MST121

Using Mathematics

Handbook

About this course

This course, MST121 Using Mathematics, and the courses MU120 Open
Mathematics and MS221 Exploring Mathematics provide a flexible means of
entry to university-level mathematics. Further details may be obtained from the
address below.
MST121 uses the software program Mathcad (MathSoft, Inc.) and other
software to investigate mathematical and statistical concepts and as a tool in
problem solving. This software is provided as part of the course.

This publication forms part of an Open University course. Details of this and
other Open University courses can be obtained from the Student Registration
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MK7 6BJ, United Kingdom: tel. +44 (0)845 300 6090, email
[email protected]
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First published 1997. Second edition 2004. Third edition 2008. Reprinted 2008.

Copyright

c 1997, 2004, 2008 The Open University

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ISBN 978 0 7492 2944 3
6.2
Contents

The Greek alphabet 4

SI units 4

Mathematical modelling 4

Some useful graphs 5

Notation 6

Glossary 9

Background material for MST121 23

Definitions and results in MST121 26

MST121 Block A 26

MST121 Block B 31

MST121 Block C 38

MST121 Block D 45

If you are taking MST121 and MS221 together, then we suggest that you use
the MS221 Handbook for both courses.

3
The Greek alphabet
A α alpha N ν nu
B β beta Ξ ξ xi
Γ γ gamma O o omicron
∆ δ delta Π π pi
E ε epsilon P ρ rho
Z ζ zeta Σ σ sigma
H η eta T τ tau
Θ θ theta Y υ upsilon
I ι iota Φ φ phi
K κ kappa X χ chi
Λ λ lamda Ψ ψ psi
M µ mu Ω ω omega

SI units
The International System of units (SI units) is an internationally agreed set of units
and symbols for measuring physical quantities.
Some of these are base units, such as
metre symbol m (measurement of length),

second symbol s (measurement of time),

kilogram symbol kg (measurement of mass).

Prefixes may be added to units. Commonly used prefixes are

c centi or 10−2 (e.g. centimetre, cm),

m milli or 10−3 (e.g. millisecond, ms),

µ micro or 10−6 (e.g. microsecond, µs),

k kilo or 103 (e.g. kilogram, kg),

M mega or 106 (e.g. megagram, Mg).

There are also derived units, which are used for quantities whose measurement
combines base units in some way. Some of these are
area m2 (metres squared or square metres),

volume m3 (metres cubed or cubic metres),

velocity m s−1 (metres per second),

acceleration m s−2 (metres per second per second).

Mathematical modelling

Specify Create
purpose model
Do
mathematics

Evaluate Interpret
results

4
Some useful graphs

5
Notation
Some of the notation used in the course is listed below. The right-hand column gives
the chapter and page of MST121 where the symbol is first used.

N the set of natural numbers: 1, 2, 3, . . . A0 23

Z the set of integers: . . . , −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, . . . A0 23
Q the set of rational numbers, that is, numbers of the form p/q A0 23
where p and q are integers, q =  0
R the set of real numbers A0 23
> greater than A0 25
< less than A0 25
≥ greater than or equal to A0 25
≤ less than or equal to A0 25
n
a a to the power n A0 26
√
a the non-negative square root of a, where a ≥ 0 A0 26
√
n
a the nth root of a, where a ≥ 0 A0 26
a−n 1/an , where a =
 0 A0 26
m/n
√n m √
a a (or ( a)m ), where n > 0 and a ≥ 0
n
A3 27
an the term of a sequence with subscript n, or the sequence whose A1 7
general term is an
∞ infinity A1 33
an → l as n → ∞ used to describe the long-term behaviour of sequences; A1 33
the arrow is read as ‘tends to’
(x, y) the Cartesian coordinates of a point, where x is the A2 6
displacement along the horizontal axis and y is the
displacement along the vertical axis
 approximately equal to A2 18
2 2
sin θ (sin θ) ; a similar notation is used for other powers and other A2 34
trigonometric functions
f a function A3 6
f (x) = . . . specifies (in terms of x) the rule of the function f A3 6
[a, b] the interval consisting of the set of all numbers between a and A3 7
b, including a and b themselves
(a, b) the interval consisting of the set of all numbers between a and A3 7
b, but not including a and b themselves
[a, b) the interval where the endpoint a is included but b is not; A3 8
similarly (a, b] includes b but not a
(a, ∞) the interval consisting of all numbers greater than a A3 8
−→ ‘maps to’ for variables; used to specify the rule of a function, A3 9
for example, x −→
ex
−→ ‘maps to’ for sets; used in functions to show the domain A3 9
mapping to the codomain, for example, [0, 4] −→ [0, 16]
|x| the modulus (magnitude or absolute value) of the real A3 13
number x

6
e the base for the natural logarithm function and the A3 33
exponential function; e = 2.718 281 . . .
exp the exponential function A3 34
−1
f the inverse function of the one-one function f A3 37
arccos x the angle in the interval [0, π] whose cosine is x A3 41
arcsin x the angle in the interval [− 12 π, 12 π] whose sine is x A3 40
arctan x the angle in the interval (− 12 π, 12 π) whose tangent is x A3 41
loga the logarithm function to the base a A3 42
ln the natural logarithm function, that is, loge where A3 44
e = 2.718 281 . . .
n


ai the sum a1 + a2 + · · · + an B1 11
i=1

lim an the limit of the convergent sequence an B1 42

n→∞

∞
ai the infinite sum a1 + a2 + · · · B1 48
i=1

A a matrix B2 19
AB the product of the matrices A and B B2 19
n
A the nth power of the square matrix A B2 21
A+B the sum of the matrices A and B B2 22
kA the scalar multiple of the matrix A by the real number k B2 23
A−B the difference of the matrices A and B B2 23
aij the element in the ith row and jth column of the matrix A B2 24
v a vector B2 26
vi the ith component of the vector v B2 26
I the identity matrix B2 35
−1
A the inverse of the invertible matrix A B2 36
det A the determinant of the square matrix A B2 38
Ax = b the matrix form of a pair of simultaneous linear equations B2 41
0 the zero vector B3 8
 
1
i the Cartesian unit vector B3 8
0
 
0
j the Cartesian unit vector B3 8
1
|a| the magnitude of the vector a B3 10
−→
PQ the displacement vector from P to Q B3 12
−→
OQ the position vector of Q B3 12

a = a1 i + a2 j the component form of the vector a B3 16

g the magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity B3 40
W weight (a vector) B3 40
T tension (a vector) B3 41
N normal reaction (a vector) B3 41

f the (first) derived function of f C1 13

7
f  (x) the (first) derivative of the function f at the point x C1 13

f the second derived function of f C1 28
f  (x) the second derivative of the function f at the point x C1 28
dy
the (first) derivative of y with respect to x (Leibniz notation) C1 41
dx
d2 y
the second derivative of y with respect to x (Leibniz notation) C1 42
dx2
d dy
(y) a variation of C1 43
dx dx
d
(f (x)) a variation of the Leibniz notation for f  (x) C1 43
dx
ṡ the (first) derivative of s with respect to t, where t is time C1 43
(Newton’s notation)
s̈ the second derivative of s with respect to t, where t is time C1 43
(Newton’s notation)

f (x) dx the indefinite integral of f (x) with respect to x C2 8

f the indefinite integral of the function f C2 8
 b
f (x) dx the definite integral of f (x) from a to b C2 41
a
 b
f the definite integral of the function f from a to b C2 41
a
b
[F (x)]a F (b) − F (a) C2 41
y(a) = b shorthand for the initial condition y = b when x = a C3 10
P (E) the probability that the event E occurs D1 10
P (X = j) the probability that a random variable X takes the value j D1 37
µ the mean of a probability distribution, or a population mean D1 43
D2 23
x the sample mean D2 21
s the sample standard deviation D2 25
σ the standard deviation of a probability distribution, or a D2 24
population standard deviation
SE a standard error, that is, the standard deviation of a sampling D3 14
distribution D4 20
ESE an estimated standard error D4 22
Q1 the lower quartile D4 9
Q3 the upper quartile D4 9
H0 the null hypothesis of a hypothesis test D4 18
H1 the alternative hypothesis of a hypothesis test D4 18

Glossar y
Below is a glossary of terms used in MST121. First the definition of the term is
given, then the page in this handbook where more detail can be found, and finally
the chapter and page of MST121 where the term is first used.

absolute value (of a real number) See modulus (of a real

number x ).
acceleration The rate of change of velocity. B3 40
acceleration due to gravity The magnitude, g, of the acceleration B3 40
with which an object falls. On Earth, g = 9.8 m s−2 .
alternative hypothesis The hypothesis that is accepted at the end 48 D4 18
of a hypothesis test when the null hypothesis is rejected.
arbitrary constant See constant of integration.
arccosine The inverse function of the cosine function with domain 30 A3 41
restricted to [0, π].
arcsine The inverse function of the sine function with domain re- 30 A3 40
stricted to [− 12 π,
12 π].
arctangent The inverse function of the tangent function with domain 30 A3 41

restricted to (− 12 π, 12 π).

arithmetic mean The arithmetic mean (or average) of a set of n A1 14

numbers is the sum of the numbers divided by n.
arithmetic sequence A sequence in which each term (apart from 26 A1 14
the first) is obtained by adding a fixed number to the previous term.
asymptote A line which a curve approaches (arbitrarily closely) far A3 11
from the origin.
batch size The number of values in a batch of data. 47 D4 9
bearing A direction given as either North or South followed by an B3 24
angle (up to 90◦ ) towards the East or West.
bimodal See mode.
boxplot A diagram consisting of a box and whiskers, which displays 47 D4 8
the median, the quartiles and the minimum and maximum values in a
batch of data.
calculus The branch of mathematics which includes the study of dif- C1 4
ferentiation and integration.
carrying capacity See equilibrium population level.
Cartesian coordinate system Cartesian coordinates (x, y) specify A2 6
the position of a point in a plane relative to two perpendicular axes, the
x-axis (horizontal) and the y-axis (vertical).
   
1 0
Cartesian unit vectors The vectors i = and j = . 36 B3 16
0 1
chaotic sequence A sequence displaying apparently unstructured 31 B1 40
behaviour.
chord A line segment joining two points on a curve. C1 9

9
circle The set of points in a plane that are a fixed distance from a 27 A2 20
specified point in the plane.
closed form A formula that defines a sequence an in terms of the 26 A1 8
subscript n. It should be accompanied by a statement of the appropriate
range for n.
codomain A set containing all the outputs of a function. See also A3 9
function.
coefficient matrix The square matrix used when a pair of simulta- 35 B2 40
neous linear equations are written in matrix form.
coefficient (of a term) The factor by which the term is multiplied A0 31
in a particular product.
column (of a matrix) See matrix.
common difference The difference between any two successive terms 26 A1 14
in an arithmetic sequence.
common logarithm The logarithm function with base 10. A3 44
common ratio The ratio of any two successive terms in a geometric 26 A1 19
sequence.
completed-square form The completed-square form of x2 + 2px is 27 A2 26
(x + p)2 − p2 .
component form (of a vector) The description of a vector a in 36 B3 16
terms of the Cartesian unit vectors i and j: a = a1 i + a2 j.
component (of a vector) See vector.
composite function A function k with rule of the form C1 48
k(x) = g(f (x)).
confidence interval An interval of plausible values for a population 47 D3 19
parameter.
constant (1) A significant number; for example π. A0 28

constant (2) A term in a mathematical expression, whose value does A1 14

not change during a particular calculation.
constant function A function f with rule of the form f (x) = c, C1 35
where c is a constant.
constant of integration The constant c in the indefinite integral 40 C2 8
F (x) + c.
constant sequence A sequence in which each term has the same A1 16
value.
continuous function Informally, a function is said to be continuous A3 49
if its graph can be drawn without removing the pen from the paper.
continuous model A model (or representation) in which the asso- A3 49
ciated quantity or quantities can vary throughout some interval of the
real line.
continuous variable A variable that can take any value in an interval A3 49
of the real line.

10

convergent sequence A sequence that settles down in the long term 32 B1 42

to values that are effectively constant. Such a sequence is said to
converge. See also limit (of a sequence).
cosecant (of an angle θ) The cosecant of θ is 1/ sin θ, provided that A2 36
sin θ = 0.
cosine (of an angle θ) The first coordinate of the point P on the 27 A2 33
circumference of the unit circle, centre O, where the angle between the
positive x-axis and the line segment OP is θ. By convention, angles
are measured positively in an anticlockwise direction from the positive
x-axis.
Cosine Rule A rule that relates three sides and one angle of a 37 B3 34
triangle.
cotangent (of an angle θ) The cotangent of θ is 1/ tan θ, provided A2 36
that tan θ = 0.
cubic expression An expression of the form ax3 + bx2 + cx + d, A3 47
where a = 0.
cycling (of a sequence) The behaviour of a sequence that takes a 31 B1 40
number of different but repeating values; for example, in a 2-cycle the
sequence settles to a pattern of alternating between two values.
decay constant The positive constant k in the first-order differential 43 C3 26
equation dm/dt = −km, used to model radioactive decay.
decreasing function A real function f with the property that for all 29 A3 36
x1 , x2 in the domain of f , if x1 < x2 , then f (x1 ) > f (x2 ).
decreasing on an interval A function f is decreasing on an interval 39 C1 23
I if, for all x1 , x2 in I, if x1 < x2 , then f (x1 ) > f (x2 ).
definite integral (of a function f (x) from a to b) The definite 40 C2 41
b
integral of a continuous function f from a to b, denoted by a f (x) dx, is
b
[F (x)]a = F (b) − F (a), where F is any integral of f .
degree of a polynomial For a polynomial in x, the highest power A3 47
of x with a non-zero coefficient.
dependent variable A variable whose value depends on the value of A0 28
another variable (or variables). D4 38
derivative (of a function f at a point x) The gradient of the 38 C1 14
graph of f at the point (x, f (x)), denoted by f  (x).
derived function (of a function f ) The function f  defined by the 38 C1 14
process of differentiation.
determinant
 
(of a matrix) The determinant of the 2 × 2 matrix 35 B2 38
a b
is ad − bc.
c d
deviation The deviation of a value x from the population mean µ is D2 24
x − µ; the deviation of a value x from the sample mean x is x − x.
differential equation An equation that relates an independent vari- 42 C3 6
able, x say, a dependent variable, y say, and one or more derivatives of
y with respect to x.
differentiation (of a function f ) The process of finding the deriva- 38 C1 14
tive f  (x).

11

direct integration A method for solving differential equations of the 42 C3 11

form dy/dx = f (x).
direction field The association, arising from a differential equation, C3 38
of a gradient with each point (x, y) in a given domain, often represented
by a collection of short line segments.
direction (of a vector) The angle θ, measured anticlockwise, that 36 B3 11
an arrow representing the vector makes with the positive x-direction.
discrete model A model (or representation) in which the associated A3 49
quantity or quantities can only take separated values.
discrete variable A variable that can only take on values in a sepa- A3 49
rated set, such as the integers.
displacement (vector) The displacement vector from P to Q is rep- B3 12
resented by the arrow with its tail at P and its tip at Q.
distance The distance of a particle from the origin is a measure of 41 C2 26
how far it is from the origin, irrespective of direction.
domain (of a function) The set of allowable input values for a func- 28 A3 6
tion. See also function.
doubling time The time that it takes for a population to double in 43 C3 32
size from any starting value.
element (of a matrix) See matrix.
equal matrices Two matrices are equal if they are of the same size B2 18
and all their corresponding elements agree.
Equilibrium Condition for forces The relationship between the 37 B3 42
forces acting on an object at rest.
equilibrium population level The population size at which the pro- 31 B1 32
portionate growth rate is zero; that is, the size at which the population
remains constant. It is represented by the parameter E in the logistic
recurrence relation.
estimated standard error A value used to estimate the standard 48 D4 22
deviation of a sampling distribution.
Euler’s method A numerical method for solving initial-value prob- 44 C3 39
lems of the form dy/dx = f (x, y), y(x0 ) = y0 .
explanatory variable When investigating the relationship between D4 38
two variables, the variable whose values ‘explain’ the values taken by
the dependent variable.
explicit solution (of a differential equation) A solution written C3 15
in the form y = F (x), where F is a known function.
exponential function A function with domain R and rule of the 30 A3 32
form f (x) = ax for some positive real number a. The number a is called
the base of the exponential function. The most important exponential
function is f (x) = ex , where e = 2.718 281 . . . . The function f (x) = ex
is also written as exp(x).
exponential model (continuous) A model based on a first-order 43 C3 32
differential equation of the form dy/dx = Ky, where K is a constant.
Continuous exponential models can be used to model population varia-
tion and radioactive decay.

12

exponential model (discrete) A model for population variation, 31 B1 22

based on the assumption of a constant proportionate growth rate, r.

The model is described by the recurrence relation Pn+1 = (1 + r)Pn ,

where Pn is the population at n years after some chosen starting time.

finite decimal A number whose decimal representation has a finite A0 23

number of decimal places.

finite geometric series A sum of the form a + ar + ar 2 + · · · + arn . 27 A1 28

finite sequence A sequence with a finite number of terms. A1 6

first-order differential equation A differential equation that in- 42 C3 6
volves the first derivative, dy/dx say, and no higher derivatives.
fit value The predicted value of an observation or measurement, 48 D4 33
based on a model fitted to data. It is the value of the dependent vari-
able which, according to the model, corresponds to a given value of the
explanatory variable.
force A push or pull which, if not counteracted, causes the accelera- B3 39
tion of an object.
force diagram A diagrammatic representation of the forces acting B3 41
on an object.
frequency diagram A diagram that represents a data set in which D1 35
each value (or group of values) is represented by a rectangle whose
height is equal to the frequency of that value (or group of values).
frequency (of a particular value, or of an event) The number D2 21
of times that the value, or event, occurs.
function A (real) function consists of a subset of R, called the domain, 28 A3 6

and a rule that associates with each x in the domain a unique y in R.

A function may also be referred to as a mapping or a transformation.

general solution (of a differential equation) The set of all possi- 42 C3 9

ble solutions of the differential equation, usually involving one or more

arbitrary constants.

geometric distribution The distribution of the number of trials 45 D1 39

needed to obtain a success in a sequence of trials of an experiment

in which the probability of success in each trial is the same. The prob
-
abilities of obtaining the values 1, 2, 3, . . . form a geometric sequence.

geometric form (of a vector) The description of a vector a in terms 36 B3 11

of its magnitude |a| and its direction θ.

geometric mean The geometric mean of a set of n positive numbers A1 19

is the nth root of the product of the numbers.

geometric sequence A sequence in which each term (apart from the 26 A1 19

first) is obtained by multiplying the previous term by a fixed number.

geometric series See finite geometric series and infinite geometric

series.
gradient (of a graph at a point) The gradient of the tangent to C1 7
the graph at the point.
gradient (of a line) See slope (of a line).

13
graph (of a real function f ) The set of points (x, f (x)) in the A3 9
Cartesian plane.
half-life The time that it takes for the mass of a radioactive substance 43 C3 28
to decay to half of its original amount.
histogram A diagram that represents a data set in which each value D2 15
(or group of values) is represented by a rectangle whose area is propor-
tional to the frequency of that value (or group of values).
hypotenuse The longest side of a right-angled triangle. A2 21

i-component (of a vector a) The number a1 in the component form 36 B3 16

of the vector a = a1 i + a2 j.
identity matrix A square matrix with all the elements on its leading 35 B2 35
diagonal equal to 1 and all the other elements equal to 0.
image (of x under f ) The output of the function f for a given input 28 A3 7
x, that is, the value of f (x).
image set The complete set of output values of a function. 28 A3 12
implicit differentiation The process of using the Chain Rule to dif- 43 C3 16
ferentiate a function such as z = H(y), where y is a function of x, with
respect to x.
implicit solution (of a differential equation) A solution of the C3 15
form H(y) = F (x), where H and F are known functions, and H(y) = y.
increasing function A real function f with the property that for all 29 A3 36
x1 , x2 in the domain of f , if x1 < x2 , then f (x1 ) < f (x2 ).
increasing on an interval A function f is increasing on an interval 39 C1 23
I if, for all x1 , x2 in I, if x1 < x2 , then f (x1 ) < f (x2 ).
indefinite integral (of a function f (x)) The expression F (x) + c, 40 C2 8
where F (x) is an integral of f (x) and c is an arbitrary constant.
independent events Two events are independent if the occurrence 45 D1 29
(or not) of one event is not influenced by whether or not the other
occurs.
independent variable A variable that can take any value appropri- A0 28
ate to the problem; that is, its value does not depend on the value of
any other variable.
infinite decimal A number whose decimal representation has in- A0 23
finitely many decimal places.
infinite geometric series A sum of the form a + ar + ar 2 + · · · . 31 B1 48

infinite sequence A sequence that has a first term but no final term. A1 6

initial condition (for a first-order differential equation) A con- 42 C3 10

dition requiring that the dependent variable take a specified value when
the independent variable has a given value.
initial-value problem The combination of a first-order differential 42 C3 10
equation and an initial condition.
integers The positive and negative whole numbers, together with A0 23
zero: . . . , −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, . . . .
integral (of a function f ) A function F for which F  = f . 40 C2 7

14
integrand In an integral, the function which is to be integrated. 40 C2 8
integration The process of finding either an integral or the indefinite 40 C2 8
integral of a function.
intercept A value of x or y where a line (or curve) meets the x-axis 29 A2 11
or y-axis, respectively. The x-intercept is the value of x where it meets
the x-axis. The y-intercept is the value of y where it meets the y-axis.
interquartile range The difference between the upper quartile and 47 D4 11
the lower quartile of a batch of data.
interval An unbroken subset of the real line. A3 7

inverse function The inverse function f −1 of a one-one function f 29 A3 37

reverses the effect of f ; that is, if f (x) = y, then f −1 (y) = x. The
domain of f −1 is the image set of f .
inverse of a matrix If two square matrices A and B have the prop- 35 B2 36
erty that AB = BA = I, where I is the identity matrix, then each of
A and B is the inverse of the other.
invertible matrix A square matrix that has a non-zero determinant, 35 B2 38
and therefore has an inverse.
irrational number A real number that is not rational, and hence is A0 24
a non-recurring decimal.
j-component (of a vector a) The number a2 in the component form 36 B3 16
of the vector a = a1 i + a2 j.
leading diagonal (of a matrix) The diagonal of a square matrix B2 36
which starts at the top left and ends at the bottom right of the matrix.
least squares A method for fitting a line or curve to a set of data 48 D4 34
points in such a way that the sum of the squared residuals is as small
as possible.
least squares fit line The straight line fitted using the method of 48 D4 35
least squares.
left-skew See skewed.
limit (of a sequence) The value near which a convergent sequence 32 B1 42
settles in the long term.
limits of integration The numbers a and b in the expression 40 C2 41
b
a f (x) dx. The number a is the lower limit and b is the upper limit.

linear expression A sum consisting of first powers of the variables A0 35

and a constant.
linear function A real function with rule of the form f (x) = mx + c, A3 9
for some constants m and c.
linear recurrence sequence A recurrence sequence with recurrence 26 A1 24
relation of the form xn+1 = rxn + d, where r and d are constants.
local maximum A stationary point at x = x0 of a function f (x) for 39 C1 22
which f (x0 ) is greater than any other function value in the immediate
vicinity of x0 .
local minimum A stationary point at x = x0 of a function f (x) for 39 C1 22
which f (x0 ) is less than any other function value in the immediate
vicinity of x0 .

15

locus A curve defined by a particular property. A2 7

logarithm to the base a The inverse function of the exponential 30 A3 42
function f (x) = ax , where a > 0 and a = 1. The logarithm function is
written loga and has domain (0, ∞).
logistic model A model for population variation, based on 31 B1 29
the assumption of a proportionate growth rate of the form
R(P ) = r(1 − P/E), where r and E are positive parameters.
logistic recurrence relation A recurrence relation of the form 31 B1 29
Pn+1 − Pn = rPn (1 − Pn /E), where r and E are positive parameters.
log-linear plot A plot of the natural logarithm of the dependent 43 C3 33
variable against the independent variable.
long-term behaviour of a sequence The way in which the sequence 26 A1 32
develops as more and more terms are considered.
lower quartile See quartiles.
magnitude (of a real number) See modulus (of a real number x ).
magnitude (of a vector a) The length of an arrow representing the 36 B3 10
vector; it is written as |a|.
main diagonal (of a matrix) See leading diagonal (of a matrix).
many-one function A function that is not one-one. A3 36

mapping See function.

mass A measure of the amount of matter that an object contains. B3 40
mathematical model A collection of formulas that attempts to 4 A1 36
quantify how some aspect of the real world behaves.
matrix A rectangular array of numbers. Each number in a matrix is 33 B2 11
called an element of the matrix. A row of the matrix is a horizontal
line of numbers in the array, and a column of the matrix is a vertical
line of numbers in the array. A matrix that has m rows and n columns
is called an m × n matrix. Matrices of appropriate sizes can be added,
subtracted and multiplied.
matrix–vector multiplication The process of multiplying a vector 33 B2 13
by a matrix.
mean An average of a finite set of numbers. See arithmetic mean,
geometric mean.
mean (of a probability distribution, or of a random variable) 45 D1 43
The average value predicted by the probability model.
median If the values in a batch of data are written in order of in- 47 D4 8
creasing size, then the median is the middle value when the batch size
is odd, or the average of the middle two values when the batch size is
even.
mode A peak in a distribution. A distribution that has only one peak D2 9
is called unimodal; a distribution that has two peaks is called bimodal.
modelling cycle The process of choosing a (mathematical) model, 4 A1 37
trying it out, evaluating it, and possibly changing it.

16

modulus (of a real number x) The magnitude of x, regardless of 28 A3 13

its sign; it is written as |x|.
natural logarithm The logarithm function with base e, where 30 A3 45
e = 2.718 281 . . . ; it is often written as ln.
natural numbers The positive integers: 1, 2, 3, . . . . A0 23
network diagram A mathematical representation of a physical net- 33 B2 6
work. Each point at which a network branches is called a node, and
two nodes of a network may be connected by a pipe.
newton The SI unit of force. B3 40

node (of a network) See network diagram.

non-invertible matrix A square matrix that has zero determinant, 35 B2 38
and therefore has no inverse.
normal curve The graph of the probability density function of a 46 D2 13
normal distribution.
normal distribution A particular model for the variation in a con- 46 D2 13
tinuous random variable.
normal reaction The force acting on an object due to contact with B3 41
a surface, which is directed at right angles to that surface.
nth root of a The non-negative number which, when raised to the 23 A0 26
power n, gives the answer a.
null hypothesis A hypothesis about a population (or populations) 48 D4 18
which may or may not be rejected as the result of a hypothesis test.
one-one function A function f with the property that for all x1 , x2 29 A3 36
 x2 , then f (x1 ) = f (x2 ).
in the domain of f , if x1 =
optimisation The process of finding optimum values of a function on 40 C1 32
an interval.
optimum values (on an interval) The greatest or least values at- 40 C1 32
tained by a function on the interval.
order (of a differential equation) The order of the highest deriva- C3 6
tive that appears in the differential equation.
parabola The graph of a quadratic function. A3 19
Parallelogram Rule A rule for the addition of two vectors that are 36 B3 14
in geometric form.
parameter (1) A variable used when defining a family of mathemat- 26 A1 14
ical objects, such as a recurrence system.
parameter (2) A variable, often t, used when defining a curve in 28 A2 40
terms of the motion of a point along the curve.
parametrisation (of a curve) The process of describing the coor- 28 A2 40
dinates of points on the curve in terms of a parameter.
particle A material object whose size and internal structure may be B3 40
neglected (for modelling purposes).
particular solution (of a differential equation) A single solution 42 C3 9
of the differential equation, which contains no arbitrary constant.

17

periodic function A function f whose graph is unchanged by a hor- A3 28

izontal translation through the period p; that is, f (x + p) = f (x) for all
x in the domain.
perpendicular bisector (of a line segment AB) The line that A2 24
cuts AB halfway along its length and is at right angles to AB.
pipe (of a network) See network diagram.
polar coordinates (of a point A) The numbers r and θ for the B3 19
point A with Cartesian coordinates (r cos θ, r sin θ).
polynomial A polynomial (of degree n) is an expression of the form A3 47
an xn + an−1 xn−1 + · · · + a1 x + a0 , where an = 0.
polynomial function A function whose rule is a polynomial; for ex- A3 47
ample, a quadratic function.
population The collection of all the individual values or members of D2 8
a specified group of interest.
population mean The mean of all the values in a population or, 46 D2 23
when a probability distribution is used to model the variation in the
population, the mean of this probability distribution.
population parameter A summary measure for a population. The 46 D2 20
population mean µ and the population standard deviation σ are exam-
ples of population parameters.
population standard deviation The square root of the population 46 D2 24
variance.
population variance The mean squared deviation of the values in a D2 24
population from the population mean.
position The position of a particle, with respect to a chosen axis, is 41 C2 26
a measure of how far it is from the origin and of its direction relative
to the origin.
position vector A displacement vector whose arrow has its tail at B3 12
the origin.
power function A function with rule of the form f (x) = xn , where C1 16
n is any real number.
power (of a square matrix) The nth power of a square matrix A, 33 B2 21
written An , is obtained by repeated matrix multiplication.
predicted value See fit value.
probability density function If a curve is used to model the vari- 45 D2 13
ation in a population, and the total area between the curve and the
x-axis is 1, then the function that defines the curve is a probability den-
sity function. According to this model, the proportion of the population
between two values a and b (a < b) is given by the area under the curve
between x = a and x = b.
probability distribution The probability distribution of a random 45 D1 38
variable gives the probabilities of all the possible values that the random
variable can take.
probability function The probability function of a discrete random 45 D1 37
variable X is a function that gives, for each value j, the value of the
probability P (X = j).

18

probability (of an event) The long-run proportion of occasions on 45 D1 10

which the event occurs.
product matrix The result of multiplying two matrices together. B2 16
proportionate growth rate The proportionate birth rate minus the B1 22
proportionate death rate for a population.
proportionate growth rate (continuous exponential model) 43 C3 31
The constant K in the differential equation dP /dt = KP , used to model
population variation.
quadratic expression An expression in the form ax2 + bx + c, A0 37
where a = 0.
quartic function A polynomial function of degree 4. C1 20
quartiles The median and quartiles of a batch of data divide the 47 D4 8
batch into four roughly equal parts. Roughly 25% of the values in
the batch are smaller than the lower quartile, and roughly 25% of the
values are greater than the upper quartile. When the values are written
in order of increasing size, the lower quartile is the median of the values
to the left of the median, and the upper quartile is the median of the
values to the right of the median.
radius (of a circle) The distance from the centre of a circle to any A2 20
point on the circumference of the circle.
random variable A quantity that can take different values on differ- D1 36
ent occasions.
range The range of a batch of data is the difference between the 47 D4 11
maximum and minimum values.
rational number A real number that can be represented as a frac- A0 23
tion, and hence as a recurring decimal.
real function A function for which both the inputs and the outputs A3 9
are real numbers.
real line A number line that includes all real numbers. A0 24

real number A number that can be represented as a decimal. A0 23

reciprocal function The function whose rule is f (x) = 1/x. A3 10

recurrence relation A formula that defines each term of a sequence 26 A1 11
by referring to a previous term or terms of the sequence.
recurrence system The specification of a sequence by an initial term 26 A1 11
or terms, a recurrence relation and a subscript range.
regression line The regression line of y on x is another name for the 48 D4 35
least squares fit line. See also least squares fit line.
residual When a line is fitted to a set of data points, the residual of 48 D4 33
each data pair may be calculated using the relationship RESIDUAL =
DATA − FIT, where DATA is the y-coordinate of the data pair and FIT
is the y-value predicted by the line for the corresponding x-coordinate.
resultant The sum of two vectors. B3 13

right-skew See skewed.

19
rise from A to B The rise from a point A(x1 , y1 ) to a point B(x2 , y2 ) A2 9
is y2 − y1 .
root (of an equation) An alternative term for a solution of an
equation.
row (of a matrix) See matrix.
rule (of a function) The process for converting each input value in 28 A3 6
the domain of the function into a unique output value. See function.
run from A to B The run from a point A(x1 , y1 ) to a point B(x2 , y2 ) A2 9
is x2 − x1 .
sample A subset of a population. 46 D2 8

sample mean The mean x of a sample. 46 D2 21

sample standard deviation The sample standard deviation s is the 46 D2 25
square root of the sample variance.
sample variance The mean squared deviation, from the sample D2 25
mean, of the values in a sample.
sampling distribution of the mean The distribution of the means 47 D3 10
of all possible samples of size n from a population is called the sampling
distribution of the mean for samples of size n.
sampling error An error due to the selection of an unrepresentative D3 30
sample.
scalar A real number. B2 23

scalar multiplication (of a matrix) The operation of multiplying 33 B2 23

each element of a matrix A by a real number k. The resulting matrix
kA is called the scalar multiple of A by the real number k.
scaling (of a graph) Squashing or stretching the graph in the 29 A3 21
x-direction or y-direction.
secant (of an angle θ) The secant of θ is 1/ cos θ, provided that A2 36
cos θ = 0.
second derivative (of a function f at a point) The value of the 40 C1 28
second derived function f  at the point.
second derived function (of a function f ) The function f  defined 40 C1 28
by the process of differentiating the derived function f  of f .
separable differential equation A differential equation of the form 43 C3 19
dy/dx = f (x)g(y).
separation of variables A method for solving separable differential 43 C3 19
equations.
sequence An ordered list (finite or infinite) of numbers, called the 26 A1 6
terms of the sequence.
series A sum of consecutive terms of a sequence. 31 B1 11

sigma notation A concise way of expressing finite and infinite series. 31 B1 11

significance level The significance level of a test is the probabil- 48 D4 23
ity (often written as a percentage) that the null hypothesis is wrongly
rejected.

20

sine (of an angle θ) The second coordinate of the point P on the 27 A2 33

circumference of the unit circle, centre O, where the angle between the
positive x-axis and the line segment OP is θ. By convention, angles
are measured positively in an anticlockwise direction from the positive
x-axis.
Sine Rule A rule that relates pairs of sides and the corresponding 37 B3 31
opposite angles of a triangle.
size (of a matrix) An m × n matrix has size m × n. 33 B2 18

skewed A data set which is not symmetric (or, equivalently, for which D2 11
a frequency diagram is not symmetric) is said to be skewed. If the large
data values are more spread out than the small data values, so that a
frequency diagram has a longer right tail than left tail, then the data
set is right-skew. If the left tail of a frequency diagram is longer than
the right tail, then the data set is left-skew. The terms right-skew and
left-skew are also used to describe probability distributions.
slope (of a line) If A and B are two points on a line, then the slope 27 A2 9
of the line is (rise from A to B) ÷ (run from A to B). The slope is also
called the gradient.
smooth A function f is said to be smooth if the derivative exists at C1 14
each point of the domain of f .
solution of a differential equation A function, y = F (x) say, (or 42 C3 6
a more general equation relating the independent and dependent vari-
ables) for which the differential equation is satisfied.
solution (of an equation) A value of the unknown for which the A0 35
equation is satisfied.
solving a triangle The process of determining all the angles and side A2 37
lengths of a triangle.
speed A (scalar) measure of how fast an object is moving, irrespective B3 26
of its direction of motion. The speed is the magnitude of the velocity
vector.
square matrix A matrix with the same number of rows and B2 21
columns.
standard error The standard deviation of a sampling distribution. D3 14
D4 20
standard error of the mean The standard deviation of the sam- 47 D3 14
pling distribution of the mean for samples of size n, for any given sample
size n.
standard normal distribution The normal distribution with mean 46 D2 36
0 and standard deviation 1.
stationary point A point x0 in the domain of a smooth function f at 39 C1 22
which f  (x0 ) = 0, or the corresponding point (x0 , f (x0 )) on the graph
of f .
step size The value of the variable h in Euler’s method, which deter- 44 C3 39
mines the distance between the successive values of x at which solution
estimates are calculated.
subscript In the notation an , n is called the subscript of a. A1 7

21
subtended angle (at a point) The angle that lies between two lines A2 21
drawn from the point to the endpoints of a line segment or an arc of a
circle.
sin θ
tangent (of an angle θ) tan θ
=
 ± 12 π, ±
23 π, . . . .

, where θ = 27 A2 36
cos θ

tangent (to a circle) A line that intersects the circle in precisely A2 29

one point.
tangent (to a graph at a point) The unique line that just ‘touches’ C1 7
the graph at the point; that is, the line that most closely approximates
the graph near the point.
tends to infinity (or minus infinity) The terms of a sequence be- A1 33
come arbitrarily large and positive (or arbitrarily large and negative).
tends to  The terms of a sequence become arbitrarily close to . A1 33

tension The force provided by a taut string (rope, etc.). B3 41

term (of a sequence) An item of a sequence. 26 A1 6

test statistic A measure calculated from data, which can be used to 48 D4 22
decide whether or not to reject the null hypothesis.
transformation See function.
translation (of a graph) Shifting the graph horizontally or 29 A3 20
vertically.
triangle of forces A triangle of arrows which is a geometric repre- B3 44
sentation of the Equilibrium Condition for three forces.
Triangle Rule A rule for the addition of two vectors that are in 36 B3 13
geometric form.
unbounded sequence A sequence that has terms of arbitrarily large 26 A1 34
value, either positive or negative.
unimodal See mode.
unit circle The circle with radius 1 and centre at the origin. A2 33

upper quartile See quartiles.

variable A symbol used to represent a quantity that can vary. A0 28
vector A matrix consisting of a single column. Each number appear- 33 B2 10
ing in the column is called a component of the vector.
velocity (vector) The rate of change of position of an object. Ve- B3 26
locity is a measure of how fast the object is moving and its direction of
motion.
weight The force on an object due to gravity. B3 40
zero vector The vector in which every component is 0, denoted B3 8
by 0.

22
Background material for MST121
Rounding number s
To round to a given number of decimal places, look at the digit one place to the
right of the number of places specified. If this digit is 5 or more, then round up; if it
is less than 5, then round down.
To round to a given number of significant figures, start counting significant
figures from the first non-zero digit on the left, and follow the rules for rounding.

Scientific notation
In scientific notation, positive numbers are expressed in the form a × 10n , where a is
between 1 and 10, and n is an integer.

Rules for powers

ap × aq = ap+q ap ÷ aq = ap−q (ap )q = apq ap bp = (ab)p

1 √ √ √

a−n = a0 = 1 a1/n = n
a am/n = n am = ( n a)m
an

Surds
An irrational number is √
in surd
√ form√if it is
√ written in terms of roots of rational
numbers. For example, 2, 4 5 and 3 7 + 4 3 are numbers in surd form.

Calculating means
To calculate

the mean of a batch of data, add together the values (x) in the batch
to give x, and divide by n, the number of values in the batch.

Algebra
Difference of two squares: a2 − b2 = (a − b)(a + b).

Squaring a bracket: (a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2 .

The solutions of the quadratic equation ax2 + bx + c = 0, where a = 

0, are
√
−b ± b − 4ac
2
x = .
2a
To solve two simultaneous linear equations by substitution.
1. Rearrange one of the equations so that one unknown is equal to an expression
involving the other unknown.
2. Substitute this expression in the other equation.
3. Solve the resulting linear equation for the other unknown.
4. Substitute this solution into either of the original equations to find the remaining
unknown.
To solve two simultaneous linear equations by elimination.
1. Multiply the two equations by numbers chosen so that one of the unknowns has
the same coefficient, possibly with the opposite sign, in both equations.
2. Subtract or add the new equations to eliminate that unknown.
3. Solve the resulting linear equation for the other unknown.
4. Substitute this solution into either of the original equations to find the remaining
unknown.

23
Background

Equivalent rearrangements of inequalities

If the sides of an inequality are interchanged, then the direction of the inequality
sign is reversed: > becomes <, ≥ becomes ≤, and vice versa.
The same number can be added to (or subtracted from) both sides of an inequality:
if a < b, then a + c < b + c.
Both sides of an inequality can be multiplied (or divided) by the same positive
number: if a < b and c > 0, then ac < bc.
If both sides of an inequality are multiplied (or divided) by the same negative
number, then the direction of the inequality sign changes: if a < b and c < 0,
then ac > bc.

Angle measurement
The angle subtended at the centre of a circle by an arc equal in length to the radius
of the circle is defined to be one radian. Thus 2π radians = 360◦, and the rules for
converting between degrees and radians are
180 π
x radians = x × degrees, y degrees = y × radians.
π 180

Polygons
A plane figure which is a closed shape whose sides are straight lines is called a
polygon. A point where two sides meet is called a vertex. A polygon with n sides
(and hence n vertices) is referred to as an n-gon.
The angle sum of an n-gon is (n − 2)180◦, that is, (n − 2)π radians.
An n-gon is said to be regular if all its sides are equal and all its angles are equal.

Triangles
A triangle is a polygon with three sides. Its angle sum is 180◦, that is, π radians. If
all three sides are of equal length, then it is an equilateral triangle and all three
angles are 60◦. If two sides are of equal length, then it is an isosceles triangle and
the two angles opposite the equal length sides are equal.
The area of a triangle is

1
2

ah, where a is the length of the base and h is the height;

2
ab sin θ, where a and b are two side lengths, and θ is the angle between the sides.

Right-angled triangles
Pythagoras’ Theorem: For a triangle ABC with side lengths a, b and c (opposite
A, B and C, respectively), where the angle at C is a right angle, c2 = a2 + b2 .

A
The side opposite the right angle is known as the hypotenuse.

For this triangle, the trigonometric ratios are

opposite a adjacent b opposite a b c

sin A = = , cos A = = , tan A = = ,
hypotenuse c hypotenuse c adjacent b
hypotenuse c hypotenuse c adjacent b
cosec A = = , sec A = = , cot A = = . C a B

opposite a adjacent b opposite a

It follows from Pythagoras’ Theorem that sin2 A + cos2 A = 1.

24
 Background

Useful trigonometic ratios

1 1 1 1
Angle θ in radians 0 6
π 4
π 3
π 2
π
Angle θ in degrees 0 30 45 60 90
1
√ √
sin θ 0
1/ 2 3/2 1 Sine All
2
positive positive
√ √ 1
cos θ 1 3/2 1/ 2 2
0 Tangent Cosine
√ √ positive positive
tan θ 0 1/ 3 1 3 Undefined

Quadrilaterals
A quadrilateral is a polygon with four sides. Its angle sum is 360◦, that is,

2π radians.

A quadrilateral in which opposite sides are equal is a parallelogram.

A quadrilateral in which all sides are equal is a rhombus.

A quadrilateral in which all angles are equal (to 90◦) is a rectangle.

A quadrilateral in which all sides and all angles are equal is a square.

In a parallelogram, opposite angles are equal and the two diagonals bisect each

other. In a rhombus, the diagonals bisect each other at an angle of 90◦.

The area of a rectangle is A = lb, where l is the length and b is the breadth.

Circles
A circle of radius r has

circumference C = 2πr = πd, where d is the diameter;

area A = πr 2 .

Congruence
Two figures are congruent if they have the same shape and the same size.
Two n-gons are congruent if all corresponding sides and angles are equal.

Similarity
Two figures are similar if they have the same shape; their sizes need not be the
same.
Two n-gons are similar if each angle in one n-gon is equal to the corresponding angle
in the other. In this case, the length of each side in one n-gon is the same multiple of
the corresponding length in the other.

Prisms
A prism is a solid with constant cross-section. A cylinder is a prism with circular
cross-section.
The surface area of a prism is the sum of the areas of its faces. In particular, the
surface area of a cylinder is A = 2πr 2 + 2πrh, where r is the radius of the circular
cross-section and h is the length.
The volume of a prism is the area of its cross-section multiplied by its length. In
particular, the volume of a cylinder is V = πr 2 h.

25
MST121 A1

Definitions and results in MST121

The following definitions and results have been collected from the chapters of
MST121. They are listed in chapter order. If you cannot find the information you
want here, then try the alphabetical listing in the Glossary.

MST121 Chapter A1 Sequences

Types of sequences
Convention: The first term of a sequence has subscript 1, unless otherwise indicated.
An arithmetic sequence with first term a and common difference d can be
specified by either of the following recurrence systems:

x1 = a, xn+1 = xn + d (n = 1, 2, 3, . . .),
with closed form xn = a + (n − 1)d (n = 1, 2, 3, . . .);

x0 = a, xn+1 = xn + d (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .),
with closed form xn = a + nd (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .).
A geometric sequence with first term a and common ratio r can be specified by
either of the following recurrence systems:

x1 = a, xn+1 = rxn (n = 1, 2, 3, . . .),

n−1
with closed form xn = ar (n = 1, 2, 3, . . .);

x0 = a, xn+1 = rxn (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .),

n
with closed form xn = ar (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .).
A linear recurrence sequence with parameters a, r and d can be specified by
either of the following recurrence systems:

x1 = a, xn+1 = rxn + d (n = 1, 2, 3, . . .),

with closed form (when r = 1)
 
d d
xn = a + rn−1 − (n = 1, 2, 3, . . .);
r−1 r−1

x0 = a, xn+1 = rxn + d (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .),

with closed form (when r = 1)
 
d d
xn = a + rn − (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .).
r−1 r−1

Long-ter m behaviour of sequences

Range of r Behaviour of rn
r>1 rn → ∞ as n → ∞
r=1 Remains constant: 1, 1, 1, . . .
0<r<1 rn → 0 as n → ∞
r=0 Remains constant: 0, 0, 0, . . .
−1 < r < 0 rn → 0 as n → ∞, alternates in sign
r = −1 Alternates between −1 and +1
r < −1 rn is unbounded, alternates in sign

26
 MST121 A1/A2

Sum of a finite geometric series

The sum of a finite geometric series with first term a and common ratio r (r = 1) is
 
2 1 − rn+1
n
a + ar + ar + · · · + ar = a .
1−r

MST121 Chapter A2 Lines and circles

Lines
Type Slope Equation
Parallel to m=0 y = c,
x-axis where c is a constant
Parallel to Infinite x = d,
y-axis where d is a constant
Not parallel to m = (y2 − y1 )/(x2 − x1 ), y − y1 = m(x − x1 ) or
y-axis where (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) y = mx + c,
are points on the line where c is the y-intercept

If two lines are parallel, then they have equal slopes. If two lines are
perpendicular, then either the product of their slopes is −1 or one has slope 0 and
the other has infinite slope.
The distance between two points (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) is

(x2 − x1 )2 + (y2 − y1 )2 .
The midpoint of a line segment with endpoints (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) is
 
x1 + x2 y1 + y2
, .
2 2

Circles
Geometrically, a circle is the set of points that are at a fixed distance (the radius)
from a specified point (the centre). Algebraically, a circle with centre (a, b) and
radius r has the equation
(x − a)2 + (y − b)2 = r2 .
To find the equation of a circle, given three points A, B and C on the circle, find the
perpendicular bisectors of the line segments AB and BC. The centre of the circle is
the intersection point of the two perpendicular bisectors. The radius of the circle is
the distance from the centre to any of the points A, B or C.
To complete the square of x2 + 2px, use
x2 + 2px = x2 + 2px + p2 − p2 = (x + p)2 − p2 .

Trigonometr y
Let P (x, y) be a point on the unit circle (with centre O) such that the angle from the
positive x-axis to OP is θ (measured anticlockwise if θ is positive, clockwise if θ is
negative). Then
sin θ
cos θ = x, sin θ = y and tan θ = (provided that cos θ = 0).
cos θ

27
MST121 A2/A3

Trigonometric identities
cos (−θ) = cos θ cos (π − θ) = − cos θ cos (θ + 2π) = cos θ

sin (−θ) = − sin θ sin (π − θ) = sin θ sin (θ + 2π) = sin θ

tan (−θ) = − tan θ tan (π − θ) = − tan θ tan (θ + π) = tan θ

cos ( 12 π − θ) = sin θ sin ( 12 π − θ) = cos θ cos2 θ + sin2 θ = 1

Parametrisation of lines and circles

A line with slope m passing through the point (x1 , y1 ) has parametric equations
x = t + x1 , y = mt + y1 .

A line passing through the two points (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) has parametric
equations
x = x1 + t(x2 − x1 ), y = y1 + t(y2 − y1 ).

A circle with centre at (a, b) and radius r has parametric equations

x = a + r cos θ, y = b + r sin θ (0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π).

MST121 Chapter A3 Functions

Functions
A (real) function is specified by giving

the domain, that is, the set of allowable input values, which are real numbers;

the rule for converting each input value to a unique output value, which is also

a real number.
The output of a function f for a given input x is called the image of x under f , and
is written f (x). The set of all outputs of the function f is called the image set of f .
Convention: When a function is specified just by a rule, it is understood that the
domain of the function is the largest possible set of real numbers for which the rule is
applicable.

Function notation
A standard notation used to specify a function f is
f (x) = x2 + 1 (0 ≤ x ≤ 6).
Other notations used to specify the same function f are

f : x −→ x2 + 1 (0 ≤ x ≤ 6);

f : [0, 6] −→ R
x −→ x2 + 1.

Modulus of a real number

The modulus, or absolute value, of a real number x is the magnitude of x,
regardless of sign, denoted by |x|. Thus

x, if x ≥ 0,

|x| =
−x, if x < 0.

28
 MST121 A3

Translating and scaling a known graph

Graph Translation or scaling of y = f (x)

y = f (x + p) Horizontal translation by p units to the left (right if p is negative)

y = f (x) + q Vertical translation by q units upwards (downwards if q is negative)

y = af (x) y-scaling with factor a

y = f (bx) x-scaling with factor 1/b

The scalings and translations in the table above can, with two exceptions, be applied
in any order with the same result. The exceptions are that the result of applying
both a horizontal translation and an x-scaling depends in general on the order in
which these are applied, and similarly for both a vertical translation and a y-scaling.

Graphing quadratic functions

To sketch the graph of a quadratic function f (x) = ax2 + bx + c, first write the
function in completed-square form: f (x) = a(x + p)2 + q. Then start with the graph
of y = x2 and perform
1. a y-scaling with factor a;
2. a horizontal translation by p units to the left (right if p is negative);
3. a vertical translation by q units upwards (downwards if q is negative).
The graph is a parabola with vertex (−p, q), which is the lowest point if a > 0 and
the highest point if a < 0. Its axis of symmetry is x = −p.
The y-intercept is found by setting x = 0 to give f (0) = c. The x-intercepts (if any)
are found by setting y = 0 and solving ax2 + bx + c = 0.

Inverse functions
A real function f is one-one if it has the following property: for all x1 , x2 in the
domain of f , if x1 = x2 , then f (x1 ) =
 f (x2 ).
A real function f is increasing if it has the following property: for all x1 , x2 in the

domain of f , if x1 < x2 , then f (x1 ) < f (x2 ).

A real function f is decreasing if it has the following property: for all x1 , x2 in the

domain of f , if x1 < x2 , then f (x1 ) > f (x2 ).

If a function is increasing (or decreasing), then it is one-one.

When a function f is one-one, an inverse function f −1 can be defined which

reverses the action of f .

To obtain the rule for the function f −1 (in terms of x), solve the equation
y = f (x) to obtain x in terms of y, and then exchange the roles of x and y. The
image set of f is the domain of f −1 , and vice versa.

To obtain the graph of y = f −1 (x), reflect the graph of y = f (x) in the 45◦ line.

29
MST121 A3

Inverse trigonometric functions

The function f (x) = sin x (−
12 π ≤ x ≤ 21 π) has an inverse function arcsine with

domain [−1, 1] and image set [

− 12 π, 12 π]. Thus, for −1 ≤ y ≤ 1,
x = arcsin y means that y = sin x and −
12 π ≤ x ≤ 12 π.
The function f (x) = cos x (0 ≤ x ≤ π) has an inverse function arccosine with
domain [−1, 1] and image set [0, π]. Thus, for −1 ≤ y ≤ 1,
x = arccos y means that y = cos x and 0 ≤ x ≤ π.
The function f (x) = tan x (−
12 π
< x < 12 π) has an inverse function arctangent with
domain (−∞, ∞) and image set (−
12 π, 12 π). Thus, for −∞ < y < ∞,
x = arctan y means that y = tan x and − 12 π < x < 12 π.

Logarithms
An exponential function f (x) = ax , where a > 0 and a = 1, has domain R and image
set (0, ∞). Its inverse function, called logarithm to the base a and denoted by loga ,
has domain (0, ∞) and image set R. Thus, for y > 0,
x = loga y means that y = ax .

Combining these results gives

x = loga (ax ), for x in R, and y = aloga y , for y > 0.

The natural logarithm has base e = 2.718 281 . . . and is often written as ln. The
common logarithm has base 10 and is often written as log.
Provided that a > 0 and a = 1, the logarithm to the base a has the following
properties:
(a) loga 1 = 0, loga a = 1;
(b) for x > 0 and y > 0,
(i) loga (xy) = loga x + loga y,
(ii) loga (x/y) = loga x − loga y;
(c) for x > 0 and p in R, loga (xp ) = p loga x.
To use logarithms to solve an equation of the form ax = k, where k > 0 and
 1, apply the function ln to both sides of the equation, and use
a > 0, a =
property (c) to obtain
ln k
x= .
ln a

30
 MST121 B1

MST121 Chapter B1 Modelling with sequences

Formulas for sums

n


ci = c1 + c2 + · · · + cn
i=1

n

 
i 2 1 − rn+1

n
ar = a + ar + ar + · · · + ar = a (r 
= 1)
i=0
1−r

∞

a
ari = (|r| < 1)
i=0
1−r

n

n

n

n


(a + bxi ) = an + b xi (a + bxi ) = a(n − m + 1) + b xi

i=1 i=1 i=m i=m

n


i = 1 + 2 + 3 + · · · + n = 12
n(n + 1)
i=1

Exponential model
The (discrete) exponential model for population variation is based on the assumption
of a constant proportionate growth rate, r. The model is described by either the
recurrence relation
Pn+1 = (1 + r)Pn (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .),
or its closed-form solution
Pn = (1 + r)n P0 (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .),
where Pn is the population size at n years after some chosen starting time. The
proportionate growth rate r is the proportionate birth rate minus the proportionate
death rate.

Logistic model
The logistic model for population variation is based on the assumption of a
proportionate growth rate R(P ) of the form R(P ) = r(1 − P/E), where r and E are
positive parameters. The model is described by the recurrence relation
 
Pn
Pn+1 − Pn = rPn 1 − (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .),
E
where Pn is the population size at n years after some chosen starting time. The
positive constant r represents the proportionate growth rate of the population when
the population size is small, and the positive constant E represents the equilibrium
population level (the population size at which the proportionate growth rate is zero).
The long-term behaviour of sequences generated by the logistic recurrence relation
(with 0 < P0 ≤ E(1 + 1/r)) depends on the value of r, as shown in the table below.

Range of r Long-term behaviour of Pn

0<r≤1 Settles close to (converges to) E, with values always just below E
1<r≤2 Settles close to E, with values alternating between just above and just below E
2 < r ≤ 2.44 2-cycle, with one value above E and one value below E
2.45 ≤ r ≤ 2.54 4-cycle, with two values above E and two values below E
2.6 ≤ r ≤ 3 Chaotic variation between bounds (with some exceptions)

31
MST121 B1

Convergence and limits

If a sequence Pn settles down in the long term to values that are effectively constant,
then Pn is said to be convergent. The value near which Pn settles in the long term
is called the limit of the sequence, written
lim Pn .
n→∞

If a sequence Pn given by a recurrence relation converges, then it converges to the

value of a constant sequence that satisfies the recurrence relation. To find such
values, substitute Pn = c and Pn+1 = c into the recurrence relation and solve for c.

Reciprocal Rule
If the terms of a sequence bn are of the form 1/an , where terms of the sequence an
become arbitrarily large as n increases, then lim bn = 0.
n→∞

Constant Multiple Rule

If the terms of a sequence bn are of the form can , where lim an = 0, and c is a
n→∞
constant, then lim bn = 0.
n→∞

Long-ter m ‘basic sequence’ behaviour

The long-term behaviour of the sequence r n (n = 1, 2, 3, . . .) is as follows.

If |r| > 1, then |r n | → ∞ as n → ∞. (If r > 1, then r n → ∞ as n → ∞; if

r < −1, then rn is unbounded and alternates in sign.)

If |r| < 1, then r n → 0 as n → ∞.

If r = 1, then r n = 1. If r = −1, then r n alternates between 1 and −1.

The long-term behaviour of the sequence np (n = 1, 2, 3, . . .) is as follows.

If p > 0, then np → ∞ as n → ∞.

If p < 0, then np → 0 as n → ∞.

If p = 0, then np = 1.

32
 MST121 B2

MST121 Chapter B2 Modelling with matrices

Networks and matrices

A physical network can be represented by a network diagram and also by a
matrix. The entries of the matrix indicate the proportion of the input flowing
through each pipe of the network.
The network diagram and the matrix shown below represent the same physical
network having two input nodes A and B, and three output nodes U , V and W .

⎛ ⎞
0.4 0.3
⎝ 0.2 0.1 ⎠
0.4 0.6

If the outputs of one network feed directly into an equal number of inputs in a
second network, then the matrix representing the combined network is obtained by
multiplying the matrices representing the two original networks.

Arithmetic of matrices and vector s

A matrix is a rectangular array of numbers. Each number in a matrix is called an
element. A matrix with m rows and n columns is called an m × n matrix, and has
size m × n. The element in row i and column j of a matrix A is written as aij .

Matrix multiplication
Two matrices A and B can be multiplied only if the number of columns of A equals
the number of rows of B. The element in the ith row and jth column of the product
matrix AB is obtained by adding up the products of corresponding elements of the
ith row of A and the jth column of B.
Thus, if A is an m × n matrix and B is an n × p matrix, then C = AB is an m × p
matrix with elements given by
n


cij = aik bkj (i = 1, 2, . . . , m and j = 1, 2, . . . , p).

k=1

⎛ ⎞
a11 a12  
b11 b12 b13
For example, if A = ⎝ a21 a22 ⎠ and B = , then
b21 b22 b23
a31 a32
⎛ ⎞
a11 b11 + a12 b21 a11 b12 + a12 b22 a11 b13 + a12 b23
C = AB = ⎝ a21 b11 + a22 b21 a21 b12 + a22 b22 a21 b13 + a22 b23 ⎠ .

a31 b11 + a32 b21 a31 b12 + a32 b22 a31 b13 + a32 b23

In most cases, AB = BA. The power An of a square matrix A is formed by

multiplying together n matrices A; for example, A3 = AAA.

33
MST121 B2

Matrix addition
Two matrices A and B can be added only if they have the same size. If A and B are
m × n matrices, then C = A + B is also an m × n matrix with elements given by
cij = aij + bij (i = 1, 2, . . . , m and j = 1, 2, . . . , n).
   
a11 a12 a13 b b b
For example, if A = and B =
11 12 13 , then

a21 a22 a23 b21 b22 b23

 
a11 + b11 a12 + b12 a13 + b13
C=A+B= .
a21 + b21 a22 + b22 a23 + b23

Scalar multiplication
When a matrix is scalar multiplied by a real number k, each element of the matrix is
multiplied by k. For example, if
   
a11 a12 a13 ka11 ka12 ka13
A= , then kA = .

a21 a22 a23 ka21 ka22 ka23

The matrix kA is a scalar multiple of the matrix A.

General properties of matrices

For any matrices A, B and C of appropriate size, and any real number k:
A+B=B+A (A + B) + C = A + (B + C)
(AB)C = A(BC) A(kB) = (kA)B = k(AB)
AB + AC = A(B + C)

Vectors
A vector is a matrix with only one column. Elements of a vector v are often called
components and are specified as vi . The size of a vector is the number of
components it has.
For vectors u and v, the vectors u + v and ku are formed according to the
definitions for general matrices.

Population modelling
A matrix model for the structure of a population in terms of two interdependent
subpopulations Jn and An is given by
pn+1 = Mpn (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .),
 
Jn
where M is a 2 × 2 matrix and pn is the vector which gives the
An
subpopulation sizes at n years after a chosen starting time.
The closed-form solution for this model is
pn = Mn p0 (n = 1, 2, 3, . . .).

34
 MST121 B2

Inverting 2 × 2 matrices
 
1 0
The matrix I = is the 2 × 2 identity matrix. For any 2 × 2 matrix A,
0 1
AI = IA = A.
If two 2 × 2 matrices A and B have the property that AB = I = BA, then B is the
inverse of A. The inverse
 of a matrix A is usually denoted A−1 . The inverse of the
a b
general 2 × 2 matrix is given by
c d
 
1 d −b
, provided ad − bc = 0.
ad − bc −c a

The determinant of a square

 matrix is a number calculated from its elements. For
a b
a 2 × 2 matrix A = , the determinant is given by det A = ad − bc.
c d

Deter minant test for invertibility

If the determinant of a matrix A is not zero, then A has an inverse and A is
invertible.

If the determinant of a matrix A is zero, then A does not have an inverse and A is

non-invertible.

Solving a pair of simultaneous linear equations using matrices

Write the simultaneous linear equations in matrix form Ax = b, where A is the
coefficient matrix, x is the vector of variables and b is the vector with components
equal to the right-hand sides of the equations.
If the matrix A is invertible, then the solution is given by x = A−1 b.

35
MST121 B3

MST121 Chapter B3 Modelling with vector s

Vectors can be represented: by 2 × 1 matrices (column form), by arrows in the
(x, y)-plane (geometric form), or by using the Cartesian unit vectors i and j
(component form).

Arithmetic of vector s in column form

The sum of two vectors with the same number of components is formed by adding
the corresponding components.
The scalar multiple of a vector a by a real number (scalar) k, denoted by ka, is
formed by multiplying each component of a by k.

Arithmetic of vector s in geometric form

Triangle Rule
To find the sum a + b of two vectors a and b in geometric form.
1. Choose any point P in the plane.
2. Draw an arrow to represent a, with tail at P and tip at Q, say.
3. Draw an arrow to represent b, with tail at Q and tip at R, say.
4. Draw the arrow with tail at P and tip at R, to complete the triangle P QR. This
last arrow represents the vector a + b.

Parallelogram Rule
To find the sum a + b of two vectors a and b in geometric form.
1. Choose any point P in the plane.
2. Draw an arrow to represent a, with tail at P and tip at Q, say.
3. Draw an arrow to represent b, with tail at P and tip at S, say.
4. Complete the parallelogram P QRS, and draw the arrow with tail at P and tip at
R. This last arrow represents the vector a + b.

Scalar multiplication
If a is a vector in geometric form and k is a real number, then the scalar multiple ka
has magnitude |ka| = |k||a|. If k is non-zero, then the direction of ka is the same as
that of a if k > 0, or opposite to that of a if k < 0.

Arithmetic of vector s in component form

The sum of two vectors in component form, a = a1 i + a2 j and b = b1 i + b2 j, is given
by a + b = (a1 + b1 )i + (a2 + b2 )j.
The scalar multiple of a vector in component form, a = a1 i + a2 j, by a real
number k, is given by ka = ka1 i + ka2 j.

Converting vector s from geometric form to component form

A vector a in geometric form, with direction θ, has component form

a = |a| cos θ i + |a| sin θ j;

that is, the i-component of a is a1 = |a| cos θ and the j-component of a is

a2 = |a| sin θ.

36
 MST121 B3

Converting vector s from component form to geometric form

A vector in component form, a = a1 i + a2 j, has magnitude |a| = a21 + a22 . If the
vector is non-zero, then its direction, in terms of the angle θ measured anticlockwise
from the positive x-axis, is obtained from the figures below.

(a) a is parallel to a coordinate axis (b) φ = arctan(|a2 /a1 |)

Sine and Cosine Rules

By convention, in a triangle, the vertex labels A, B and C are also used to denote
the corresponding angle sizes, while the side lengths opposite the angles are denoted
by a, b and c, respectively.
In a triangle ABC, if a < b then A < B, and vice versa.

Sine Rule
For any triangle, the side lengths a, b, c and corresponding opposite angles A, B, C
are related by the formulas
sin A sin B sin C a b c
= = or, equivalently, = = .
a b c sin A sin B sin C

Cosine Rule
For any triangle, the side lengths a, b, c and corresponding opposite angles A, B, C
are related by the formulas
b2 + c2 − a2
a2 = b2 + c2 − 2bc cos A, cos A = ,
2bc
c2 + a2 − b2
b2 = c2 + a2 − 2ca cos B, cos B = ,
2ca
a2 + b2 − c2
c2 = a2 + b2 − 2ab cos C, cos C = .
2ab

Equilibrium Condition for forces

If an object is acted upon by n forces, F1 , F2 , . . . , Fn , and remains at rest in the
absence of other forces, then the force vectors satisfy the equation
n


Fi = F1 + F2 + · · · + Fn = 0.
i=1

37
MST121 C1

MST121 Chapter C1 Differentiation and modelling

Differentiation
Differentiation is a process which enables you to find: the gradient of a graph, and
the rate at which one variable changes with respect to another.
Let f be a function.

The derivative f  (x) at a point x in the domain of f is the gradient of the

graph of f at (x, f (x)), given by
 
 f (x + h) − f (x)
f (x) = lim ,
h→0 h
provided that this limit exists.

If y = f (x), then f  (x) is the rate of change of y with respect to x.

A function is smooth if its derivative exists at each point of its domain.

d dy
In Leibniz notation, f  (x) is (f (x)), or where y = f (x).
dx dx
ds
In Newton’s notation, = ṡ (used only when differentiating with respect to time).
dt

Table of standard derivatives

Function f (x) Derivative f  (x)
c 0
xn nx
n−1
sin(ax) a cos(ax)

cos(ax) −a sin(ax)

eax ae
ax
ln(ax) (ax > 0) 1/x (ax > 0)

Sum and Constant Multiple Rules

If k is a function with rule of the form k(x) = f (x) + g(x), where f and g are smooth
functions, then k is smooth and
k (x) = f  (x) + g  (x).
If k is a function with rule of the form k(x) = cf (x), where f is a smooth function
and c is a constant, then k is smooth and
k (x) = cf  (x).

Product Rule
If k is a function with rule of the form k(x) = f (x)g(x), where f and g are smooth
functions, then k is smooth and
k (x) = f  (x)g(x) + f (x)g  (x).
In Leibniz notation, if y = uv, where u = f (x) and v = g(x), then
dy du dv
= v+u .
dx dx dx

38
 MST121 C1

Quotient Rule
If k is a function with rule of the form k(x) = f (x)/g(x), where f and g are smooth
functions, then k is smooth and
g(x)f  (x) − f (x)g  (x)
k (x) = .
(g(x))2
In Leibniz notation, if y = u/v, where u = f (x) and v = g(x) = 0, then
 
dy 1 du dv
= 2 v −u .
dx v dx dx

Composite Rule
If k is a function with rule of the form k(x) = g(f (x)), where f and g are smooth
functions, then k is smooth and
k (x) = g  (f (x))f  (x).
In Leibniz notation (Chain Rule), if y = g(u), where u = f (x), then
dy dy du
= .
dx du dx

Increasing/Decreasing Criterion
Let I be an open interval in the domain of a smooth function f .

If f  (x) > 0 for all x in I, then f is increasing on I.

If f  (x) < 0 for all x in I, then f is decreasing on I .

Stationar y points
Let f be a smooth function. The function f has a stationary point at x = x0 if
f  (x0 ) = 0. The corresponding point (x0 , f (x0 )) on the graph of f is also called a
stationary point.

First Derivative Test

To identify the local maxima and local minima of a smooth function f using the
First Derivative Test proceed as follows.
1. Find the stationary points of f .
2. For each stationary point x0 ,
(a) choose points xL to the left of x0 and xR to the right of x0 , such that the
interval [xL , xR ] lies in the domain of f and there are no stationary points
between xL and x0 , nor between x0 and xR , and then calculate f  (xL ) and
f  (xR );
(b) classify x0 as follows:

if f  (xL ) > 0 and f  (xR ) < 0, then f has a local maximum at x0 ;

if f  (xL ) < 0 and f  (xR ) > 0, then f has a local minimum at x0 ;

if f  (xL ) and f  (xR ) have the same sign, then f has neither a local
maximum nor a local minimum at x0 .

39
MST121 C1/C2

Second Derivative Test

Suppose that x0 is a stationary point of a smooth function f ; that is, f  (x0 ) = 0.

If f  (x0 ) < 0, then f has a local maximum at x0 .

If f  (x0 ) > 0, then f has a local minimum at x0 .

Optimisation Procedure
To find the greatest (or least) value of a smooth function f on a closed interval I
within the domain of f , proceed as follows.
1. Find the stationary points of f .
2. Evaluate f at each of the endpoints of I and at each of the stationary points
inside I .
3. Choose the greatest (or least) of the function values found in Step 2.

MST121 Chapter C2 Integration and modelling

Integration
The function F is an integral of the function f if F  = f. The indefinite integral
of f (x) is

f (x) dx = F (x) + c,

where F is an integral of f and c is an arbitrary constant, also called the constant

of integration.
The definite integral of a continuous function f from a to b, denoted by
 b
f (x) dx,
a

is defined to be
b
[F (x)]a = F (b) − F (a),
where F is any integral of f .

Table of indefinite integrals


Function f (x) Integral f (x) dx

a (constant) ax + c
1
xn  −1)
(n = xn+1 + c
n+1
1
(x > 0) ln x + c
x
1 ax
eax e +c
a
1
cos(ax) sin(ax) + c
a
1
sin(ax) − cos(ax) + c
a

40
 MST121 C2

Rules for integration

The Sum Rule for integrals is
  
(f (x) + g(x)) dx = f (x) dx + g(x) dx.

The Constant Multiple Rule for integrals is

 
bf (x) dx = b f (x) dx.

The combined Sum and Constant Multiple Rule is

  
(af (x) + bg(x)) dx = a f (x) dx + b g(x) dx.

Double-angle formulas
sin(2θ) = 2 sin θ cos θ
cos(2θ) = cos2 θ − sin2 θ = 2 cos2 θ − 1 = 1 − 2 sin2 θ

Two integration formulas


1
(f (x))n f  (x) dx = (f (x))n+1 + c (n = −1)
n+1

f  (x)
dx = ln(f (x)) + c (f (x) > 0)
f (x)

Modelling motion
The SI units for kinematic quantities are as follows.

Time is measured in seconds (s).

Position is measured in metres (m).

Velocity is measured in metres per second (m s−1 ).

Acceleration is measured in metres per second per second (m s−2 ).

Time t, position s, velocity v and acceleration a are related by the equations

ds dv
v= and a = .
dt dt
The following formulas apply for the motion of a particle along a straight line with
constant acceleration a, if at time t = 0 the particle has velocity v0 and position s0 .

The velocity v of the particle is given by

v = at + v0 .

The position s of the particle is given by

s = 12 at2 + v0 t + s0 .

The velocity and position of the particle are related by the equation
v 2 − 2as = v02 − 2as0 .

41
MST121 C2/C3

Finding the area under a graph

If f (x) is a continuous function that takes no negative values for a ≤ x ≤ b, then the
area of the region bounded by the graph of y = f (x), the x-axis, and the lines x = a
and x = b, is equal to the definite integral
 b
f (x) dx.
a

Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

If f is a function which is continuous on the interval [a, b], then
 N −1 
b
b−a
f (x) dx = lim hf (a + ih) , where h = .
a N →∞
i=0
N

MST121 Chapter C3 Differential equations and modelling

Differential equations
A differential equation is an equation that relates an independent variable, x say,
a dependent variable, y say, and one or more derivatives of y with respect to x. The
order of a differential equation is the order of the highest derivative that appears in
the equation. A first-order differential equation involves the first derivative, dy/dx,
and no higher derivatives.
A solution of a differential equation is a function y = F (x) (or a more general
equation relating x and y) for which the differential equation is satisfied. The
general solution of a differential equation is the set of all possible solutions of the
equation. It usually involves one or more arbitrary constants. A particular
solution of a differential equation is a single solution of the equation, which consists
of a relationship between the dependent and independent variables that contains no
arbitrary constant.
An initial condition associated with a first-order differential equation requires that
the dependent variable y takes a specified value, b say, when the independent
variable x has a given value, a say. This is often written as
y = b when x = a, or as y(a) = b.
The numbers a and b are called initial values for x and y, respectively. The
combination of a first-order differential equation and an initial condition is called an
initial-value problem. The solution of an initial-value problem is a particular
solution of the differential equation which also satisfies the initial condition.

Direct integration
The general solution of the differential equation dy/dx = f (x) is the indefinite
integral

y= f (x) dx = F (x) + c,

where F (x) is any integral of f (x) and c is an arbitrary constant. Any initial
condition
y = b when x = a, that is, y(a) = b,
enables a value for the arbitrary constant c to be found. The corresponding
particular solution satisfies both the differential equation and the initial condition.

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 MST121 C3

Implicit differentiation
dy
If y is a function of x and H(y) = F (x), then H  (y) = F  (x).
dx

Separation of variables
The method applies to differential equations of the form dy/dx = f (x)g(y).
1. Divide both sides by g(y), for g(y) = 0, to obtain
1 dy
= f (x).
g(y) dx
2. Integrate both sides with respect to x. The outcome is
 
1
dy = f (x) dx.
g(y)
3. Carry out the two integrations, introducing one arbitrary constant, to obtain the
general solution in implicit form. If possible, manipulate the resulting equation
to make y the subject, thus expressing the general solution in explicit form.

Modelling growth and decay

The differential equation dy/dx = Ky, where K is a constant, has the general
solution y = AeKx , where A is an arbitrary constant.
The process of radioactive decay, that is, the change in mass m of a radioactive
substance that is present at time t, can be modelled by the initial-value problem
dm
= −km (m > 0), m = m0 when t = 0.
dt
Here k is a positive constant, called the decay constant, and m0 is the initial mass
of the substance. This initial-value problem has the solution
m = m0 e−kt .
The half-life T of a radioactive substance is the time it takes for the mass of
radioactive substance to diminish to half its original amount. In the model, we have
T = (ln 2)/k. The value of the decay constant k can be estimated from data by
plotting ln(m/m0 ) against t. This should approximate a line through the origin with
gradient −k.
The process of population change, that is, the change in the population size P over
time t, can be modelled by the initial-value problem
dP
= KP (P > 0), P = P0 when t = 0.
dt
Here K is a constant, called the proportionate growth rate, and P0 is the initial
population size. This initial-value problem has the solution
P = P0 eKt .
If K < 0, then the population is decreasing and the half-life of the population can be
defined as for radioactive decay. If K > 0, then the population is increasing and the
doubling time T of the population is the time it takes for the population to double
in size. In the model, we have T = (ln 2)/K. The value of the proportionate growth
rate K can be estimated from data using a log-linear plot of ln P against t. This
should approximate a line which crosses the (ln P )-axis at ln P0 and has gradient K.

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MST121 C3

Euler’s method
Euler’s method for solving the initial-value problem
dy
= f (x, y), y(x0 ) = y0
dx
is described by the pair of recurrence relations
xn+1 = xn + h, yn+1 = yn + hf (xn , yn ) (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .),
where h is the step size between the successive values of x at which solution
estimates are calculated. Each calculated value yn is an estimate of the
corresponding ‘true solution’ y at x = xn ; that is, yn is an estimate of y(xn ). The
sequence of estimates depends on the choice of both the step size h and the overall
number of steps N . Decreasing h, while increasing N to cover the same range of
x-values, leads to progressively improved estimates for the solution values, and with
a small enough step size, any desired level of accuracy can be achieved.

44
 MST121 D1

MST121 Chapter D1 Chance

Probability
For any event E, 0 ≤ P (E) ≤ 1.

If an event E never happens, then P (E) = 0.

If an event E is certain to happen, then P (E) = 1.

If an experiment has N equally-likely possible outcomes, and n(E) is the number of

these outcomes that give rise to an event E, then

n(E)
P (E) = ;
N
that is, P (E) is equal to the number of outcomes for which the event E occurs
divided by the total number of possible outcomes.
If E is an event and not-E is the opposite event (that E does not occur), then
P (E) + P (not-E) = 1,
or, equivalently,
P (E) = 1 − P (not-E).
Two events are independent of each other if the occurrence (or not) of one is not

influenced by whether or not the other occurs.

The multiplication rule for independent events states that if E and F are

independent events, then

P (E and F ) = P (E) × P (F ).

Geometric distributions
If a sequence of trials of an experiment is carried out and the probability of success
in each trial is p (0 < p < 1) independently of the results of earlier trials, then X, the
number of trials required to obtain a success, has a geometric distribution. The
probability function of X is given by
P (X = j) = (1 − p)j−1 p, j = 1, 2, 3, . . . .
The mean number of trials required to obtain a success is 1/p.

Probability distributions
The mean of the probability distribution of a discrete random variable X is denoted
by µ and is defined to be


µ= j × P (X = j),
j
where the summation is over all values j which X can take, that is, for which
P (X = j) > 0.
The corresponding formula for the mean of a continuous random variable X with
probability density function f is
 ∞
µ= x f (x) dx.
−∞

45
MST121 D2

MST121 Chapter D2 Modelling variation

The variance of a random variable X or of a probability distribution is the mean of
the values (x − µ)2 , where the mean is taken over all values x that X can take. The
standard deviation of a random variable or of a probability distribution is the
square root of the variance.
When a probability distribution is used to model the variation in a population, the
mean of the distribution is called the population mean, and the standard deviation
is called the population standard deviation. The population mean and the
population standard deviation are examples of population parameters.

Sample statistics and population parameter s

For a sample of n observations x1 , x2 , . . . , xn , the sample mean x is given by
n
1 1

x= (x1 + x2 + · · · + xn ) = xi ,
n n i=1
and the sample standard deviation s is given by

 n

 1

s= (xi − x)2 .
n − 1 i=1

The sample mean and sample standard deviation are examples of sample
statistics. In general, given a sample of data from a population, the sample mean x
is used to estimate the population mean µ, and the sample standard deviation s is
used to estimate the population standard deviation σ.

Normal distributions
A normal distribution is a continuous probability distribution. Probabilities are
calculated by finding areas under a normal curve, which has the following typical
shape.

The probability density function of a normal distribution is the function f , where

y = f (x) is the equation of the normal curve. It is defined for all real values of x.
The equation of a normal curve contains two parameters, µ and σ: µ is the mean of
the distribution, and σ is its standard deviation. The curve is symmetric about its
peak, which occurs at x = µ. The normal distribution with mean 0 and standard
deviation 1 is called the standard normal distribution.
If a normal distribution is used to model the variation in a population, then,
according to the model, the proportion of the population within k standard
deviations of the mean is the same whatever the values of the mean µ and the
standard deviation σ. In particular, approximately 95% of the population are within
1.96 standard deviations of the mean (that is, between µ − 1.96σ and µ + 1.96σ).

46
 MST121 D3/D4

MST121 Chapter D3 Estimating

Sampling distributions, the Central Limit Theorem and confidence inter vals
The sampling distribution of the mean for samples of size n from a population
√ with
mean µ and standard deviation σ has mean µ and standard deviation σ/ n. These
results hold for any sample size.
The standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the mean is called the
standard error of the mean and is denoted by SE.
The Central Limit Theorem states that, for large sample sizes (at least 25), the
sampling distribution of the mean for samples of size n from a population with mean
µ and standard deviation σ may be approximated by a normal distribution with
mean µ and standard deviation
σ
SE =
√
.

n
Given a sample of size n from a population, a 95% confidence interval for the
population mean µ is given by
 
s s
x − 1.96 √
, x + 1.96
√
,

n n
where x is the sample mean and s is the sample standard deviation. The sample size
n must be at least 25.

MST121 Chapter D4 Further investigations

Summar y statistics and boxplots

The median is essentially the middle value of a batch of data when the values are
placed in order of increasing size. If the batch size is odd, then the median is the
middle value. If the batch size is even, then the median is the mean of the middle
two values.
The lower quartile, which is denoted by Q1, is the median of the values to the left
of the median.
The upper quartile, which is denoted by Q3, is the median of the values to the
right of the median.
The interquartile range is the difference between the upper quartile and the lower
quartile.
The range is the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value.
A boxplot is a diagram for representing a batch of data. A typical boxplot is shown
below.

The box extends from the lower quartile to the upper quartile, and a vertical line is
drawn through the box at the median. The whiskers extend from the ends of the box
to the minimum and maximum values in the batch of data.

47
MST121 D4

Hypothesis testing
There are three stages involved in a hypothesis test:
1. Set up the null and alternative hypotheses.
2. Calculate the test statistic.
3. Report conclusions.
The two-sample z-test is a hypothesis test which may be used when a sample of at
least 25 observations is available from each of two populations. It may be used to
investigate whether there is a difference between the means of the populations. The
three stages involved in carrying out the two-sample z-test are outlined below.

Stage 1: Hypotheses
Set up the null and alternative hypotheses:
H0 : µA = µB ,
 µB ,
H1 : µA =
where µA and µB are the means of populations A and B, respectively.

Stage 2: The test statistic

Calculate the test statistic
xA − xB
z= ,
ESE
where

s2A s2
ESE = + B ,

nA nB

xA and xB are the sample means, sA and sB are the sample standard deviations, and
nA and nB are the sizes of the samples from A and B, respectively.

Stage 3: Conclusions

If z ≤ −1.96 or z ≥ 1.96, then H0 is rejected at the 5% significance level in

favour of the alternative hypothesis.

If −1.96 < z < 1.96, then H0 is not rejected at the 5% significance level.
The conclusion should be expressed in terms of the hypothesis being tested.

The quantity ESE in the test statistic for the two-sample z-test is the estimated
standard error of the difference between two sample means; that is, it is the
estimated value of the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the
difference between two sample means.

Fitting lines to data

The least squares fit line for a set of data points is the line that minimises the
sum of the squared residuals for the data set. It is also known as the regression
line of y on x. It may be used to predict values of y, the dependent variable, for
values of x, the explanatory variable, but not vice versa. It should be used only to
predict y-values for x-values that are within, or just outside, the range of values of x
represented in the data.

48