The vector equations of two lines are given as:
Line 1: \[ \vec{r}_1 = \hat{i} + 2\hat{j} - 4\hat{k} + \lambda(4\hat{i} + 6\hat{j} + 12\hat{k}) \]
Line 2: \[ \vec{r}_2 = 3\hat{i} + 3\hat{j} - 5\hat{k} + \mu(6\hat{i} + 9\hat{j} + 18\hat{k}) \]
Determine whether the lines are parallel, intersecting, skew, or coincident. If they are not coincident, find the shortest distance between them.
Show that the following lines intersect. Also, find their point of intersection:
Line 1: \[ \frac{x - 1}{2} = \frac{y - 2}{3} = \frac{z - 3}{4} \]
Line 2: \[ \frac{x - 4}{5} = \frac{y - 1}{2} = z \]
Determine the vector equation of the line that passes through the point \( (1, 2, -3) \) and is perpendicular to both of the following lines:
\[ \frac{x - 8}{3} = \frac{y + 16}{7} = \frac{z - 10}{-16} \quad \text{and} \quad \frac{x - 15}{3} = \frac{y - 29}{-8} = \frac{z - 5}{-5} \]
Let $ a_0, a_1, ..., a_{23} $ be real numbers such that $$ \left(1 + \frac{2}{5}x \right)^{23} = \sum_{i=0}^{23} a_i x^i $$ for every real number $ x $. Let $ a_r $ be the largest among the numbers $ a_j $ for $ 0 \leq j \leq 23 $. Then the value of $ r $ is ________.
Let $ y(x) $ be the solution of the differential equation $$ x^2 \frac{dy}{dx} + xy = x^2 + y^2, \quad x > \frac{1}{e}, $$ satisfying $ y(1) = 0 $. Then the value of $ 2 \cdot \frac{(y(e))^2}{y(e^2)} $ is ________.
The left and right compartments of a thermally isolated container of length $L$ are separated by a thermally conducting, movable piston of area $A$. The left and right compartments are filled with $\frac{3}{2}$ and 1 moles of an ideal gas, respectively. In the left compartment the piston is attached by a spring with spring constant $k$ and natural length $\frac{2L}{5}$. In thermodynamic equilibrium, the piston is at a distance $\frac{L}{2}$ from the left and right edges of the container as shown in the figure. Under the above conditions, if the pressure in the right compartment is $P = \frac{kL}{A} \alpha$, then the value of $\alpha$ is ____