Problems

Age
Difficulty
Found: 1891

For what values of \(n\) does the polynomial \((x+1)^n - x^n - 1\) divide by:

a) \(x^2 + x + 1\); b) \((x^2 + x + 1)^2\); c) \((x^2 + x + 1)^3\)?

a) Using geometric considerations, prove that the base and the side of an isosceles triangle with an angle of \(36^{\circ}\) at the vertex are incommensurable.

b) Invent a geometric proof of the irrationality of \(\sqrt{2}\).

Let \(z_1\) and \(z_2\) be fixed points of a complex plane. Give a geometric description of the sets of all points \(z\) that satisfy the conditions:

a) \(\operatorname{arg} \frac{z - z_1}{z - z_2} = 0\);

b) \(\operatorname{arg} \frac{z_1 - z}{z - z_2} = 0\).

Find the largest and smallest values of the functions

a) \(f_1 (x) = a \cos x + b \sin x\); b) \(f_2 (x) = a \cos^2x + b \cos x \sin x + c \sin^2x\).

Prove the formulae: \(\arcsin (- x) = - \arcsin x\), \(\arccos (- x) = \pi - \arccos x\).

Prove that amongst any 7 different numbers it is always possible to choose two of them, \(x\) and \(y\), so that the following inequality was true: \[0 < \frac{x-y}{1+xy} < \frac{1}{\sqrt3}.\]

The Babylonian algorithm for deducing \(\sqrt{2}\). The sequence of numbers \(\{x_n\}\) is given by the following conditions: \(x_1 = 1\), \(x_{n + 1} = \frac 12 (x_n + 2/x_n)\) (\(n \geq 1\)).

Prove that \(\lim\limits_{n\to\infty} x_n = \sqrt{2}\).

What will the sequence from the previous problem 61297 be converging towards if we choose \(x_1\) as equal to \(-1\) as the initial condition?

The iterative formula of Heron. Prove that the sequence of numbers \(\{x_n\}\) given by the conditions \(x_1 = 1\), \(x_{n + 1} = \frac 12 (x_n + k/x_n)\), converges. Find the limit of this sequence.