2022 Wits Mathematics Competition

Qualifying Round
Undergraduate

Instructions
This exam consists of 20 multiple choice questions. There is one correct answer to each
question. There is no penalty for incorrect answers. The mark allocation is as follows:

Questions 1-5 are each worth 3 points,

Questions 6-10 are each worth 4 points,
Questions 11-15 are each worth 5 points,
Questions 16-20 are each worth 6 points.
The total number of points available is 90.

The time limit on this exam is 75 minutes, calculators may NOT be used. A ruler and
compass may be used but all other geometric aids are NOT allowed. A translation aid (such
as a dictionary) from English to another language is allowed. If you are using the computer-
friendly answer sheet you should fill it in in BLACK pen (other colours do not scan well).
Time may be given for filling in name, school and other personal details.

It is a safe rule to apply that, when a mathematical or philosophical author writes with a
misty profoundity, he is talking nonsense” — Alfred North Whitehead
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A. 3 point questions
1. Compute 2022 − 1234.

A) 777 B) 788 C) 877 D) 886 E) 920

2. A water tank is 56 full. When 30 litres is released the tank is 4

5
full. Find the capacity of
the tank in litres.

A) 275 B) 300 C) 900 D) 1200 E) 1500

3. The product of two positive integers is equal to twice their sum. The same product is
also equal to 6 times the difference between the two integers. What is the sum of the
integers?

A) 6 B) 9 C) 12 D) 15 E) 16

4. For a three-digit number xyz, where x, y and z represent the digits in base 10, the
function h(xyz) = 5x 2y 3z . If h(abc) = 3h(xyz) find abc − xyz.

A) 1 B) 3 C) 10 D) 150 E) 280

5. The letters of the alphabet are numbered consecutively, starting from an arbitrary num-
ber. We have that
F + I + I = 2022
what is the average of X, Y and Z?

A) 123 B) 689 C) 691 D) 696 E) 701

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B. 4 point questions
6. Evaluate: Z 1
|(x − 1)x(x + 1)| dx
−1

1 4
A) 0 B) 2
C) 1 D) 3
E) 2

7. Evaluate:

sin(3x)
lim
x→0 sin(x)

A) 0 B) 1 C) 3 D) 12 E) ∞

8. Find the sum of all values of x satisfying the following simultaneous equations:

x2 + 3y = 10,
10
3+y = .
x

A) −3 B) −2 C) 0 D) 4 E) 5

33!
9. If N = 22!
find the largest integer k such that N is a multiple of 6k .

A) 4 B) 6 C) 8 D) 11 E) 15

10. Three boys are aged 4, 6 and 7. Three girls are aged 5, 8 and 9. Two boys and two girls
are selected randomly. Find the probability that the sum of the selected children’s ages
is even.

2 4 5
A) 0 B) 9
C) 9
D) 9
E) 1
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C. 5 point questions
11. A regular polygon with 6 sides has 9 diagonals. How many diagonals does a regular
polygon with 1000 sides have?

A) 495800 B) 496200 C) 497000 D) 498000 E) 498500

12. Find the sum of the two smallest positive integers with exactly 10 distinct factors.

A) 48 B) 128 C) 210 D) 512 E) 560

13. How many positive integers below one thousand contain exactly three ones when written
in binary? Equivalently how many positive integers below one thousand can be written
as a sum of three different powers of two.

A) 90 B) 120 C) 150 D) 180 E) 210

x2 x3 x4 x5
14. The function f (x) = 2
− 3
+ 4
− 5
+ .... Find the derivative of f (x) at x = 21 .

1 1 2
A) 3
B) 2
C) −2 D) 3
E) −1

R1 R1
15. Let f and g be continuous functions such that 0 f (x) dx = 0 g(x) dx = 1. Find the
smallest c such that it is guaranteed that f (x) + g(x) ≥ c for some x ∈ (0, 1).
√
1+ 5
A) 2
B) e − 1 C) 2 D) 3 E) π
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D. 6 point questions
16. In the diagram below the circle has radius 6 and the dots are equally spaces. Find the
value of the shaded area.

√ √
A) 36π − 27 3 B) 15π C) 50 D) 18π E) 27(π − 3 + 1)

17. Find the range of values of k for which the equation 3x4 + 4x3 − 12x2 + k = 0 has 4 real
roots.

A) 0 < k < 10 B) −1 < k < 1 C) 0 < k < 5 D) −1 < k < 5 E) 5 < k < 10

18. In the Wits Mathematical Lottery, exactly N tickets are sold. There is a total prize
pool of C Wits Mathematical Tokens. Each ticket has a probability p of being a winning
ticket, independently of each of the other tickets. The prize pool is divided between all
of the winning tickets, unless there are no winning tickets in which case the prize is not
awarded. Everyone else gets nothing. What is the expected value of a ticket? That is
what is the average amount you’d win on a particular ticket?
C C C pC
A) 0 B) N
(1 + pN ) C) N
D) N
[1 − (1 − p)N ] E) N

19. Let [n] = {1, 2, . . . , n}. For T a non-empty subset of [n] let MT be the reciprocal of the
product of elements of T . Define Sn as the sum of MT across all such non-empty subsets
of [n]. Find S2022 .

A) 1621 B) 1811 C) 2022 D) 4044 E) 6000

20. Evaluate:
π
Z
2
+1
cos( arcsin( arccos( sin(x) ) ) ) dx
π
2
−1

1 π π
A) 2
B) 4
C) 1 D) 2
E) e