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Computational Mathematics — MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions)

Module 1: Logic

1. Which of the following is a proposition? a) "Close the door." b) "What time is it?" c) "The sum of 2 and 2 is 4." d) "x + 2 = 5"

2. Which statement is logically equivalent to p → q? a) p ∧ ¬q b) ¬p ∧ q c) ¬p ∨ q d) p ∨ q

3. The negation of ∀x P(x) is: a) ∀x ¬P(x) b) ∃x ¬P(x) c) ¬∀x ¬P(x) d) ∃x P(x)

4. How many rows does a truth table for a formula with 3 distinct propositions have? a) 3 b) 6 c) 8 d) 9

5. Which rule is used to prove p → q by assuming p and deriving q? a) Modus ponens b) Modus tollens c) Implication introduction d) Reductio ad absurdum

Module 2: Well-Formed Formulae

6. Which of the following strings is NOT well-formed in propositional logic? a) (p ∧ q) → r b) p ∧ → q c) (¬p) ∨ (q ∧ r) d) ((p → q) ↔ ¬r)

7. A type system that rejects some safe programs but admits no unsafe ones is called: a) Complete b) Sound c) Decidable d) Expressive

8. In the formula ∀x (P(x, y) → Q(z)), which variable is free? a) x b) y c) z d) both y and z

Module 3: Graphs and Trees

9. A tree on n vertices has how many edges? a) n b) n − 1 c) n + 1 d) 2n

10. For which graph does an Eulerian circuit exist? a) A graph with exactly two odd-degree vertices b) A connected graph where all vertices have even degree c) Any connected graph d) A graph with no edges

11. In Kruskal's algorithm, an edge is rejected when it: a) Is the heaviest remaining edge b) Forms a cycle c) Has a greater weight than already-selected edges d) Connects two already-connected components

12. The Handshaking Lemma implies that any graph has an even number of vertices of: a) Even degree b) Odd degree c) Total degree d) No fixed parity

Module 4: Matrices

13. Matrix multiplication is: a) Always commutative b) Associative but not commutative c) Commutative but not associative d) Neither associative nor commutative

14. det(AB) equals: a) det(A) + det(B) b) det(A) · det(B) c) det(A) · det(B) − 1 d) det(A + B)

15. A 3×3 matrix A is invertible only if: a) All diagonal entries are 1 b) det(A) ≠ 0 c) A is symmetric d) All eigenvalues are positive

16. What does (A²)[i][j] count if A is the adjacency matrix of a graph? a) Number of edges from i to j b) Number of length-2 walks from i to j c) Number of vertices reachable in 2 steps d) Degree of vertex i times degree of vertex j

Module 5: Vector Spaces

17. Which condition is NOT required for a subset to be a subspace? a) Contains the zero vector b) Closed under addition c) Closed under scalar multiplication d) Contains all basis vectors

18. A basis of a vector space is: a) Any spanning set b) Any linearly independent set c) A linearly independent spanning set d) A set containing the zero vector

19. The dimension of P₃ (polynomials of degree ≤ 3) is: a) 3 b) 4 c) 5 d) Infinite

20. For orthogonal vectors u and v, which is true? a) u · v = 1 b) u · v = 0 c) u + v = 0 d) u × v = 0

Module 6: Eigenvalues

21. If λ is an eigenvalue of A, then: a) det(A − λI) = 0 b) A + λI is invertible c) A − λI has full rank d) λ is a root of the minimal polynomial only

22. The product of the eigenvalues of a matrix equals: a) Its trace b) Its determinant c) Its rank d) Its nullity

23. A matrix A is diagonalisable if: a) It is square b) det(A) ≠ 0 c) It has n linearly independent eigenvectors d) All eigenvalues are distinct

24. If A is similar to B (B = P⁻¹AP), then: a) det(A) = det(B) and trace(A) = trace(B) b) A = B c) A and B have different eigenvalues d) A is symmetric iff B is symmetric

25. Eigenvalues give the: a) Position of the kernel b) Scale factors along the eigenvectors c) Number of pivots in Gaussian elimination d) Entries of the inverse matrix

Practice questions (26–30)

26. In natural deduction, the rule that discharges an assumption to derive p → q is: a) Modus ponens b) Implication introduction c) Reductio ad absurdum d) Double-negation elimination

27. A tree on n ≥ 2 vertices has at least how many pendant (leaf) vertices? a) 1 b) 2 c) n d) 0

28. If A is an n×n invertible matrix with det(A) = 6, then det(A⁻¹) is: a) 6 b) 1/6 c) 36 d) −6

29. The characteristic equation used to find eigenvalues is: a) A·v = λ·v b) det(A − λI) = 0 c) A + λI = 0 d) det(A) = 0

30. Vectors in an orthogonal basis (but not orthonormal) satisfy: a) Each pair has dot product 0 b) Each vector has length 1 c) The vectors sum to 0 d) Each pair has dot product 1

Answers (key only)

Reveal answers after attempting all questions

1-c, 2-c, 3-b, 4-c, 5-c, 6-b, 7-b, 8-d, 9-b, 10-b, 11-b, 12-b, 13-b, 14-b, 15-b, 16-b, 17-d, 18-c, 19-b, 20-b, 21-a, 22-b, 23-c, 24-a, 25-b, 26-b, 27-b, 28-b, 29-b, 30-a.

Extended practice: Questions 31–70

No.QuestionABCD
31A tautology is true under:One valuationEvery valuationNo valuationOnly false premises
32p ↔ q is true when p and q:DifferHave the same truth valueAre both propositions onlyAre both false only
33The contrapositive of p → q is:q → p¬p → ¬q¬q → ¬pp → ¬q
34De Morgan's negation of p ∧ q is:¬p ∧ ¬q¬p ∨ ¬qp ∨ q¬p → q
35From p → q and p, infer q by:Modus ponensModus tollensAdditionResolution
36∃x P(x) is disproved by showing:P(a) once∀x ¬P(x)∃x ¬P(x)∀x P(x)
37A formula's main connective is the:First symbolOutermost operatorLast variableDeepest negation
38In ∀x(P(x) ∨ Q(y)), y is:BoundFreeA constantQuantified by x
39Type-checker soundness means accepted programs do not exhibit the modeled:FormattingType errorsAlgorithmsComments
40Undecidability implies a checker cannot be both complete and terminating for:Every nontrivial semantic propertyInteger additionTokenizationFinite tables only
41The sum of degrees in an undirected graph is:`E``2
42A graph has an Euler trail but no Euler circuit when it is connected and has:0 odd verticesExactly 2 odd vertices4 odd vertices1 odd vertex
43A path repeats:No verticesNo edges but may repeat verticesEvery edgeIts start always
44The complete graph K_n has:n edgesn−1 edgesn(n−1)/2 edgesn² edges
45A spanning tree of a connected graph contains:Every edgeEvery vertexEvery cycleOnly odd vertices
46Kruskal chooses the next safe edge by:Lowest weight globallyHighest degreeLowest vertex labelDFS order
47Prim grows:A forest without a startOne tree from a chosen startAn Euler circuitAn adjacency matrix
48An adjacency matrix of an undirected simple graph is:Skew-symmetricSymmetricAlways diagonalRectangular only
49Matrices A(m×n) and B(p×q) can multiply as AB when:m=qn=pm=pn=q only
50(AB)^T equals:A^T B^TB^T A^TABA+B
51A square matrix is invertible exactly when its determinant is:0Nonzero1 onlyPositive only
52The determinant of a triangular matrix is the:Sum of diagonal entriesProduct of diagonal entriesRankTrace squared
53Row swapping changes a determinant's:SignMagnitude onlyDimensionRank to zero
54The identity matrix satisfies:AI=IA=AAI=0A+I=AI=A⁻¹ always
55Matrix multiplication is generally:CommutativeNoncommutativeUndefined for square matricesElement-wise
56Rank is the number of:EntriesLinearly independent rows/columnsZero rows before reductionEigenvalues only
57A subset W is a subspace only if it contains:Any basis of VThe zero vector and is closedExactly two vectorsNo dependent vectors
58A set containing the zero vector is necessarily:IndependentDependentA basisOrthogonal
59If n vectors in an n-dimensional space are independent, they:Cannot spanForm a basisInclude zeroHave equal length
60Dimension is the number of vectors in:Any spanning setAny basisThe whole spaceAny dependent set
61Orthogonal nonzero vectors are automatically:DependentIndependentEqualUnit length
62An orthonormal set is orthogonal and each vector has norm:01n−1
63A linear transformation satisfies T(u+v) =:T(u)+T(v)T(u)T(v)u+v0 always
64Zero is an eigenvalue of A exactly when A is:InvertibleSingularOrthogonalDiagonal only
65The sum of eigenvalues, counting multiplicity, equals the:DeterminantTraceRankNullity
66Eigenvectors must be:Zero vectorsNonzero vectorsUnit vectors onlyRow vectors only
67Distinct eigenvalues have eigenvectors that are:Linearly independentAlways orthogonalEqualZero
68A real symmetric matrix has:Complex eigenvalues onlyReal eigenvalues and orthogonal eigenvectorsNo diagonalizationZero trace
69Similar matrices have the same:EntriesCharacteristic polynomialEigenvectors alwaysRow operations only
70For eigenvalue λ, an eigenvector lies in the null space of:A+λIA−λIA onlyI only

Extended answer key

31-B, 32-B, 33-C, 34-B, 35-A, 36-B, 37-B, 38-B, 39-B, 40-A, 41-B, 42-B, 43-A, 44-C, 45-B, 46-A, 47-B, 48-B, 49-B, 50-B, 51-B, 52-B, 53-A, 54-A, 55-B, 56-B, 57-B, 58-B, 59-B, 60-B, 61-B, 62-B, 63-A, 64-B, 65-B, 66-B, 67-A, 68-B, 69-B, 70-B.

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