1st Annual King’s College Math Competition

King’s College welcomes you to this year’s mathematics competition and to our campus. We wish
you success in this competition and in your future studies.

Instructions
This is a 90-minute, 35-problem multiple-choice exam with no calculators allowed. There are five
possible responses to each question. You may mark the test booklet and on the paper provided to
you. If you need more paper or an extra pencil, let one of the monitors know. When you are sure
of an answer, circle the answer on the exam. Then carefully write your answer on the score sheet
with a capital letter. If your answer is unreadable, then the question will be scored as incorrect.
The examination will be scored on the basis of 5 points for each correct answer, 2 points for each
omitted answer, and 0 points for each incorrect response. Note that wild guessing is likely to lower
your score.

Pre-selected problems will be used as tie-breakers for individual awards. These problems designated
by (?). The problems are numbered: 1, 11, 16, 18, 34

Review and check your score sheet carefully. Your name and school name should be clearly written
on your score sheet.

When you complete your exam, bring your pencil, scratch paper, and answer sheet to the scoring
table. You may keep your copy of the exam. Your teacher will be given a copy of the solutions to
the exam problems.

Do not open your test until instructed to do so!

Good luck!
King’s College 1st Annual Math Competition Page 2 of 8

1. (?) Teams A and B are playing a series of games. Each team has a 50/50 chance of winning
any game. If Team A must win two games or Team B must win three games to win the series,
find the probability that team A wins the series.

11 5 8 3 13
A. B. C. D. E.
16 7 11 5 19

4x 9x+y
2. If = 8 and = 243, find the value of xy.
2x+y 35y
12
A. B. 4 C. 6 D. 12 E. −4
5

3. If ab 6= 0 and |a| =
6 |b|, find the number of distinct values of x satisfying the equation

x−a x−b b a
+ = +
b a x−a x−b
A. zero B. one C. two D. three E. four

4. Suppose five dots are arranged in a circle. If

we draw line segments joining each dot to each
other dot, then a total of 10 line segments are
drawn, as shown in the picture to the right. If
100 dots are arranged in a circle, and line seg-
ments are drawn joining each dot to each other
dot, how many lines segments are drawn?

A. 4851 B. 4901 C. 4950 D. 5001 E. 5050

5. At his usual rate a man rows 15 miles downstream in five hours less time than it takes him to
return. If he doubles his usual rate, the time downstream is only one hour less than the time
upstream. In miles per hour, find the rate of the stream’s current.

5 7
A. 2 B. C. 3 D. E. 4
2 2

6. The sum of 31 consecutive integers is 2015. What is the largest of these integers?

A. 70 B. 72 C. 75 D. 80 E. 85
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7. Solve the equation S = πrh + πr2 for r.

√ √ √
−πh ± π 2 h2 − 4πS −π ± π 2 + 4πS −πh ± πh + 4πS
A. r = B. r = C. r =
2π 2π 2π
√
−πh ± π 2 h2 + 4πS
D. r = E. None of these
2π
8. Let y = 2 cos(2x) + 4 cos(x) − 3. Find the minimum value of y.

A. −9 B. −7 C. −6 D. −5 E. 3

9. Consider the parabola y = 2x2 + 4x + 7. How many units do you have to shift the parabola
horizontally and vertically to obtain the parabola y = 2x2 − 6x − 3?

5 25 3 15 1 5 1 5 5 25
A. ,− B. ,− C. ,− D. − , E. − ,
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

1
10. Which of the following expressions is equal to √ √ ?
2+ 3
√ √ √ √ √ √ √
A. 2 − 3 B. 3 − 2 C. 3 + 2 D. 1 E. 6

11. (?) Assume that a, b, and c are real numbers. If the system
(
ax + 4y = c
x − 2y = 1

has a solution, and the system (

−2x + by = d
x − 3y = 2
does not have a solution, which of the following is correct?
A. a 6= −2, b = 6, d 6= −4, c arbitrary B. a = −2, b = 6, c 6= −2, d = 4
C. a = −2, c = −2, b, d arbitrary D. a = −2, b = 6, c, d arbitrary
E. a 6= −2, b = 6, c, d arbitrary
King’s College 1st Annual Math Competition Page 4 of 8

12. Consider a circle of radius 2 centered at the

origin. Draw a horizontal slice at y = 1. What
y=1
is the area of the gray “cap”, as seen to the
right?

4π √ 2π √ 4π √ 4π 2π
A. − 3 B. − 3 C. + 3 D. E.
3 3 3 3 3

2
13. Let cos θ = − . Find tan θ for θ in the 3rd quadrant.
5
√ √ √ √ √
21 2 21 2 21 21 5 21
A. − B. − C. D. E. −
2 21 21 2 21

14. Consider a sequence of squares defined as follows: the first square S1 has sides of length 1. The
second square S2 is obtained by doubling the sides of S1 , extending these sides outward in the
cyclic pattern shown, and then joining the endpoints of these extended sides. The third square
S3 is obtained from S2 in the same manner. If this pattern continues, find the side length of
S100 .

S1

S2

S3

√ √ √
A. 250 B. 299 C. 249 2 D. 349 3 E. 549 5

15. An honest coin is tossed ten times. The probability of tossing two heads and eight tails is
what?
45 1 1 5
A. B. C. D. E. None of these
1024 512 5 512
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16. (?) Find the vertical distance y, correct to the nearest whole number.

45◦ 60◦
10
√ √ √ √ √
3−1 2− 6 10 3 20 2
A. √ B. 5 C. √ D. √ E. √ √
10 3 20 2 3−1 2− 6

2ab
17. Find sin x if tan x = , where a > b > 0 and 0◦ < x < 90◦ .
a2
− b2
√ √
a b a2 − b2 a2 − b2 2ab
A. B. C. D. E. 2
b a 2a 2ab a + b2

18. (?) Simplify (1 − tan4 (θ)) cos2 (θ) + tan2 (θ).

A. −1 B. 0 C. 1 D. 2 E. None of these

19. George R. R. Martin is writing the sixth book in the Game of Thrones series. He numbers
the book beginning with page 1. The Onion reports that to write down all of the page num-
bers would require 2541 digits. For example, a book with 15 pages will have page numbers
1, 2, 3, . . . , 13, 14, 15 for a total of 21 digits. How many pages does the book contain?

A. 880 B. 881 C. 882 D. 883 E. 884

20. What is the sum of the proper factors of 2015?

A. 36 B. 47 C. 49 D. 50 E. 2065

√ √ √ √
2+ 3 2− 3
21. Let x = √ √ and y = √ √ . Find x2 + y 2 .
2− 3 2+ 3

A. 98 B. 38 C. 0 D. −38 E. −98
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22. Patrick travels from point A to point B in 8 minutes. SpongeBob travels from B to A along
the same route. They start at the same time and each travels at a constant rate. If Sponge-
Bob reaches point A 18 minutes after they meet, how many minutes did the entire trip take
SpongeBob?

A. 20 B. 22.5 C. 24 D. 25.25 E. 26

23. How many integers between 1 and 2015 are divisible by both 11 and 13 but not by 7?

A. 12 B. 14 C. 47 D. 49 E. 51

24. If the sum of two numbers is 1 and their product is 1, then what is the sum of their cubes?
√ √
3 3i 3 3i
A. 2 B. −2 − C. 0 D. − E. −2
4 4

25. In the figure below, a rectangle of dimensions

1×x has been partitioned into a square (on the
1
left) and a second rectangle (shaded, on the
right). Suppose the second rectangle is similar
to the original rectangle. What is the length x
x?
√ √
1+ 5 1 1+ 3
A. B. C. 1 D. 2 E.
2 2 2

1
26. Suppose sin(θ) + cos(θ) = . Find sin(θ) cos(θ).
3
1 2 4 1 2
A. − B. − C. − D. E. 9
9 9 9 9

27. Find the smallest positive integer that is divisible by every integer from 1 up to 12.
A. 4,620 B. 5,544 C. 9,240 D. 13,860 E. 27,720

28. A lot is in the shape of a right triangle. The shorter leg measures 120 meters. The hypotenuse
is 40 meters longer that the length of the longer leg. How long (in meters) is the longer leg?
A. 160 B. 240 C. 120 D. 200 E. 180
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29. Consider a sequence of integers a1 , a2 , a3 , . . . where each term in the sequence is determined
from the previous term according to the formula
(
an /2 if an is even
an+1 =
3an + 1 if an is odd

For example, if the first term were a1 = 7, then the next five terms would be

a2 = 22, a3 = 11, a4 = 34, a5 = 17, a6 = 52.

Supposing the first term is a1 = 11, find a2015 .

A. 1 B. 2 C. 4 D. 8 E. Unable to determine

30. A box contains chips, each of which is red, white, or blue. The number of blue chips is at least
half the number of white chips, and at most one third the number of red chips. At least 55
chips are white or blue. Find the minimum number of red chips.

A. 24 B. 57 C. 33 D. 54 E. 45

31. Which of the following is a factor of p(x) = 4x5 + 4x4 − 4x3 − 4x2 + x + 1?
√
1 √ 2 √
A. x − B. x − 1 C. x − 2 D. x − E. x − 2 2
2 2

32. Compute the probability that a randomly chosen basic trigonometric function, when divided
by a different randomly chosen basic trigonometric function, will result in a quotient that is
itself one of the six basic trigonometric functions.

1 2 7 1
A. B. C. D. E. None of these
3 5 15 6
33. Three men, Andrew, Brian, and Connor, working together, do a job in 6 hours less time than
Andrew alone, in one hour less time than Brian alone, and in one-half the time needed by
Connor when working alone. Find the number of hours needed by Andrew and Brian, working
together, to do the job.

5 3 4 5 3
A. B. C. D. E.
2 2 3 4 4
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34. (?) Pictured to the right is the unit circle of ra-

dius 1 centered at the origin. The tangent lines
to two points on the circle have been drawn.
These lines are not parallel, so if extended into
the first quadrant they will eventually meet.
Find the x-coordinate of the point where these 60◦
45◦
two tangent lines meet.

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
2 3−3 2 2 3+3 2 −2 3 + 3 2 2 3+3 2 2 3+3 2
A. √ B. √ C. √ D. √ E. √
3− 3 3− 3 3− 3 3+ 3 −3 − 3

35. The figure to the right represents a 4 × 3 block End

of city streets. Assuming you can only move
north and east, how many different paths are
there from the starting location to the ending
location?

Start

A. 30 B. 34 C. 35 D. 36 E. 40