skip to content

STEP Support Programme

STEP 1 assignment 8

Hey !

I was going through the answers of assignment 8 while comparing to mine, and there is something I don't understand about the correction of the STEP question : after solving the equation system, we find that the two ellipses cross at the points (2;1) and (2;-1), then the correction sheet says "Any circle which passes through (2, 1) and (2, −1) must have its centre on the x axis, since
the x axis is the perpendicular bisector of the chord joining (2, 1) and (2, −1)". I may be wrong but shouldn't the "x-axis" be replaced by the "y-axis" in this sentence ?

I finally got it !

I love it when someone works something out before I have had a chance to reply :-)

For anyone else unsure about this I would start by drawing a picture.

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)