Paper 1

Algebra

• Difference of two cubes: a³ - b³ = (a – b) (a² + ab + b²

• Sum of two cubes: a³ + b³ = (a + b) (a² - ab + b²)
• Two equal roots: b² - 4ac = 0
• Two distinct real roots: b² - 4ac > 0
• Imaginary (not real) roots: b² - 4ac < 0
• Forming a quadratic equation: x² - (sum of roots) x + product of roots = 0
• If x = k is a root of a polynomial f(x) ⇒ x – k is a factor
𝑎 √𝑎
• Laws of surds: √𝑎𝑏 = √𝑎√𝑏 , √𝑏 =
√𝑏

Functions

• Completed square form: y = a (x – h)² + k, where (h, k ) is the turning point. Given
quadratic; f(x) = ax² + bx + c, half coefficient of x value and square it.
• Injective functions: one to one correspondence. To prove; use the horizontal line
test.
• Surjective functions: all y values mapped onto. To prove; domain is equal to
codomain.
• Bijective functions: both injective and surjective.

Differentiation

• To find slope; differentiate and sub in x value

ⅆ𝑦
• To find turning point(s)/ max/ min: Let ⅆ𝑥 = 0 and solve. To get y coordinate sub into

original equation.
ⅆ2 𝑦
• To prove local max: ⅆ𝑥 2 < 0 when you sub in x value
ⅆ2 𝑦
• To prove local min: ⅆ𝑥 2 > 0 when you sub in x value
ⅆ2 𝑦
• Point of inflection: Let = 0 and solve.
ⅆ𝑥 2
ⅆ𝑦 ⅆ𝑦
• A function is increasing when ⅆ𝑥 > 0, decreasing when ⅆ𝑥 < 0
Integration

𝑏
• To find Area under a curve f(x) from [a,b]; ∫𝑎 𝑓(𝑥) ⅆ𝑥

• To find area between two functions f(x) and g(x):

ⅆ ⅆ
Let f(x) = g(x) to get limits [c, d] ⇒ ∫𝑐 𝑓(𝑥) − ∫𝑐 𝑔(𝑥)
1 𝑏
• Average value of a function: 𝑏−𝑎 ∫𝑎 𝑓(𝑥) ⅆ𝑥

𝑓(𝑥) ∫ 𝑓(𝑥)
sin 𝑎𝑥 1
− cos 𝑎𝑥
𝑎
cos 𝑎𝑥 1
sin 𝑎𝑥
𝑎
Sequences and Series

• General term of a quadratic sequence: 𝑇𝑛 = an² + bn + c, where 2a = 2nd difference.

• To prove sequence is arithmetic: 𝑇𝑛 − 𝑇𝑛−1 = common difference (d)
• In an arithmetic sequence: 𝑇𝑛 = 𝑆𝑛 − 𝑆𝑛−1
𝑇𝑛
• To prove sequence is geometric: = common ratio (r)
𝑇𝑛−1

Complex Numbers

• Dividing complex numbers: multiply above and below by the conjugate of the
bottom line.
• Polar form: r (Cos 𝜃 + i Sin 𝜃), where r = modulus, 𝜃 = argument
• Modulus (r) of a complex number given in the form |a + bi|: √𝑎2 + 𝑏 2
• Rules for finding the argument (θ), in radians:

θ=π-A θ=A

θ = -π+A θ = 2π-A
 Paper 2

Probability:

• P (A) + P (B) – P (A ∩ B) = P (A ∪ B)
• A and B are independent if: P (A) x P (B) = P (A ∩ B)
𝑃(𝐴∩𝐵)
• Conditional probability: P (A | B) = 𝑃(𝐵)

• Mutually exclusive: A ∩ B = ∅
• Expected value: E (x) = 𝛴𝑥𝑃(𝑥), i.e. the sum of the probabilities

Statistics:

𝜎
• 95% confidence interval given standard deviation and mean: 𝑥̅ ± 1 ⋅ 96
√𝑛

𝑝̂(1−𝑃̂ )
• 95% confidence interval given population proportion: 𝑝̂ ± 1.96√ 𝑛

• For a 90% confidence interval, use 1.645. For a 99% confidence interval use 2.575.
• Use z scores when asked to find the probability, given standard deviation and mean
• Hypothesis testing: Use Central limit theorem when given mean and standard
deviation. Use 95% confidence interval when given population proportion.
• p-value: Get z score from central limit theorem and double it

• 68% of normal data lies within 1 standard deviation of the mean.

• 95% of normal data lies within 2 standard deviations of the mean.
• 99.7% of normal data lies within 3 standard deviations of the mean.
Coordinate Geometry (Line and Circle):

• To find coordinates: only use simultaneous equations, translations or midpoint

formula.
• • Two circles with centres 𝑐1,𝑐2 touch externally: |𝑐1𝑐2| =𝑟1 + 𝑟2
• • Two circles with centres 𝑐1,𝑐2 touch internally: |𝑐1𝑐2| = |𝑟1 − 𝑟2|
• To find point of intersection: only use simultaneous equations.
• Lines are parallel when their two slopes are equal

Trigonometry:

• Trigonometric functions: Written in the form a + b Cos c θ.

2𝜋
a = horizontal midway line, b = amplitude, = period, range = [a – b, a + b]
𝑐
Geometry:

|𝐴𝐵| |𝐴𝐶| |𝐵𝐶|

• Similar triangles (all angles are the same): |𝑋𝑌| = |𝑋𝑍| = |𝑌𝑍|

Enlargements:

𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ
• Scale factor (k) = 𝑂𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ
𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎
• k² = 𝑂𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎