Appendix B: mathematical formulae and identities

Students must be able to use the following formulae and identities for AS and A-level further mathematics, without these formulae and identities being provided, either in these forms or in equivalent forms. These formulae and identities may only be provided where they are the starting point for a proof or as a result to be proved.

Pure mathematics

Quadratic equations

ax2+bx+c=0 has roots -b±b2-4ac2a

Laws of indices

axayax+y

ax÷ayax-y

axyaxy

Laws of logarithms

x=ann=logax for a>0 and x>0

logax+logayloga(xy)

logax-logaylogaxy

klogaxloga(xk)

Coordinate geometry

A straight line graph, gradient m passing through (x1,y1) has equation

y-y1=m(x-x1)

Straight lines with gradients m1 and m2 are perpendicular when m1m2 = - 1

Sequences

General term of an arithmetic progression: un=a+n-1d

General term of a geometric progression: un=arn-1

Trigonometry

In the triangle ABC

Sine rule: asinA = bsinB = csinC

Cosine rule: a2=b2+c2-2bccosA

Area =12absinC

cos2A+sin2A1

sec2A1+tan2A

cosec2A1+cot2A

sin2A2sinAcosA

cos2Acos2A-sin2A

tan2A2tanA1-tan2A

Mensuration

Circumference and Area of circle, radius r and diameter d :

C=2πr=πd

A=πr2

Pythagoras’ Theorem: In any right-angled triangle where a , b and c are the lengths of the sides and c is the hypotenuse:

c2=a2+b2

Area of a trapezium = 12(a+b)h , where a and b are the lengths of the parallel sides and h is their perpendicular separation.

Volume of a prism = area of cross section × length

For a circle of radius r , where an angle at the centre of θ radians subtends an arc of length s and encloses an associated sector of area A :

s=rθ

A=12r2θ

Complex numbers

For two complex numbers z1=r1eiθ1 and z2=r2eiθ2 :

z1z2=r1r2ei(θ1+θ2)

z1z2=r1r2ei(θ1+θ2)

Loci in the Argand diagram:

z-a=r is a circle radius r centred at a

arg z-a=θ is a half line drawn from a at angle θ to a line parallel to the positive real axis.

Exponential form:

eiθ=cosθ+isinθ

Matrices

For a 2 by 2 matrix abcd the determinant =abcd=ad-bc

the inverse is 1d-b-ca

The transformation represented by matrix AB is the transformation represented by matrix B followed by the transformation represented by matrix A .

For matrices A , B :

( AB )–1 = B –1 A –1

Algebra

r=1nr=12n(n+1)

For ax2 + bx + c = 0 with roots α and β :

α+β=-ba

αβ=ca

For ax3 + bx2 + cx + d = 0 with roots α , β and γ :

α=-ba

αβ=ca

αβγ=-da

Hyperbolic functions

cosh x 12(ex+e-x)

sinh x 12(ex-e-x)

tanh x sinhxcoshx

Calculus and differential equations

Differentiation

Function

Derivative

xn

nxn-1

sinkx

kcoskx

coskx

-ksinkx

ekx

kekx

lnx

1x

fx+g(x)

f'x+g'(x)

fxg(x)

f'xgx+fxg'(x)

f(gx)

f'(gx)g'(x)

Integration

Function

Integral

xn

1n+1xn+1+c,n-1

coskx

1ksinkx+c

sinkx

-1kcoskx+c

ekx

1kekx+c

1x

ln|x|+c,x0

f'x+g'(x)

fx+gx+c

f'(gx)g'(x)

fgx+c

Area under a curve =abydx(y0)

Volumes of revolution about the x and y axes:

Vx=πaby2dx

Vy=πcdx2dy

Simple Harmonic Motion:

ẍ=-ω2x

Vectors

xi+yj+zk=(x2+y2+z2)

Scalar product of two vectors a =a1a2a3 and b =b1b2b3 is

a1a2a3.b1b2b3=a1b1+a2b2+a3b3=abcosθ

where θ is the acute angle between the vectors a and b .

The equation of the line through the point with position vector a parallel to vector b is:

r = a + tb

The equation of the plane containing the point with position vector a and perpendicular to vector n is:

( r a ) . n = 0

Mechanics

Forces and equilibrium

Weight = mass ×g

Friction: FμR

Newton’s second law in the form: F=ma

Kinematics

For motion in a straight line with variable acceleration:

v=drdt

a=dvdt=d2rdt2

r=vdt

v=adt

Statistics

The mean of a set of data: x̅=xn=fxf

The standard Normal variable: Z=X-μσ where X~N(μ,σ2)