Oxford MAT 2013/2014

Does anyone have any hints for question 7? I'm not really sure where to start with it at all, it doesn't seem to simplify into anything nice.

Original post by yxcai

So when we are interviewed those type of questions, we do not have to give the final answer, right?

Most likely so. I'm guessing they gave an integral that can't be solved on purpose, presumably to see how we react when we can't get a solution (and what methods we may think of).

I do hope they don't give me something like that though, that would be terrifying...

Original post by kapur

which step exactly do you think is incorrect?

souktik posted the same thing while I was typing a response, but I'll keep it as a spoiler if you want some additional clarification.

Spoiler

Reply 1841

kapur

Original post by ctrls

Does anyone have any hints for question 7? I'm not really sure where to start with it at all, it doesn't seem to simplify into anything nice.

Most likely so. I'm guessing they gave an integral that can't be solved on purpose, presumably to see how we react when we can't get a solution (and what methods we may think of).

I do hope they don't give me something like that though, that would be terrifying...

souktik posted the same thing while I was typing a response, but I'll keep it as a spoiler if you want some additional clarification.

Spoiler

haha i COMPLETELY screwed that one up. guess i got too excited for a sec
i dont get 7 at all

Reply 1842

1298977

1

Original post by ctrls

Does anyone have any hints for question 7? I'm not really sure where to start with it at all, it doesn't seem to simplify into anything nice.

Most likely so. I'm guessing they gave an integral that can't be solved on purpose, presumably to see how we react when we can't get a solution (and what methods we may think of).

I do hope they don't give me something like that though, that would be terrifying...

For 7, I don't see anything nice either. If we plot an u-v graph where u=x^2 and v=y^2, we'll clearly get 4 circles. Then shifting from u-v to x-y would give us 4 closed figures, but they'll just look weird. Weird, I wonder if I'm missing something.
And for that integral, we can just use the power series of e^x to get the answer as a power series, right? Yes, it'll work only for a short range and won't be an elementary function, but still better than nothing.

Reply 1843

IWasAnEagle

Original post by james100

Hey I saw that you got an interview offer from St Anne's. Congrats. Did you originally apply there? When did you get to hear? I applied there as well but I am still waiting :/

Thanks, yeah I applied there originally for straight maths and I got an email on the 27th, I don't know anyone else who applied there so I don't have any more information.. I'm sure there's no need to worry though it won't be long, good luck!

Reply 1844

jadoreétudier

2

I'm confused with 65:
There is a set of numbers whose sum is equal to the sum of the elements squared. What's bigger: the sum of the cubes or the sum of the fourth powers?
Where should I start?

Reply 1845

james100

Original post by IWasAnEagle

Thanks, yeah I applied there originally for straight maths and I got an email on the 27th, I don't know anyone else who applied there so I don't have any more information.. I'm sure there's no need to worry though it won't be long, good luck!

Yeaah I think they send out the invitations and the rejections all at the same time. I have just e-mailed them about it. Thank you and good luck with the interviews! See you there hopefully.

Reply 1846

revelry26

5

Original post by kapur

i hope you dont mind cross checking a couple of
answers? :P
how did you do 9? and id you get 3/5 for 8?

In the ninth one I used the harmonic sequence summation formula(which isn't accurate but that's only in the decimals so won't affect what we're trying to prove ).
I have to re-do the eighth one. I read that one wrong. I thought they were asking the number of combinations. My dislike for probability led ti that, perhaps :colondollar:

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1847

ksv4196

Hey could someone tell me where to get these interview questions? thanks :smile:

Reply 1848

1298977

1

Original post by revelry26

In the ninth one I used the harmonic sequence summation formula(which isn't accurate but that's only in the decimals so won't affect what we're trying to prove ).
I have to re-do the eighth one. I read that one wrong. I thought they were asking the number of combinations. My dislike for probability led ti that, perhaps :colondollar:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Another way to do 9 would be to note that if n lies between 2^k and 2^(k+1), where k is a natural number, then 1/n is less than 1/2^k. So, the given sum is less than 1+1/2+1/2+1/4+1/4+1/4+1/4+1/8...
The sum of the first (2^k-1) terms will clearly be less than k. We're adding up to the 1000th term, while 10 is greater than the sum up to the 1023rd term. So we're done.
What was question 8?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 1849

ftball22

7

Where are these questions coming from? :/

Reply 1850

1298977

1

Original post by ftball22

Where are these questions coming from? :/

A docx file posted a few pages back.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 1851

MEPS1996

4

does anybody know how we can find out whether we have a pre interview test?

Reply 1852

Wobblybob76

Original post by MEPS1996

does anybody know how we can find out whether we have a pre interview test?

Go on the college website, and it should be there under the subject page. e.g. http://www.worc.ox.ac.uk/Undergraduate-Admissions/Subject-Information/Mathematics here it says "The first interview is based on questions distributed beforehand, a selection of which candidates will have been asked to attempt. "
:smile:

Reply 1853

kapur

Original post by souktik

Another way to do 9 would be to note that if n lies between 2^k and 2^(k+1), where k is a natural number, then 1/n is less than 1/2^k. So, the given sum is less than 1+1/2+1/2+1/4+1/4+1/4+1/4+1/8...
The sum of the first (2^k-1) terms will clearly be less than k. We're adding up to the 1000th term, while 10 is greater than the sum up to the 1023rd term. So we're done.
What was question 8?

Posted from TSR Mobile

3 girls and 4 boys were standing in a circle. What is the probability that two girls are together but one is not with them?
This is the 8th q

Reply 1854

nZeac

Original post by hilbert_spaces

Would CS applicants be asked 'graph sketching' or 'calculus' problems?

I'm also wondering about this. All of the example questions seem to be only logic based, like the last questions on MAT. Should I also brush up on my graph sketching ?

Reply 1855

Woostarite

9

Original post by nZeac

I'm also wondering about this. All of the example questions seem to be only logic based, like the last questions on MAT. Should I also brush up on my graph sketching ?

Yes.

Reply 1856

hilbert_spaces

Original post by nZeac

I'm also wondering about this. All of the example questions seem to be only logic based, like the last questions on MAT. Should I also brush up on my graph sketching ?

Are you applying to Oriel as well?

Yeah, I am not sure the tutor would ask us standard MATH interview questions. Have you looked into the sample CS interview problems?

Reply 1857

hilbert_spaces

Original post by Woostarite

Yes.

Even for pure CS? Do you know where I can find the 'graph sketching' tutorials? Thanks.

Reply 1858

Noble.

17

Original post by hilbert_spaces

Even for pure CS? Do you know where I can find the 'graph sketching' tutorials? Thanks.

They don't ask graph sketching questions in a straight maths interview because graph sketching is a skill you must have as an undergraduate (I mean, I think I've had to draw/sketch a graph once for a problem sheet, and the main point wasn't even to test graph sketching skills). The reason they're generally asked, in my opinion, is because they're a good way to test the interviewee's ability in determining the behaviour of weird functions, and gives somewhat of an insight into the analytical abilities. So there's no real reason why graph sketching questions wouldn't be asked in a CompSci interview.

Reply 1859

Woostarite

9

Original post by Noble.

They don't ask graph sketching questions in a straight maths interviews.

This isn't true. I know for a fact that graph sketching questions are sometimes asked in mathematics interviews (for those applying for straight maths for example).

Oxford MAT 2013/2014

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