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The 2012 STEP Results Discussion Thread

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Original post by twig
On the topic of uni prep problem sheers, can anyone help with q11 last "deduce" part here: http://tartarus.org/gareth/maths/stuff/introductory_sheet.pdf


Orginal thread on this Q here: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=38873161&highlight=

a=log4 btw (i think).


You could say that pi(n) is the same as the sum of the number of primes between 1&2,2&4,4&8 etc. Furthermore, there is some integer a such that 2a1<n2a2^{a-1}< n \leq 2^a. Combine these facts


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Reply 5101
Original post by TheMagicMan
You could say that pi(n) is the same as the sum of the number of primes between 1&2,2&4,4&8 etc. Furthermore, there is some integer a such that 2a1<n2a2^{a-1}< n \leq 2^a. Combine these facts


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Thanks for the response.

That's what I tried and failed to do already (check post4 of the linked thread).
Outside that approach, I also tried to use the relationship pi(2n)-pi(n)=N, but did not get far.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by ben-smith
OK well, what do you get for the last part of 3? :smile:. I must be out of practice, my answer is just fugly.


You should get pi/2 times root (a/g) it is independent of the starting point!!
Original post by mikelbird
You should get pi/2 times root (a/g) it is independent of the starting point!!


thats what i got aswell!! was so stressed over this for the past 3 days! ty for clearing it but i dont understand how they got that strange answer?
Original post by iluvmaths
thats what i got aswell!! was so stressed over this for the past 3 days! ty for clearing it but i dont understand how they got that strange answer?


See 'tautochrone' on wikipedia....
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by mikelbird
See 'tautochrone' on wikipedia....


aah ofcourse! those parametric equations for x and y are for a cycloidal pendulum! excellent! hence independant of time to reach the minimum point!
Original post by mikelbird
You should get pi/2 times root (a/g) it is independent of the starting point!!


very nice, thank you.
Is it worth doing any off-syllabus Maths in preparation for STEP I and II even if you haven't started C3/C4, FP2/FP3? For the record: I completed M & FM AS simultaneously this year and will start the remaining A2 modules September onwards.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by prophecy~
Is it worth doing any off-syllabus Maths in preparation for STEP I and II even if you haven't finished C3/C4, FP2/FP3? For the record: I completed M & FM AS simultaneously this year.


I wouldnt bother, just get really familiar with FP/C stuff
Original post by prophecy~
Is it worth doing any off-syllabus Maths in preparation for STEP I and II even if you haven't finished C3/C4, FP2/FP3? For the record: I completed M & FM AS simultaneously this year.


STEP I does contain some number-theory type questions for which no special preparation is deemed necessary. They can be quite easy if you get how to do them. Sometimes a geometry type problem appears too. So maybe look at those?

For II and III I'm more inclined to agree with maths134.
If you want help with STEP use MEI Online STEP preparation. They pretty much got me through STEP.

their website:

http://www.mei.org.uk/index.php?page=stepandaea
Original post by iluvmaths
i dont understand how they got that strange answer?


my thoughts exactly. having looked over my work I think the answer I got was actually the correct one but when I did the integral I didn´t realise the arcsin bit so I ended up with a disgusting expression involving arctans.
Hey, i was wondering if you could help

I absolutley love maths, and im (hopefully) going to study it at newcastle soon. I want to do STEP I, II, III not for uni admissions, but just because its something i really want to do, so i was wondering if it is useful to do after i've finished at Uni? Does it look good on a CV? Thanks!
Original post by FuLLuPMepOrtION
Hey, i was wondering if you could help

I absolutley love maths, and im (hopefully) going to study it at newcastle soon. I want to do STEP I, II, III not for uni admissions, but just because its something i really want to do, so i was wondering if it is useful to do after i've finished at Uni? Does it look good on a CV? Thanks!


I don't think anyone would ever care for STEP results after admission, let alone after uni...
Reply 5114
Original post by FuLLuPMepOrtION
Hey, i was wondering if you could help

I absolutley love maths, and im (hopefully) going to study it at newcastle soon. I want to do STEP I, II, III not for uni admissions, but just because its something i really want to do, so i was wondering if it is useful to do after i've finished at Uni? Does it look good on a CV? Thanks!


Probably not, I doubt employers would have heard of STEP. Although it is becoming increasingly common for universities to include it in their admissions offer, so possibly by the time you graduate it would be one of those known and respected exams you take? (This is being very optimistic :tongue:)

I mean, to be honest, I would've thought at best it'll look good when applying for a masters/postgrad at another uni. (in Maths)

Although sadly, outside of the Maths world, no one really gives a damn. :frown:
Can someone here please help me understand the meaning of 'necessary' and 'sufficient' in STEP Maths. My teacher went through it but I missed the lesson. What is it use for in STEP? An example to explain this would be great. Thanks guys!
Original post by ryanboi
Can someone here please help me understand the meaning of 'necessary' and 'sufficient' in STEP Maths. My teacher went through it but I missed the lesson. What is it use for in STEP? An example to explain this would be great. Thanks guys!


Attending the lesson is not a necessary condition for you to learn this topic - you can use TSR instead. Attending the lesson isn't sufficient either - you might be looking out of the window.

Consider n>2 => n>1

n>2 is a sufficient condition for n>1, but not necessary.
n>1 is a necessary condition for n>2 , but not sufficient.

Often you get asked to show P <=> Q. You can read this 'P if-and-only-if Q' or write it P iff Q. Remember to prove this takes two pieces of work:

show if P then Q
show if Q then P.
Original post by ian.slater
Attending the lesson is not a necessary condition for you to learn this topic - you can use TSR instead. Attending the lesson isn't sufficient either - you might be looking out of the window.

Consider n>2 => n>1

n>2 is a sufficient condition for n>1, but not necessary.
n>1 is a necessary condition for n>2 , but not sufficient.

Often you get asked to show P <=> Q. You can read this 'P if-and-only-if Q' or write it P iff Q. Remember to prove this takes two pieces of work:

show if P then Q
show if Q then P.


Thank you :smile:

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