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Maths interview questions?

What sort of questions will they ask you in the cambridge interview? My mind tends to free up when I'm being watched after beig asked a question, so any tips for me?

Thanks :cool:

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Reply 1
Avatar for Pamiyoo
Pamiyoo
my brother went to cambridge studying maths, and i remember him saying he was asked how to cut an orange into 3 equal amounts, onli cutting it twice:s-smilie::s-smilie:.....i dnt know what the solution was:s-smilie:
but.......you should talk to your head of year/maths teacher and they realli prepare you for the interview!!
Reply 2
Avatar for Shadow!
Shadow!
OP
15
Thanks Pamiyoo, any advice I get here makes me that little bit more confident about the interview!
Stardust, which college are you applying to? :smile:
For the orange question, what about finding the volume of rotation equation of y^2+x^2=r^2 and working out how to get a third of it or something along those lines
then you could cut the third off and halve the remaining two-thirds
Reply 6
Avatar for Simba
Simba
16
only nihilism
For the orange question, what about finding the volume of rotation equation of y^2+x^2=r^2 and working out how to get a third of it or something along those lines


Yup :smile: that works fine, would be my preferred method of approach. You could simply cut a parallel plane to the first as your second cut, from the other end of the orange, or divide it in half more conventionally :smile: .
Simba
Yup :smile: that works fine, would be my preferred method of approach. You could simply cut a parallel plane to the first as your second cut, from the other end of the orange, or divide it in half more conventionally :smile: .


ahah! knew i was cambridge material, pity this wasn't a natsci question :frown:
i'm also applying to trinity, good luck simba although your posts/grades suggest you'll walk it
Reply 8
Avatar for ukebert
ukebert
13
A friend of mine got asked the following. This is rather horrible.

You are standing on the shore of a desert island, and looking towards another in the distance. When you hold your arm out, you thumb perfectly blocks the island from view. By taking into account the curvature of the earth (provided), how far away is the island?

I worked through it without huge problems with him the next day, but in an interview I would just have gibbered for a while.
sounds unpleasant :frown:
i think my blagging technique would be to start drawing a diagram :biggrin:
Reply 10
Avatar for ukebert
ukebert
13
Don't knock it, it helps :smile: I can't do anything unless I've got something to doodle on. Even if what I'm doodling isn't anything to do with the question :p:
only nihilism
then you could cut the third off and halve the remaining two-thirds


Is that all you'd have to say? and that's a cambridge question?! :eek:

...madness, seems simple to me :redface:
I don't think you'd get as much credit without doing the integration to find out how the height of the orange relates to its volume and therefore where you cut to get the third :P
Oooh I'm looking forward to my interview (if I get one!)
Reply 14
Avatar for ukebert
ukebert
13
That's promising :smile: If I had wanted to do Maths and had known that those were potential questions I would be looking for a stout rope around now.
Reply 15
Avatar for Simba
Simba
16
calcium878
Oooh I'm looking forward to my interview (if I get one!)


Same hehe :smile: have you seen the maths 'interview' on the Emmanuel website? I think it's Emmanuel anyway!

only nihilism
ahah! knew i was cambridge material, pity this wasn't a natsci question
i'm also applying to trinity, good luck simba although your posts/grades suggest you'll walk it


Hehehe, best of luck to you too :smile: ! Mmm, everyone seems so confident for me, I'm not so confident myself :p: !
Simba
Same hehe :smile: have you seen the maths 'interview' on the Emmanuel website? I think it's Emmanuel anyway!


It is indeed. They showed it us on the open day there in April. That girl would be offer-standard the DoS said ;yes;
Reply 17
Avatar for Simba
Simba
16
calcium878
It is indeed. They showed it us on the open day there in April. That girl would be offer-standard the DoS said ;yes;


That's wonderful to hear :biggrin: the questions she got asked were pretty easy, I just hope if I get an interview it goes as smoothly!
Simba
That's wonderful to hear :biggrin: the questions she got asked were pretty easy, I just hope if I get an interview it goes as smoothly!


Yep, I'd love it to go like that :p: We'll see I suppose; it could be a month tomorrow :s:
Reply 19
Avatar for Simba
Simba
16
calcium878
Yep, I'd love it to go like that :p: We'll see I suppose; it could be a month tomorrow :s:


Hehe, yeah, it's exciting! Plus with the SMC on Thursday and BMO1 on 30th November, it's going to be a busy month or two maths-wise!

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