/sci/ - Science & Math

>>9098960
>>9098960
the interviews are actually pretty good at being "unpreppable" ie more of an iq test.
but here are some things to think about:

with #2, we are graphing some equation of abs(x) and abs(y), so whatever it is, will be the same in each quadrant.

think in general about abs(x)^n + abs(x)^n = 1.
clearly (0,+1), (0,-1), (+1,0), (-1,0) will always be solutions
for n=2, we have a unit circle
for n=1, we have a "diamond-orientated" square

now think: intuitively as we went from n=2 to n=1, we "squeezed" the corners inwards (keeping the four points fixed). so as n gets smaller again, we do the same.

for larger n, we do the opposite (pull the corners out), till we end up with a unit square (which happens to be Max(abs(x),abs(y))=1).

the other q: consider tan(y)=x (this is just y=tan(x) with the coordinates switched).

tan(y)=abs(x) is the above with the right-hand side of the plane copy and pasted onto the left-hand side (because tan(y)=abs(-x) iff tan(y)=abs(x) ).
tan(y)=x^2 is the above with the graph "smoothed out" because x^2 is the "smooth version" of abs(x).

pic related

but if you want some advice from a 2nd year ox maths student who had shit grades -- FOCUS ON THE MAT. they just use the interview to check you arent somehow retarded.

good luck tho :) what college you thinking of?