STEP Support - Assignment 9
This STEP support module includes some proofs involving triangles and sketching cubics. Previous assignments can be found here, but you can do this one without having done the others first. STEP questions are difficult, they are supposed to be and you should expect to get stuck. However, as you tackle more and more STEP questions you will develop a range of problem solving skills (and spend less time "being stuck").
About this assignment
The assignment is published as a pdf file below. Each STEP Support assignment module starts with a warm-up exercise, followed by preparatory work leading to a STEP question. Finally, there is a warm-down exercise. The warm up for this assignment shows you how to prove some results about triangles. The main STEP question (1993 STEP 1 Question 7) is about the graphs of cubics and how many roots the cubics have. The final question is Euclid's proof that the base angles in an isosceles triangle are the same, known as "the pons asinorum" or "bridge of donkeys". It differs to the proof in question 1(i) in that the condition $SSS$ for congruent triangles cannot be used.
Further reading
More can be read about Euclid on this Wikipedia page and in this Plus article. A discussion on the origins of proof including Euclid's postulates can be found in this Plus article. When Euclid's 5th postulate doesn't hold we have an area of maths called Non-Euclidean Geometry . Some more facts about triangles are discussed in this "Maths in a Minute" Plus article.
Hints, support and self evaluation
The “Hints and partial solutions for Assignment 9” file gives suggestions on how you can tackle the questions, and some common pitfalls to avoid, as well as some partial solutions and answers.
