Challenge Math Challenge - July 2019

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The Math Challenge from July 2019 featured a variety of problems, many of which were solved by participants. Key discussions included proving inequalities involving arctangents, demonstrating the uniqueness of real roots in polynomial equations, and finding orthogonal matrices for diagonalization. Participants also explored concepts in calculus, Galois theory, and properties of cyclic subspaces. The thread highlighted collaborative problem-solving and the importance of clear mathematical communication, especially in using LaTeX for presenting solutions. Overall, the discussions emphasized both the complexity and the enjoyment of tackling challenging mathematical problems.
  • #91
I think #86 is not sufficient. We still need the other direction: image of a cyclic subspace is an ideal or else there are potential well-definedness problems of the supposed isomorphism of lattices. Right now, we have
<br /> I \text{ ideal} \implies T^{-1}(I) \text{ cyclic}<br />
We'd also need
<br /> C\text{ cyclic} \implies T(C) \text{ ideal}<br />
Put
<br /> T : \mathbb F_q^n \to \mathbb F_q[x] / (x^n-1) =:R,\ (a_0,\ldots, a_{n-1}) \mapsto a_0 + \sum _{k=1}^{n-1} a_kx^{k}<br />
Let C \subseteq \mathbb F_q^n be cyclic. We show T(C) is an ideal. As C is a subspace and T is compatible with addition, T(C) is a subgroup. Take r_0 + \sum_{k=1}^{n-1}r_kx^k\in R and a_0 + \sum_{k=1}^{n-1}\in T(C). We must show their product is in T(C).
<br /> \begin{align*}<br /> &amp;\left (r_0 + \sum_{k=1}^{n-1}r_kx^k\right ) \left (a_0 + \sum_{k=1}^{n-1}a_kx^k\right ) \\<br /> =&amp;r_0\left (a_0 + a_1x + a_2x^2 + \ldots + a_{n-1}x^{n-1}\right ) \\<br /> +&amp;r_1\left (a_0 + a_1x + a_2x^2 + \ldots + a_{n-1}x^{n-1} \right )x \\<br /> +&amp;r_2\left (a_0 + a_1x + a_2x^2 + \ldots + a_{n-1}x^{n-1}\right ) x^2 \\<br /> &amp;\vdots \\<br /> +&amp;r_{n-1} \left ( a_0 + a_1x + a_2x^2 + \ldots + a_{n-1}x^{n-1} \right )x^{n-1}.<br /> \end{align*}<br />
As C is a subspace, it is closed w.r.t multiplying by r_k. We also saw in #86 that multiplying by x^k shifts the coefficients, but C is cyclic, thus closed w.r.t shifting. All of the additives are in T(C), therefore T(C) is an ideal.
 
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  • #92
nuuskur said:
I think #86 is not sufficient. We still need the other direction: image of a cyclic subspace is an ideal or else there are potential well-definedness problems of the supposed isomorphism of lattices. Right now, we have
<br /> I \text{ ideal} \implies T^{-1}(I) \text{ cyclic}<br />
We'd also need
<br /> C\text{ cyclic} \implies T(C) \text{ ideal}<br />
Put
<br /> T : \mathbb F_q^n \to \mathbb F_q[x] / (x^n-1) =:R,\ (a_0,\ldots, a_{n-1}) \mapsto a_0 + \sum _{k=1}^{n-1} a_kx^{k}<br />
Let C \subseteq \mathbb F_q^n be cyclic. We show T(C) is an ideal. As C is a subspace and T is compatible with addition, T(C) is a subgroup. Take r_0 + \sum_{k=1}^{n-1}r_kx^k\in R and a_0 + \sum_{k=1}^{n-1}\in T(C). We must show their product is in T(C).
<br /> \begin{align*}<br /> &amp;\left (r_0 + \sum_{k=1}^{n-1}r_kx^k\right ) \left (a_0 + \sum_{k=1}^{n-1}a_kx^k\right ) \\<br /> =&amp;r_0\left (a_0 + a_1x + a_2x^2 + \ldots + a_{n-1}x^{n-1}\right ) \\<br /> +&amp;r_1\left (a_0 + a_1x + a_2x^2 + \ldots + a_{n-1}x^{n-1} \right )x \\<br /> +&amp;r_2\left (a_0 + a_1x + a_2x^2 + \ldots + a_{n-1}x^{n-1}\right ) x^2 \\<br /> &amp;\vdots \\<br /> +&amp;r_{n-1} \left ( a_0 + a_1x + a_2x^2 + \ldots + a_{n-1}x^{n-1} \right )x^{n-1}.<br /> \end{align*}<br />
As C is a subspace, it is closed w.r.t multiplying by r_k. We also saw in #86 that multiplying by x^k shifts the coefficients, but C is cyclic, thus closed w.r.t shifting. All of the additives are in T(C), therefore T(C) is an ideal.

Your solution seems fine to me now. Well done!
 
  • #93
Solution to problem 13.

Proof by contradiction. Suppose all the 3 products, ##u(1 - v), v (1 - w) and w(1 - u)## are greater than ##1/4##. Then it follows that:

##u(1 - v) > 1/4 \Rightarrow u > 1/4(1-v) \Rightarrow (1 - u) < 1 - 1/4(1-v)\;\;\; \mathcal (Eq. 1)##

##v(1 - w) > 1/4 \Rightarrow v > 1/4(1-w) \Rightarrow (1- w) > 1/4v \Rightarrow w < 1 - 1/4v\;\;\; \mathcal (Eq. 2)##

From (Eq. 1) and (Eq. 2), it follows that
##w(1-u) < (1 - 1/4(1-v)) \cdot (1 - 1/4v) = ((3 - 4v) / 4(1 - v)) \cdot (4v - 1) / 4v \\
= (3 - 4v) (4v - 1) / 16v(1-v) = (12v - 3 - 16v^2 + 4v) / 16v(1-v) \\
= (16v - 16v^2 - 3) / 16v(1-v) = (16v(1-v) - 3) / 16v(1 - v) \\
= 1 - 3 / 16v(1-v)##

It it easy to see that for RHS to have maximum value, the denominator of the subtracted value should be maximal. It is trivial to show that ##v(1-v)## reaches maximum when ##v\; =\; 0.5## and therefore the maximum value of RHS would be ##1 - 3 / (16 \times 0.5 \times (1 - 0.5)) = 1/4##. It follows that ##w(1 - u) < 1/4##, disproving the initial assumption that all 3 products could be greater than ##1/4##
 
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  • #94
You can save some steps in that proof:
Assume there are u,v,w such that all three expressions are larger than 1/4. Then the product of the three expressions must be larger than 1/43 = 1/64.
That product is u(1-u)v(1-v)w(1-w). All factors are positive, to find its maximum we can maximize u(1-u), v(1-v) and w(1-w) individually. The maximum is 1/4 each, the product is 1/64, contradiction.
 
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  • #95
I gave my take on 13 in #42. Relies on how I like to prove statements of the form ##A_1\lor A_2\lor \ldots \lor A_n##. Equivalently, one can prove
<br /> \neg A_1\land \ldots\land \neg A_{n-1} \implies A_n.<br />
 
  • #96
My proof uses ##u(1-u)=\frac{1}{4}-(u-\frac{1}{2})^2< \frac{1}{4}## since squares are positive.
 
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  • #97
fresh_42 said:
My proof uses ##u(1-u)=\frac{1}{4}-(u-\frac{1}{2})^2< \frac{1}{4}## since squares are positive.
Wow. That is the simplest proof for that question!
 
  • #98
fresh_42 said:
My proof uses ##u(1-u)=\frac{1}{4}-(u-\frac{1}{2})^2< \frac{1}{4}## since squares are positive.
##\leq## as u=1/2 is possible - squares can be zero. I didn't go into detail with that part as it is very easy to show and a well-known result, too.
 
  • #99
mfb said:
##\leq## as u=1/2 is possible - squares can be zero. I didn't go into detail with that part as it is very easy to show and a well-known result, too.
I think that's just a typo.
 
  • #100
mfb said:
##\leq## as u=1/2 is possible - squares can be zero. I didn't go into detail with that part as it is very easy to show and a well-known result, too.
Hey, I was lazy: "<" is on the keyboard ##"\leq"## is not. These details are trivial and left to the reader ;-)
 
  • #101
fresh_42 said:
Hey, I was lazy: "<" is on the keyboard ##"\leq"## is not. These details are trivial and left to the reader ;-)
That reminds me of a statistics course lecture. The lector said something like "..and since ##f## is injective, it is invertible..". Similarly, in algebra, saying something is a subgroup of ##G## is to be read as "is an isomorphic copy of a subgroup of ##G##".
 
  • #102
nuuskur said:
That reminds me of a statistics course lecture. The lector said something like "..and since ##f## is injective, it is invertible..". Similarly, in algebra, saying something is a subgroup of ##G## is to be read as "is an isomorphic copy of a subgroup of ##G##".
or omitting "almost everywhere" in measure theory.

I have also seen isomorphic for monomorphic (here, not in books), which I really dislike.
 

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