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Senior Maths Challenge 2015 predicted thresholds and past thresholds

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Original post by 1 8 13 20 42
True but often it's permissible because everybody at a certain level will make that assumption themselves anyway. Whereas in this case I feel someone doing the SMC is probably going to read "on a flat piece of paper" and think about an actual piece of paper, rather than an infinite plane. Many will realise what the question is really asking, as all configurations are possible on an actual piece of paper, but the fact that any energy might be devoted to thinking about this, and that some might get the question wrong even though they would have got it right if it was worded more accurately, suggests to me that this question is badly written.

It doesn't matter if its an infinite plane or not, the question says line, line is infinite, if we bound an infinite line by a page, then it must always go edge to edge, what ever that edge may be, with this configuration 2 is impossible. You are wrong when you say all configurations are possible on an actual piece of paper, you are assuming line segments.
Original post by 1 8 13 20 42
True but often it's permissible because everybody at a certain level will make that assumption themselves anyway.


That doesn't make it permissible, because it just makes people not realise that they are making the assumptions. Anyway, I didn't tend to make all those assumptions back then anyway.

Original post by 1 8 13 20 42
Whereas in this case I feel someone doing the SMC is probably going to read "on a flat piece of paper" and think about an actual piece of paper, rather than an infinite plane. Many will realise what the question is really asking, as all configurations are possible on an actual piece of paper, but the fact that any energy might be devoted to thinking about this, and that some might get the question wrong even though they would have got it right if it was worded more accurately, suggests to me that this question is badly written.


Yes, the SMC is unprofessional and badly written at the best of times. Even the BMO has in the past been like this (e.g. prove a sequence of numbers is never prime, giving only the first few terms, and ..., rather than explicit formula for the sequence)
Original post by 1 8 13 20 42
True but often it's permissible because everybody at a certain level will make that assumption themselves anyway. Whereas in this case I feel someone doing the SMC is probably going to read "on a flat piece of paper" and think about an actual piece of paper, rather than an infinite plane. Many will realise what the question is really asking, as all configurations are possible on an actual piece of paper, but the fact that any energy might be devoted to thinking about this, and that some might get the question wrong even though they would have got it right if it was worded more accurately, suggests to me that this question is badly written.


Yeah, they could have just said 'in the plane' and we woudn't have had that problem. I spent 20 minutes trying to figure it out -_-
Original post by SCalver
It doesn't matter if its an infinite plane or not, the question says line, line is infinite, if we bound an infinite line by a page, then it must always go edge to edge, what ever that edge may be, with this configuration 2 is impossible. You are wrong when you say all configurations are possible on an actual piece of paper, you are assuming line segments.


it does matter. Take a 10 by 10 piece of paper and draw a vertical line 1 cm from the left. Draw a diagonal line starting from 2cm down on the left edge and ending at 2cm left at the top edge. These two intersect. Rotate the page 180 degrees and repeat
Original post by Renzhi10122
it does matter. Take a 10 by 10 piece of paper and draw a vertical line 1 cm from the left. Draw a diagonal line starting from 2cm down on the left edge and ending at 2cm left at the top edge. These two intersect. Rotate the page 180 degrees and repeat


Yeah I had a brain fart. Forgive me senpai
Original post by SCalver
It doesn't matter if its an infinite plane or not, the question says line, line is infinite, if we bound an infinite line by a page, then it must always go edge to edge, what ever that edge may be, with this configuration 2 is impossible. You are wrong when you say all configurations are possible on an actual piece of paper, you are assuming line segments.


The fact that it refers to lines rather than line segments is what makes the question and corresponding answer actually correct, but I don't think most people sitting the SMC are going to make that distinction.
(at least I think this is the case; are we not still assuming infinite paper)

Original post by Johann von Gauss
That doesn't make it permissible, because it just makes people not realise that they are making the assumptions. Anyway, I didn't tend to make all those assumptions back then anyway.


It depends on the assumption. Like at GCSE you'd have questions like "it takes 2 men 5 hours to make a statue of a houseplant, how long does it take 5 men" or some bull like that. You technically have to assume the men work at the same rate and independently but nobody's going to think about that.

Original post by Renzhi10122
Yeah, they could have just said 'in the plane' and we woudn't have had that problem. I spent 20 minutes trying to figure it out -_-


Indeed. If I was a year younger this would have probably screwed me in the exam. Reminds me of last year where I got stressed out by a question on "sharing" boundaries or something; sharing meant sharing an entire boundary but I wasn't sure whether to interpret it as such or interpret it as sharing part of a boundary, after that I completely flopped the paper lol
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Student403
Not really. Mathematics is a tool we use to model the real world, whereas energy is something we can prove is contained in objects


I was pretty convinced that so-called 'energy' is just a model for phenomena in the real world as well?
Original post by PrimeLime
I was pretty convinced that so-called 'energy' is just a model for phenomena in the real world as well?

It might be - but can't we say the same for magnetism? etc
Original post by PrimeLime
I was pretty convinced that so-called 'energy' is just a model for phenomena in the real world as well?


Original post by Student403
It might be - but can't we say the same for magnetism? etc


Do invisible things exist?
:eek:
Original post by Renzhi10122
Do invisible things exist?
:redface:

Yes :3

"What as?" is the real question :biggrin:
Original post by Renzhi10122
Do invisible things exist?
:eek:


I think energy is a bit less existent than simply being 'invisible'.
Saying that, existence is really hard to define.
Does existence exist?
Original post by 1 8 13 20 42
It depends on the assumption. Like at GCSE you'd have questions like "it takes 2 men 5 hours to make a statue of a houseplant, how long does it take 5 men" or some bull like that.


I still can't do those types of question XD.
And a STATUE of a houseplant? Is that even a thing?? :rofl3:
Original post by PrimeLime
I still can't do those types of question XD.
And a STATUE of a houseplant? Is that even a thing?? :rofl3:


Oh dear; they're all over STEP, you need to brush up. I was trying to come up with the stupidest thing possible to build. :colonhash:
Original post by 1 8 13 20 42
Oh dear; they're all over STEP, you need to brush up. I was trying to come up with the stupidest thing possible to build. :colonhash:


XD Well you did well at that!
If anyone wants to do BMO practice questions and then discuss the solutions, inbix mee :smile:)

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Original post by theworkkid
If anyone wants to do BMO practice questions and then discuss the solutions, inbix mee :smile:)

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I do! If I get in... which is 50/50
Original post by DavidBick
I do! If I get in... which is 50/50


Haha good luck,
What do you thin you got?

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Original post by theworkkid
Haha good luck,
What do you thin you got?

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98 (Im pretty sure). Time will tell...
Original post by PrimeLime
I still can't do those types of question XD.
And a STATUE of a houseplant? Is that even a thing?? :rofl3:


You know Tim the Terrible of Sweden was buried with a statue of his pet rabbit, I don't think houseplants are too difficult to statuate/instatufy/enstatute/?
Does anyone know the thresholds from years prior to 2014?


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