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The 2012 STEP Results Discussion Thread

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Original post by hassi94
Aha thanks, I was wondering why it seemed b = 1 haha :tongue: Cheers that was just me being stupid then :smile:


It happens to us all :wink:
Original post by ben-smith
oh right, I thought that's what you were doing in the first place:confused:

Recently I've been extremely tempted to do the same.


Noooooooooo, don't do it! :tongue: (I like Numbers and Sets, the Imperial equivalent was probably my favourite course in the first year!)
Reply 1182
Avatar for gff
gff
5
Changing from Maths to Maths with Physics? Hmm..
It does not sound that bad of an idea, when I think about it. :biggrin:
Original post by shamika
Noooooooooo, don't do it! :tongue: (I like Numbers and Sets, the Imperial equivalent was probably my favourite course in the first year!)


Yeah but I'm pretty crap at number theory and I get to do some badass physics this way without having to wait until second year to do some QM.
It also means I get to do some work with friends from school who are all physnatscis
Reply 1184
Avatar for beelz
beelz
Does anyone else think the number of stars in Siklos' step booklet isn't representative of the difficulty of the question?


Original post by ben-smith
I would bet money that he'll get 115+ on both papers.
We do have a semi-serious bet going on that if any of us beat him on 1 paper he'll buy drinks on results day:biggrin:
Do you think you'd have got SS if you had taken STEP back in the day?


But then he will needlessly bring up the grade boundaries D:<

Original post by Rahul.S
X


Y'alright sweetcheeks?
Original post by beelz
But then he will needlessly bring up the grade boundaries D:<


I don't know how true this is:

- You're always going to have a few top performers who should be able to do well
- Aren't boundaries determined primarily by the number of places available at Cambridge/Warwick?
- The proportions at each grade are (relatively) stable*. Thus boundaries are determined more by relative performance than the top outliers...

*That's a guess, I don't know for sure (but someone can have a look on the official STEP website to check)
Original post by shamika
I don't know how true this is:

- You're always going to have a few top performers who should be able to do well
- Aren't boundaries determined primarily by the number of places available at Cambridge/Warwick?
- The proportions at each grade are (relatively) stable*. Thus boundaries are determined more by relative performance than the top outliers...

*That's a guess, I don't know for sure (but someone can have a look on the official STEP website to check)


I'm pretty sure (or at least I was told by a don) that they set the boundaries according to some qualitative feel of where the boundaries 'should' be...not necessarily what will give them the right numbers...after all, they can always let in more people who miss offers. If you take this as being true, the actual results shouldn't affect where the boundaries are.
For STEP III 2001 Q6, is it me or is it just disgusting algebra all the way through?
eugh
Original post by beelz
Does anyone else think the number of stars in Siklos' step booklet isn't representative of the difficulty of the question?


I did the booklet a while back but, as I remember, the stars were broadly correct give or take a star i.e. 3* were certainly harder than 1* but things got a little murky in between.
Original post by TheMagicMan
I'm pretty sure (or at least I was told by a don) that they set the boundaries according to some qualitative feel of where the boundaries 'should' be...not necessarily what will give them the right numbers...after all, they can always let in more people who miss offers. If you take this as being true, the actual results shouldn't affect where the boundaries are.


Nice to see you back on the forum, by the way :smile:


Anywho guys I wanted to ask about a certain type of question. The ones with lines lying on a plane etc. Eg q6 step 2 2002. I don't understand what they're actually describing most of the time, for example what IS the horizontal in this case. Some sort of diagram would be great but I understand that's a lot of effort. Even just an explanation (qualitatively if possible) of that specific question and how to tackle it would be great.

Thanks to anyone who can help. I've avoided these questions on every paper because I just don't get them. Thanks.
Original post by hassi94
Nice to see you back on the forum, by the way :smile:


Anywho guys I wanted to ask about a certain type of question. The ones with lines lying on a plane etc. Eg q6 step 2 2002. I don't understand what they're actually describing most of the time, for example what IS the horizontal in this case. Some sort of diagram would be great but I understand that's a lot of effort. Even just an explanation (qualitatively if possible) of that specific question and how to tackle it would be great.

Thanks to anyone who can help. I've avoided these questions on every paper because I just don't get them. Thanks.


suppose P is a flat board inclined to a table. Not sure if this might help but imagine 3 triangles with their hypotenuses on the plane, sharing exactly one common side- which is a line through A, perpendicular to the table. The horizontal could be any line parallel to the table.

Oh and to use the fact that l1 is perpendicular to l3, i think you need to draw a separate diagram with 3 lines intersecting in 2dimensions. Notice how the lengths of these line are the same as the hypotenuse of the triangles in the previous diagram.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by beelz
Y'alright sweetcheeks?


whos this?
Original post by Blutooth
suppose P is a flat board inclined to a table. Not sure if this might help but imagine 3 triangles with their hypotenuses on the plane, sharing exactly one common side - which is a line through A, perpendicular to the table. The horizontal could be any line parallel to the table.

Oh and to use the fact that l1 is perpendicular to l3, i think you need to draw a separate diagram with 3 lines intersecting in 2dimensions. Notice how the lengths of these line are the same as the hypotenuse of the triangles in the previous diagram.


Don't understand what you're saying in the bolded.

Thanks :smile:
Reply 1193
Avatar for Ree69
Ree69
14
Original post by shamika
Aren't boundaries determined primarily by the number of places available at Cambridge/Warwick?


This can't be true surely?! I remember very recently (I think a couple of years ago - for 2010 entrance), Warwick had let in far too many applicants as they gave out too many offers and everyone basically met them. I think the offer back then was AAA + 2 in STEP (or a M/D in the AEA).

Although, come to think of it - 2010 was the year where there were freakishly high grade boundaries for the AEA, STEP 1 and STEP 2. And in my opinion, the papers aren't as easy as the grade boundaries suggest. Either there actually was a significantly stronger cohort of applicants that year, or Warwick really are in control of the grade boundaries :eek:.

Well clearly the grade boundaries weren't high enough in that respect to prevent Warwick from being fined quite substantially for over-admitting students. :tongue:.

Still, I just don't like this feeling that no matter how hard I work for STEP, there's still a chance I won't be let in because they're in charge of the grade boundaries - which again, may be set ridiculously high this year.
Reply 1194
Avatar for gff
gff
5
Original post by ben-smith
For STEP III 2001 Q6, is it me or is it just disgusting algebra all the way through?
eugh


Mmm.. not really. Assuming my method is acceptable, I would say two vectors, two dot products, one vector line and quoting a ratio result finished it off. :tongue:
Original post by hassi94
Don't understand what you're saying in the bolded.

Thanks :smile:


We have 3 lines we are interested in.

K1: The line that goes from point A to the table, and is perpendicular to the table. Let the other endpoint of this line be B. Note B is on the table.

K2: The line that is on l1 and goes from A to the intersection of the plane and the table. Call the other end point C. Note C is on the table.

k3: The line that goes from from C to B

These line segments form a very handy triangle. From the question the angles between the horizontal and l1, l2 and l3 are pi/6, beta and pi/4, and note that the angle between k2 and k3 is pi/6.
^^
Do the diargams for the other lines.


You can then draw another simpler but similar diagram which represents the fact that l1 and l3 are at right angles on the plane. Now do you notice anything about the hypotenuses in both the diagrams, that might help solve the question?
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by gff
Mmm.. not really. Assuming my method is acceptable, I would say two vectors, two dot products, one vector line and quoting a ratio result finished it off. :tongue:


what ratio result? I'm not saying it's complicated, just that the way I did it took quite a lot of algebra. It' plausible that I just don't know some vector results and have used more elementary tools.
Original post by Ree69

Well clearly the grade boundaries weren't high enough in that respect to prevent Warwick from being fined quite substantially for over-admitting students. :tongue:.

Still, I just don't like this feeling that no matter how hard I work for STEP, there's still a chance I won't be let in because they're in charge of the grade boundaries - which again, may be set ridiculously high this year.


I get why you feel that way, but it is (brutally) meritocratic, in that they're letting in the top x students into their establishment.

Worry about grade boundaries after you've sat the paper. For now, just focus on trying to get as many questions out as possible!
Original post by gff
Mmm.. not really. Assuming my method is acceptable, I would say two vectors, two dot products, one vector line and quoting a ratio result finished it off. :tongue:


I think ive seen the name of few results in mark schemes and examiner reports.....if I remember right Ceva's theorem is one :tongue:

quoting it is enough? wouldn't a quick proof be required?
Original post by Rahul.S
I think ive seen the name of few results in mark schemes and examiner reports.....if I remember right Ceva's theorem is one :tongue:

quoting it is enough? wouldn't a quick proof be required?


Should probably prove, especially if quoting a result renders a question trivial. (Besides, STEP papers tend to guide you carefully through a path and so unless it says 'hence or otherwise', going off that path will result in few marks.)

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