Topic 1: Algebra Sequences and Series

A sequence is a set of terms which follow a rule (pattern) 𝑢1 , 𝑢2 , 𝑢3 , … , 𝑢𝑛−1 , 𝑢𝑛

Arithmetic Progression: Terms differ by a common difference, 𝒅 𝑢1 + 𝑢2 + 𝑢3 + ⋯ + 𝑢𝑛−1 + 𝑢𝑛

𝒅 = 𝒖𝒏 − 𝒖𝒏−𝟏 𝑐−𝑏 =𝑏−𝑎 𝑢1 = 𝑎 𝑢2 = 𝑎 + 𝑑 𝑢3 = 𝑎 + 2𝑑 𝑢𝑛 = 𝑎 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑

𝑛 𝑛
Sum of arithmetic progression 𝑆𝑛 = (𝑢 + 𝑢𝑛 ) 𝑆𝑛 = (2𝑎 + (𝑛 − 1) + 𝑑)
2 1 2

Geometric Progression: Terms differ by a common ratio, 𝑟 𝑢1 × 𝑢2 × 𝑢3 × … × 𝑢𝑛−1 × 𝑢𝑛

𝒖𝒏+𝟏 𝑏 𝑎
𝒓= = 𝑢1 = 𝑎 𝑢2 = 𝑎𝑟 𝑢3 = 𝑎𝑟 2 𝑢𝑛 = 𝑎𝑟 𝑛−1
𝒖𝒏 𝑎 𝑐

𝑢1 (1 − 𝑟 𝑛 ) 𝑢1
Sum of geometric progression 𝑆𝑛 = Sum of infinite geometric progression 𝑆𝑛 =
1−𝑟 1−𝑟

Topic 1: Algebra Exponents and Logarithms

Exponent (Index) Laws: Logarithm Laws: 𝑏 = 𝑎 𝑥 ⟺ 𝑥 = log𝑎 𝑏

𝑎𝑛 𝑥
𝒂𝒏 × 𝒂𝒎 = 𝒂𝒏+𝒎 𝑎𝑛 ÷ 𝑎𝑚 = = 𝑎𝑛−𝑚 log 𝑎 𝑥 +log𝑎 𝑥 = log𝑎 𝑥𝑦 log𝑎 𝑥 +log𝑎 𝑥 = log𝑎
𝑎𝑚 𝑦

𝒎 𝒎
𝒏
𝒂 𝒏 = √𝒂𝒎 𝒐𝒓 ( √𝒂)
𝒏
𝑎1 = 𝑎 𝑎0 = 1 log𝑎 𝑥 𝑛 = nlog𝑎 𝑥 log𝑎 1 = 0 log𝑎 𝑎 = 1

𝑎𝑥 = 𝑎𝑦 log 𝑎 𝑎𝑟 = 𝑟 𝑎log𝑎 𝑥 = 𝑥 log 𝑎 𝑥 = log𝑎 𝑦 log𝑒 𝑥 = ln 𝑥

1
(𝒂𝒙 )𝒚 =𝒂 𝒙𝒚 (𝑎𝑏)𝑥 =𝑎 𝑏 𝑥 𝑥
𝑎 −𝑥
= 𝑥
𝑎 𝑥=𝑦
𝑥=𝑦 log𝑎 (0) = 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 log(−𝑥) = 0

Change of Base Formula

Graphs of
1
exponential functions log𝑎 𝑏 =
log𝑐 𝑏 ln 𝑏 log𝑏 𝑎
and 𝒆𝒙 𝑥= =
log𝑐 𝑎 ln 𝑎

No stationary points Graphs of logarithms

Always positive

Always increasing

y-axis is HA

No VA

One-to-one
 Topic 1: Algebra Induction

1. Test Let 𝑛 = 1 Ensure 𝐿𝐻𝑆 = 𝑅𝐻𝑆

2. Assume Assume true for 𝑛 = 𝑘 Substitute 𝑘 for 𝑛 in statement

3. Prove Let 𝑛 = 𝑘 + 1 Substitute part of 𝑛 = 𝑘 + 1 with 𝑛 = 𝑘

Since statement is true for 𝑛 = 𝑘, then it is also true for 𝑛 = 𝑘 + 1

4. Explain
The proposition is true for 𝑛 = 1 and

Topic 1: Algebra Complex Numbers

There are two types of complex numbers 𝑖 2 = −1 𝑖 3 = −𝑖 𝑖4 = 1 𝑖5 = 𝑖

Modulus (𝑟): The distance from

polar form mod-arg form 𝑟 = |𝑧| = √𝑎2 + 𝑏2
the origin

Argument (𝜃): the angle is 𝑏

𝒛 = 𝒂 + 𝒃𝒊 𝑧 = 𝑟(𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 + 𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃) = 𝑟(𝑐𝑖𝑠𝜃) 𝜃 = tan−1
subtended from the real axis 𝑎

Topic 1: Algebra Permutations and Combinations

×: AND +∶ OR −∶ EXCLUDING

Combinations (choose):
Permutations (pick):
𝑛
𝑛! To choose 𝑟 objects out of 𝑛 𝑛
𝑛! 𝑛
To pick 𝒓 objects out of 𝒏 𝑃𝑟 = 𝐶𝑟 = =( )
(𝑛 − 𝑟)! distinct objects (order not 𝑟! (𝑛 − 𝑟)! 𝑟
distinct objects is:
important) is:

Topic 1: Algebra Sum and Product of Roots

Formula of Quadratic: 𝒙𝟐 − (𝜶 + 𝜷)𝒙 + 𝜶𝜷 or 𝒙𝟐 − 𝑺𝑵 𝒙 + 𝑷𝑵

𝑏 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑
𝑆𝑁 = 𝛼 + 𝛽 = − 𝑆𝑁 = 𝛼 + 𝛽 = − =−
𝑎 𝑎𝑛 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡

For a (−1)𝑛 𝑎𝑛
For a quadratic equation: 𝑃𝑁 = 𝛼𝛽 =
polynomial: 𝑎𝑛 Odd number: Negative
𝑐
𝑃𝑁 = 𝛼𝛽 = 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡
𝑎 = Even number: Positive
𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡