2004 #20, 21 and 22

Probably my favorite problem.  Looks so fierce and imposing, yet so tame.

Difficulty: easy.

Difficulty: easy.

Difficulty: Pretty complex.

Standard instructions for this series: No calculator allowed. Express answers in reduced form. Rationalize denominators. Radicals must be reduced. All numbers are base ten unless otherwise specified. Do not approximate radicals or π. Leave such answers as 1025π or √39, for example. Source: UVM Math Contest 2004

answer 20, answer 21, answer 22.

2004 #19 and 23

This year was 2004.  They had to work that in somehow.

Difficulty: easy.

Difficulty: Pretty complex. I was chasing log rules around for a while trying to get all this worked out.

Standard instructions for this series: No calculator allowed. Express answers in reduced form. Rationalize denominators. Radicals must be reduced. All numbers are base ten unless otherwise specified. Do not approximate radicals or π. Leave such answers as 1025π or √39, for example. Source: UVM Math Contest 2004

answer 19, answer 23.

2004 #18 and 24

Surprisingly easy for this late in the test.

Difficulty: easy.

Difficulty: Changing everything to a common base goes a long way here.

Standard instructions for this series: No calculator allowed. Express answers in reduced form. Rationalize denominators. Radicals must be reduced. All numbers are base ten unless otherwise specified. Do not approximate radicals or π. Leave such answers as 1025π or √39, for example. Source: UVM Math Contest 2004

answer 18, answer 24.

2004 #17 and 25

Fraction fun. Maybe simple enough for the SAT but maybe not.

Difficulty: easy.

Difficulty: Another one of the problems that needs you to manipulate one expression until it looks like another.  Try cubing.

Standard instructions for this series: No calculator allowed. Express answers in reduced form. Rationalize denominators. Radicals must be reduced. All numbers are base ten unless otherwise specified. Do not approximate radicals or π. Leave such answers as 1025π or √39, for example. Source: UVM Math Contest 2004

answer 17, answer 25.

2004 #16 and 26

Simple algebra -- as soon as you've stated the problem with algebra.

Difficulty: easy.

Difficulty: Functions. Meh.

Standard instructions for this series: No calculator allowed. Express answers in reduced form. Rationalize denominators. Radicals must be reduced. All numbers are base ten unless otherwise specified. Do not approximate radicals or π. Leave such answers as 1025π or √39, for example. Source: UVM Math Contest 2004

answer 16, answer 26.

2004 #15 and 27

Slope. Parallel and perpendicular lines and a big honking radical. What joy!

Difficulty: easy.

Difficulty: Pretty complex.

Standard instructions for this series: No calculator allowed. Express answers in reduced form. Rationalize denominators. Radicals must be reduced. All numbers are base ten unless otherwise specified. Do not approximate radicals or π. Leave such answers as 1025π or √39, for example. Source: UVM Math Contest 2004

answer 15, answer 27.

2004 #14 and 28

Thinking is fun.

Difficulty: easy.

Difficulty: Pretty complex.

Standard instructions for this series: No calculator allowed. Express answers in reduced form. Rationalize denominators. Radicals must be reduced. All numbers are base ten unless otherwise specified. Do not approximate radicals or π. Leave such answers as 1025π or √39, for example. Source: UVM Math Contest 2004

answer 14, answer 28.