Test Codes 2015

UGA (Multiple choice) and UGB (Short Answer Type)

Questions will include the following and related topics.

Algebra and number theory

Sets, operations on sets. Prime numbers, factorization of integers and divis-
ibility. Rational and irrational numbers. Permutations and combinations,
Binomial Theorem. Logarithms. Polynomials: relations between roots and
coefficients, Remainder Theorem, Theory of quadratic equations and ex-
pressions. Arithmetic and geometric progressions. Inequalities involving
arithmetic, geometric & harmonic means. Complex numbers.

Geometry
Class X level plane geometry. Geometry of 2 dimensions with Cartesian
and polar coordinates, concept of a locus, equation of a line, angle between
two lines, distance from a point to a line, area of a triangle, equations of
circle, parabola, ellipse and hyperbola and equations of their tangents and
normals, mensuration.

Trigonometry
Measures of angles, trigonometric and inverse trigonometric functions, trigono-
metric identities including addition formulae, solutions of trigonometric equa-
tions, properties of triangles, heights and distances.

Calculus
Sequences - bounded sequences, monotone sequences, limit of a sequence.
Functions - one-one functions, onto functions. Limit, continuity and differ-
entiability of functions of a single real variable. Derivatives and methods
of differentiation, slope of a curve, tangents and normals, maxima and min-
ima, use of calculus in sketching graphs of functions. Methods of integration,
definite and indefinite integrals, evaluation of areas using integrals.

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 UGA - Sample Questions.

Instructions. UGA is a multiple choice examination. In each of the follow-

ing questions, exactly one of the choices is correct. Please tick the correct
answer. You get four marks for each correct answer, one mark for each
unanswered question, and zero marks for each incorrect answer. You have
two hours to answer these questions.

1. Define an = (12 + 22 + . . . + n2 )n and bn = nn (n!)2 . Recall n! is the

product of the first n natural numbers. Then,
(a) an < bn for all n > 1
(b) an > bn for all n > 1
(c) an = bn for infinitely many n
(d) none of the above.

2. The last digit of (2004)5 is:

(a) 4 (b) 8 (c) 6 (d) 2

3. If n is a positive integer such that 8n + 1 is a perfect square, then

(a) n must be odd (b) n cannot be a perfect square
(c) 2n cannot be a perfect square (d) none of the above.

4. The coefficient of a3 b4 c5 in the expansion of (bc + ca + ab)6 is:

12! 6! 6!


(a) 3!4!5! (b) 3! (c) 33 (d) 3 · 3!3!

5. If log10 x = 10log100 4 , then x equals

(a) 410 (b) 100 (c) log10 4 (d) none of the above.

6. Let C denote the set of all complex numbers. Define

A = {(z, w) |z, w ∈ C and |z| = |w|}

B = {(z, w) |z, w ∈ C, and z 2 = w2 }.

Then,
(a) A = B (b) A ⊂ B and A 6= B (c) B ⊂ A and B 6= A (d) none of
the above.

7. The set of all real numbers x such that x3 (x + 1)(x − 2) ≥ 0 is:

(a) the interval 2 ≤ x < ∞ (b) the interval 0 ≤ x < ∞
(c) the interval −1 ≤ x < ∞ (d) none of the above.

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 z
8. Let z be a non-zero complex number such that 1+z is purely imaginary.
Then
(a) z is neither real nor purely imaginary (b) z is real
(c) z is purely imaginary (d) none of the above.

9. In the interval (0, 2π), the function sin( x13 )

(a) never changes sign
(b) changes sign only once
(c) changes sign more than once, but finitely many times
(d) changes sign infinitely many times.
(ex −1) tan2 x
10. lim x3
x→0
(a) does not exist (b) exists and equals 0
2
(c) exists and equals 3 (d) exists and equals 1.

11. Let f1 (x) = ex , f2 (x) = ef1 (x) and generally fn+1 (x) = efn (x) for all
d
n ≥ 1. For any fixed n, the value of dx fn (x) is:
(a) fn (x) (b) fn (x)fn−1 (x)
(c) fn (x)fn−1 (x) . . . f1 (x) (d) fn+1 (x)fn (x) . . . f1 (x)ex .

12. Let f (x) = a0 +a1 |x|+a2 |x|2 +a3 |x|3 , where a0 , a1 , a2 , a3 are constants.
Then
(a) f (x) is differentiable at x = 0 whatever be a0 , a1 , a2 , a3
(b) f (x) is not differentiable at x = 0 whatever be a0 , a1 , a2 , a3
(c) f (x) is differentiable at x = 0 only if a1 = 0
(d) f (x) is differentiable at x = 0 only if a1 = 0, a3 = 0.
2
13. If f (x) = cos(x) − 1 + x2 , then
(a) f (x) is an increasing function on the real line
(b) f (x) is a decreasing function on the real line
(c) f (x) is increasing on the interval −∞ < x ≤ 0 and decreasing on
the interval 0 ≤ x < ∞
(d) f (x) is decreasing on the interval −∞ < x ≤ 0 and increasing on
the interval 0 ≤ x < ∞.

14. The area of the region bounded by the straight lines x = 12 and x = 2,
and the curves √ given5 by the equations y = loge x√and y = 2x is
(a) log 2 (4 + 2) − 2 loge 2 + 2 (b) log1 2 (4 − 2) − 52 loge 2
1 3
e √ e
(c) log1 2 (4 − 2) − 52 loge 2 + 23 (d) none of the above.
e

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 15. The number of roots of the equation x2 + sin2 x = 1 in the closed
interval [0, π2 ] is
(a) 0 (b) 1 (c) 2 (d) 3

16. The number of maps f from the set {1, 2, 3} into the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
such that f (i) ≤ f (j) whenever i < j is
(a) 60 (b) 50 (c) 35 (d) 30

17. Let a be a real number. The number of distinct solutions (x, y) of the
system of equations (x − a)2 + y 2 = 1 and x2 = y 2 , can only be
(a) 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 (b) 0, 1 or 3 (c) 0, 1, 2 or 4 (d) 0, 2, 3, or 4

18. The set of values of m for which mx2 − 6mx + 5m + 1 > 0 for all real
x is
(a) m < 14 (b) m ≥ 0 (c) 0 ≤ m ≤ 41 (d) 0 ≤ m < 14 .

19. A lantern is placed on the ground 100 feet away from a wall. A man
six feet tall is walking at a speed of 10 feet/second from the lantern to
the nearest point on the wall. When he is midway between the lantern
and the wall, the rate of change in the length of his shadow is
(a) 3.6 ft./sec. (b) 2.4 ft./sec. (c) 3 ft./sec. (d) 12 ft./sec.

20. Let n ≥ 3 be an integer. Assume that inside a big circle, exactly n

small circles of radius r can be drawn so that each small circle touches
the big circle and also touches both its adjacent small circles. Then,
the radius of the big circle is:
(a) r cosec πn (b) r(1 + cosec 2πn )
π
(c) r(1 + cosec 2n ) (d) r(1 + cosec πn ).

21. The digit in the units’ place of the number 1! + 2! + 3! + . . . + 99! is

(a) 3 (b) 0 (c) 1 (d) 7.
13 +23 +...+n3
22. The value of lim n4
is:
n→∞
3 1
(a) 4 (b) 4 (c) 1 (d) 4.

23. The function x(α − x) is strictly increasing on the interval 0 < x < 1
if and only if
(a) α ≥ 2 (b) α < 2 (c) α < −1 (d) α > 2.
n
24. For any integer n ≥ 1, define an = 1000
n! . Then the sequence {an }
(a) does not have a maximum
(b) attains maximum at exactly one value of n

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 (c) attains maximum at exactly two values of n
(d) attains maximum for infinitely many values of n.

25. The equation x3 y + xy 3 + xy = 0 represents

(a) a circle (b) a circle and a pair of straight lines
(c) a rectangular hyperbola (d) a pair of straight lines.

26. Let P be a variable point on a circle C and Q be a fixed point outside

C. If R is the mid-point of the line segment P Q, then the locus of R
is
(a) a circle (b) an ellipse
(c) a line segment (d) segment of a parabola.

27. Let d1 , d2 , . . . , dk be all the factors of a positive integer n including 1

and n. If d1 + d2 + . . . + dk = 72, then d11 + d12 + · · · + d1k is:
k2 72 72
(a) 72 (b) k (c) n (d) none of the above.

28. A subset W of the set of real numbers is called a ring if it contains 1

and if for all a, b ∈ W , the numbers
n a − b and ab are also oin W . Let
S = 2n | m, n integers and T = pq | p, q integers, q odd . Then:
m

(a) neither S nor T is a ring (b) S is a ring T is not a ring.

(b) T is a ring S is not a ring. (d) both S and T are rings.

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 UGB - Sample Questions.

Instructions. All questions carry equal marks. You have two hours to
solve 6 problems. Credit will be given to a partially correct answer. Do not
feel discouraged if you cannot solve all the questions.

1. Find the sum of all distinct four digit numbers that can be formed
using the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, each digit appearing at most once.

2. Consider the squares of an 8 × 8 chessboard filled with the numbers 1

to 64 as in the figure below. If we choose 8 squares with the property
that there is exactly one from each row and exactly one from each
column, and add up the numbers in the chosen squares, show that the
sum obtained is always 260.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56
57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64

3. An isosceles triangle with base 6 cms. and base angles 30o each is
inscribed in a circle. A second circle, which is situated outside the
triangle, touches the first circle and also touches the base of the triangle
at its midpoint. Find its radius.

4. Let an = 1 . . . 1 with 3n digits. Prove that an is divisible by 3an−1 .

5. If a circle intersects the hyperbola y = 1/x at four distinct points

(xi , yi ), i = 1, 2, 3, 4, then prove that x1 x2 = y3 y4 .

6. Show that the function f (x) defined below attains a unique minimum
for x > 0. What is the minimum value of the function? What is the
value of x at which the minimum is attained?
1 1
f (x) = x2 + x + + for x 6= 0.
x x2
Sketch on plain paper the graph of this function.

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 7. Let S = {1, 2, . . . , n}. Find the number of unordered pairs {A, B} of
subsets of S such that A and B are disjoint, where A or B or both
may be empty.

8. Find the maximum value of x2 + y 2 in the bounded region, including

the boundary, enclosed by y = x2 , y = − x2 and x = y 2 + 1.

9. How many real roots does x4 + 12x − 5 have?

10. Find the maximum among 1, 21/2 , 31/3 , 41/4 , . . ..

11. For real numbers x, y and z, show that

|x| + |y| + |z| ≤ |x + y − z| + |y + z − x| + |z + x − y|.

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 Hints and Answers.

There are also other ways to solve the problems apart from the ones sketched
in the hints. Indeed, a student should feel encouraged if she finds a different
way to solve some of these problems. All the Best!

Hints for UGA Sample Questions.

Q.1 (b). Take the nth root of an and bn and use A.M.≥ G.M.
Q.2 (a). As 2004 = 2000 +4, the last digits of (2004)5 and 45 are equal.
Q.3 (c) If 8n + 1 = m2 , then 2n is a product of two consecutive integers.
Q.4 (d) Use binomial expansion of (bc + a (b + c))6 .
Q.5 (b) Let y = log10 x. Then log10 y = log100 4. Hence y = 2.
Q.6 (c) z 2 = w2 ⇒ z = ±w ⇒ B ⊆ A. But |i| = 1 and i2 6= 1.
Q.7 (d) Check for ‘test points’ −1, and 1.
Q.8 (a) Check (b) and (c) are false, and then that (a) is true.
−1
Q.9 (d) sin x13 changes sign at the points (nπ) 3 for all n ≥ 1.


x 2 x
(d) Observe that (e −1) = (e x−1) · sinx2 x · cos12 x .
tan x 2
Q.10 x3
Q.11 (c) Use induction and chain rule of differentiation.
Q.12 (c) Amongst 1, |x|, |x|2 , |x|3 , only |x| is not differentiable at 0.
Q.13 (d) Look at the derivative of f .
R2 R2
Q.14 (c) Compute the integral 2x dx − log xdx.
1/2 1/2
Q.15 (b) Draw graphs of y = cos x and y = ±x and find the number of
points of intersections.
Q.16 (c) Compute the number of maps such that f (3) = 5, f (3) = 4 etc..
Alternatively, define g : {1, 2, 3} → {1, 2, . . . , 7} by g (i) = f (i) + (i − 1).
Then, g is a strictly increasing function and its image is a subset of size 3
of {1, 2, . . . 7}.
Q.17 (d) Draw graphs of (x + y)(x − y) = 0 and (x − a)2 + y 2 = 1.
Q.18 (d) Calculate the discriminant (b2 − 4ac) of the given quadratic.
Q.19 (b) Show that the height function is 60 t .
Q.20 (d) Let s be distance between the centre of the big circle and the
centre of (any) one of the small circles. Then there exists a right angle
triangle with hypoteneuse s, side r and angle πn .
Q.21 (a) The unit digit of all numbers n! with n ≥ 5 is 0.
n
i3 .
P
Q.22 (b) Use the formula for
i=1

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 Q.23 (a) Differentiate.
Q.24 (c) Find out the first values of n for which an+1
an becomes < 1.
Q.25 (d) The equation is xy(x 2 2
+ y + 1) = 0.
Q.26 (a) Compute for C = x2 + y 2 = 1 and Q = (a, 0) for some a > 1.


Q.27 (c) Multiply the given sum by n.

Q.28 (d) Verify using the given definition of a ring.

Hints for UGB Sample Questions.

Q.1 The answer is 399960. For each x ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, there are 4! such
numbers whose last digit is x. Thus the digits in the unit place of all the
120 numbers add up to 4! (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5). Similarly the numbers at ten’s
place add up to 360 and so on. Thus the sum is 360 (1 + 10 + 100 + 1000).
Q.2 Let the chosen entries be in the positions (i, ai ), 1 ≤ i ≤ 8. Thus
a1 , . . . , a8 is a permutation of {1, . . . , 8}. The entry in the square cor-
responding to (i, j)th place is i + 8 (j − 1). Hence the required sum is
P8
(i + 8 (aj − 1)).
i=1 √
Q.3 Radius is 3 2 3 . Use trigonometry.

n
Q.4 Observe that an = an−1 1 + t + t2 where t = 103
Q.5 Substitute y = x1 in the equation of a circle and clear denominator to
get a degree 4 equation in x. The product of its roots is the constant term,
which is 1.
Q.6 The function f (x) − 4 is a sum of squares and hence non-negative. So
the minimum is 4 which is attained at x = 1.
n
Q.7 The number is 3 2+1 . An ordered pair (A, B) of disjoint subsets of S is
determined by 3 choices for every element of S (either it is in A, or in B or
in neither of them). Hence such pairs are 3n in number. An unordered pair
will be counted twice in this way, except for the case A and B both empty.
n
Hence the number is 1 + 3 2−1 .
Q.8 Answer is 5. The maximum is attained at points (2, 1) and (2, −1).
Q.9 Answer is 2. Let f be the given polynomial. Then f (0) is negative and
f is positive as x tends to ±∞. Hence
√ it has at least 2 real roots. Since
the derivative of f is zero only at 3 −3, it cannot have more than two real
roots. √ 1
Q.10 Maximum
√ is 3 3. Either check the maximum of the function x x , or
√
compare 3 3 with n n.
Q.11 Rewrite the given inequality in terms of the new variables α = x+y−z,
β = y + z − x, γ = x + z − y, and use the triangle inequality.

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