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STEP Support Programme

Assignment 7 - STEP question : minor mistake ?

Hello everybody !

It seems to me there is a minor in STEP I assignment 7 STEP question solution.

In the solution, it's said : "You can then use (k(1) + 1) (k(2) + 1) (k(3) + 1) (k(4) + 1) = 1323 to eliminate everything but three values (the three solution values, 2; 6 and 8). However, I think -4 is also a possible value since -4 | 576; (-4 - 1) | 173; and (-4 + 1) | 1323.

Personally, while answering this question I ended with 4 possible values : -4; 2; 6 and 8 and I then had to underline that we could either have 2; 6; 6; 8 or -4; -4; 6; 6 as values of k(1); k(2); k(3) and k(4) so that their product would equal 576.
I then showed that only the first case did not contradict the (...) = 175 equation.

Am I wrong ?

Anyway, thanks for this website - it's really helpful to prepare !

This assignment has been though several updates, and each time we have found new "possible solutions" that we should have included. We'll take another look at it.

Thanks!

No problem, and thank you for the quick answer !

I agree with your 4 values of $k_1$ (2, 6, -4, 8). I am editing the hints now.

Thank you

Useful Links

Underground Mathematics: Selected worked STEP questions

STEP Question database

University of Cambridge Mathematics Faculty: What do we look for?

University of Cambridge Mathematics Faculty: Information about STEP

University of Cambridge Admissions Office: Undergraduate course information for Mathematics

Stephen Siklos' "Advanced Problems in Mathematics" book (external link)

MEI: Worked solutions to STEP questions (external link)

OCR: Exam board information about STEP (external link)

AMSP (Advanced Maths Support programme): Support for University Admission Tests (external link)