 
My friend is having a lot of trouble with several problems in his math class so I thought I would bring them to you guys to try to help him out.

The first problem is x^4+x^3-6x^2-4x+8. He is not too sure how to get the x and y intercepts from the problem. It has been a while since I have done these so I cannot help him much on these.
Putting it in my calc I get real roots at 1 and 2, divide by (x-1)(x-2)
Also, check this great post (#2440):
edit: its #2304 below

You can also factorize this more. It's obvious by inspection that x=1 is a root of 1-x^3, so you can factorize it again.

(1-x)(1 + x + x^2)(2x+1)


To answer a more general question of "how do you find roots of polynomials that you can't factor", there are still some tricks you can use (feel free to ignore these if you feel they're too advanced, but if you want some awesome tricks that you won't find in your textbook, read on):

Rational Root Theorem: If p is a rational root of P(x) and can be written in lowest terms as a/b, then a is a factor of the constant coefficient, and b is a factor of the leading coefficient.

This drastically reduces the number of possibilities you have to check. Note that if every coefficient of the polynomial shares a common factor (for example 2x^2 + 4x + 24) then you should divide that common factor out first). For example, suppose I give you the following polynomial:

45x^4 - 276x^3 - 262x^2 - 76x - 7

and ask you to find the roots. The first thing to check is whether or not there's any rational roots. If there is a rational root then it can be written as a fraction a/b. By the theorem, a divides evenly into 7 and b divides evenly into 45.

Thus, we get the following choices:

Possibilities for a: ±1, ±7
Possibilities for b: ±1, ±3, ±5, ±9, ±15, ±45

If you actually test each of these, you'll find that the roots are -1/3, -1/5, and 7

But that's a lot of possibilities to check. You can limit your search space by using a couple of other theorems:

Descartes' Rule of Signs: Write the Polynomial in standard form (i.e. biggest power of x on the left, in decreasing order), then count then number of times the sign changes when moving to the next coefficient. Call that number N. The number of positive roots is either equal to N, or less than N by a positive multiple.

In the above example, the sign changes 1 time. Between the 45 coefficient, and the -276 coefficient. Thus, the number of positive roots is either 1, or -1, or -3, or -5, etc. Obviously the NUMBER of positive roots can't be negative, so we already know there is exactly 1 positive root.

Intermediate Value Theorem: The generalized version of this theorem you learn in Calculus, but for polynomials there's a simplified version. if P(a) < 0 and P(b) > 0, then there is a root between a and b.

To apply this theorem, what you want to do is just test different values from the possibilities you determined using the Rational Root Theorem, and try to limit the search space. Try 0 first because it's simple, and then try integers (even if ±1 is not a possibility for the denominator based on the results of the RRT) because they're also simple and they allow you to shorten the interval of possibilities quickly.

P(0) = -7
P(1) = -576

Sign still hasn't changed, so now we know that the positive root is strictly greater than 1 and as a result the numerator is exactly 7. (DRS told us that there is 1 positive root, IVT told us that it's not between 0 and 1, RRT told us that the only other choice for numerator is 7). You try x=7 first because it's an integer AND a possible root, and you find that it works.

At this point you can factor x=7 out of the polynomial to get a 3rd degree polynomial, and you get a new 3rd degree polynomial, Q(x) = 45x^3 + 39x^2 + 11x + 1.

Re-apply the RRT because your search space will be reduced further. Now you get:

Possibilities for a: ±1
Possibilities for b: ±1, ±3, ±5, ±9, ±15, ±45

Possibilities for x: -1, -1/3, -1/5, -1/9, -1/15, -1/45

There are other more advanced tests, but these are the polynomial root finder's primary toolbox.
 
How would you evaluate the following integral NOT using integration by parts?

(x)(sin^3x)(dx)

It comes from the section on trigonometric integrals
 
How would you evaluate the following integral NOT using integration by parts?

(x)(sin^3x)(dx)

It comes from the section on trigonometric integrals

I came up with the following, I thought there was a recursive way to do this but I kept getting 0 = 0.
edit: I'm checking for mistake... not 100%
edit2: typo in last line copying from scratch, everything good up to there, [I was checking answer and keyed that in wrong, all is good; below an equivalent form of the answer.]
= (-1/9)*sin(x)*cos^2(x) + (7/9)*sin(x) + (x/3)*cos^3(x) - x*cos(x) + C
 
here is a pic to help visualize; looking down on xy-plane, ellipse in red, circle in blue obviously increases with z:
graph00cvyvc.gif

Think a tuning fork's head with the prongs sharpend, note the symmetry.
The circle (surface parallel cross-section to xy-axis) is 'hollowing-out' the cylinder.

Cool cool cool, thanks. I ended up using cylindrical coordinates and roughing my way through some not-so-pretty integrals.
 
I've got a somewhat theoretical question that may not have an exact answer.

I've been experimenting with the key ratios in sacred geometry like root2, root3, root 5, and the golden ratio 1.618.

As everyone knows, the golden ratio is (root5 / 2) + .5 = approximately 1.618.

However if you take (root5 - 1) + .5 you get 1.736 which is very close to...root3! Root3 is about 1.732, so they are .004 different.

I want to know if this is merely a coincidence, or if they are actually related to one another via that calculation. I've never learned much about the details of irrational numbers, but I'm pretty sure .004 is a bit too different to be considered the "same" here.

I am aware that the vesica piscis contructed from 2 circles of radius 1 happens to have a vertical length in the overlapping section that equals root3( which makes it somewhat related to 1.618)...but I don't think this is related to the calculation I described above. I am thinking the calculation I did above may just be a coincidence.

Anybody have any opinion on this?
 
I've got a somewhat theoretical question that may not have an exact answer.

I've been experimenting with the key ratios in sacred geometry like root2, root3, root 5, and the golden ratio 1.618.

As everyone knows, the golden ratio is (root5 / 2) + .5 = approximately 1.618.

However if you take (root5 - 1) + .5 you get 1.736 which is very close to...root3! Root3 is about 1.732, so they are .004 different.

I want to know if this is merely a coincidence, or if they are actually related to one another via that calculation. I've never learned much about the details of irrational numbers, but I'm pretty sure .004 is a bit too different to be considered the "same" here.

I am aware that the vesica piscis contructed from 2 circles of radius 1 happens to have a vertical length in the overlapping section that equals root3( which makes it somewhat related to 1.618)...but I don't think this is related to the calculation I described above. I am thinking the calculation I did above may just be a coincidence.

Anybody have any opinion on this?

( sqrt(5) + 1 ) - 1/2 = sqrt(5) - 1/2 &#8776; 1.7360679774998...
sqrt(3) &#8776; 1.7320508075689...

vesica4klr4f.jpg

edit: not entirely clear, three right triangles :
legs length 1 and 1 with hypotenuse sqrt(2)
legs length 1 and sqrt(2) with hypotenuse sqrt(3)
legs length 1 and 2 with hypotenuse sqrt(5)
chb6tm_logspiralrect6tr1j.jpg

1,1,2,3,5,8,13, ... what do you think comes next?

I'm not sure what you are asking, some of the pseudomathematical understandings of sacred geometry (only saying this because of some stuff surrounding the fish bladder), its not a study, trying to put more into the number systems than they are symbolically meant represent. Maybe that has nothing to do with your request but it should be said. There is a relationship with the Rouleaux Triangle, coming from a third circle too, with more irrational numbers.
220px-construction_trw5pwk.png
 
Thanks for the links and info. Basically, I'm just wondering if the calculation I gave above is actually a way of deriving root3 or whether it just happens to be close. The more reading I'm doing, the more it seems to me that it is just a coincidence.
 


This is parametric equations. I figure that I have to find x(t) to have t equal some value and x variables... then I can sub in t where y(t) is to get a function then differentiate to find maxs and times.... But the solving for that would be very complicated, I believe.
 
This is parametric equations. I figure that I have to find x(t) to have t equal some value and x variables... then I can sub in t where y(t) is to get a function then differentiate to find maxs and times.... But the solving for that would be very complicated, I believe.
Not really.
> highest -> dy/dt=0
> hit the ground -> y=0 -> find t -> get x
 
This is parametric equations. I figure that I have to find x(t) to have t equal some value and x variables... then I can sub in t where y(t) is to get a function then differentiate to find maxs and times.... But the solving for that would be very complicated, I believe.

Since you know that max height is just a constant. Differentiate y(t) with respect to t and that will get you velocity. You know at max height, the particle will not be moving.

edit: Beaten by seconds.
 
I have a question:

A family of pdf's that has been used to approximate the distribution of income, city population size, and size of firms is the Pareto family. The family has to parameters, k and &#952;, both > 0 and the pdf is

{ (k*&#952;^(k))/(x)^(k+1) x >= &#952;
f(x; k, &#952;) = {
{ 0 x < &#952;

a. Sketch the graph of f(x; k, &#952;)
b. Verify that the total area under the graph equals 1.
c. If the rv X has pdf f(x; k, &#952;), for any fixed b > &#952;, obtain an expression for P(X <= b).
d. For &#952; < a < b, obtain an expression for the probability P(a <= X <= b).
 

In this problem I would say I would try to make y a function f(x) for both of those given coordinate points.

Then I would plot to see any overlaps and use algebra to see where the two functions intersect.. But.. When I manually plotted both P and Q , I don't think I found any intersection points.. .

I'm really not sure how to proceed with this.
 
I think they intersect at t = 2 . but then that's all I can get..

t doesn't need to be the same for them to intersect. x needs to be the same, and y needs to be the same. Even if the corresponding t's are different.

For them to collide, on the other hand, they need to intersect at the same t.

You've only found t=2, the point where they collide.
 
t doesn't need to be the same for them to intersect. x needs to be the same, and y needs to be the same. Even if the corresponding t's are different.

For them to collide, on the other hand, they need to intersect at the same t.

You've only found t=2, the point where they collide.

ohhh That's awesome. I've been trying to find values of t in which they are the same... But I'm having a hard time going about it.

I mean if they have the same y values, that means that intersect, right? when I set the y values equal, there are no solutions. unless I'm REALLY missing something huge here.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom