Problems

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Let the number \(\alpha\) be given by the decimal:

a) \(0.101001000100001000001 \dots\);

b) \(0.123456789101112131415 \dots\).

Will this number be rational?

An iterative polyline serves as a geometric interpretation of the iteration process. To construct it, on the \(Oxy\) plane, the graph of the function \(f (x)\) is drawn and the bisector of the coordinate angle is drawn, as is the straight line \(y = x\). Then on the graph of the function the points \[A_0 (x_0, f (x_0)), A_1 (x_1, f (x_1)), \dots, A_n (x_n, f (x_n)), \dots\] are noted and on the bisector of the coordinate angle – the points \[B_0 (x_0, x_0), B_1 (x_1, x_1), \dots , B_n (x_n, x_n), \dots.\] The polygonal line \(B_0A_0B_1A_1 \dots B_nA_n \dots\) is called iterative.

Construct an iterative polyline from the following information:

a) \(f (x) = 1 + x/2\), \(x_0 = 0\), \(x_0 = 8\);

b) \(f (x) = 1/x\), \(x_0 = 2\);

c) \(f (x) = 2x - 1\), \(x_0 = 0\), \(x_0 = 1{,}125\);

d) \(f (x) = - 3x/2 + 6\), \(x_0 = 5/2\);

e) \(f (x) = x^2 + 3x - 3\), \(x_0 = 1\), \(x_0 = 0{,}99\), \(x_0 = 1{,}01\);

f) \(f (x) = \sqrt{1 + x}\), \(x_0 = 0\), \(x_0 = 8\);

g) \(f (x) = x^3/3 - 5x^2/x + 25x/6 + 3\), \(x_0 = 3\).

Prove that for a monotonically increasing function \(f (x)\) the equations \(x = f (f (x))\) and \(x = f (x)\) are equivalent.

Definition. The sequence of numbers \(a_0, a_1, \dots , a_n, \dots\), which, with the given \(p\) and \(q\), satisfies the relation \(a_{n + 2} = pa_{n + 1} + qa_n\) (\(n = 0,1,2, \dots\)) is called a linear recurrent sequence of the second order.

The equation \[x^2-px-q = 0\] is called a characteristic equation of the sequence \(\{a_n\}\).

Prove that, if the numbers \(a_0\), \(a_1\) are fixed, then all of the other terms of the sequence \(\{a_n\}\) are uniquely determined.

Find the largest number of colours in which you can paint the edges of a cube (each edge with one colour) so that for each pair of colours there are two adjacent edges coloured in these colours. Edges are considered to be adjacent if they have a common vertex.

A class contains 33 pupils, who have a combined age of 430 years. Prove that if we picked the 20 oldest pupils they would have a combined age of no less than 260 years. The age of any given pupil is a whole number.