IB Math AA HL Revision Notes
Formulas, conditions, key connections and common exam traps across the five AA HL topics. Use it alongside the formula booklet and regular question practice.
For the current AA HL syllabus, for exams up to November 2028.
How to use these notes
Each topic is split into short sections. Every section keeps its formulas, conditions and diagrams together.
- Connection (blue dot): links between formulas that the formula booklet does not state.
- Exam note (gold diamond): short reminders and common traps.
- Video: a link to my explanation of the topic.
Topic 1 Number and Algebra
Exponents and Logarithms
Exponent laws
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Same base | , | |
| Powers of products | ||
| Zero and negative | ||
| Fractional | ||
| Standard form | , |
- Connection: and
- Connection: Standard form products: multiply the parts, add the powers of 10, then rescale to .
Logarithms
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Definition of a log | , , | |
| Inverses | on the right | |
| Base | ||
| Product and quotient | ||
| Power | ||
| Change of base | , | |
| Base 10 and base |
- Connection: and
- Connection: and
- Connection:
- Connection:
- Connection:
- Connection:
- Exam note: No law exists for , or . Leave them as they are.
- Exam note: exists only when . Reject any answer that makes .
Sequences and Series
Arithmetic and geometric sequences
| Item | Arithmetic common difference | Geometric common ratio |
|---|---|---|
| th term | ||
| Sum of terms | , | |
| Sum to infinity | , only when | |
| Finding or |
- Connection: For any sequence:
for - Exam note: counts terms, so .
Sigma notation
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Sigma notation | runs through whole numbers |
- Connection: Sums split: . Constants come out: .
- Exam note: Check the first and last values of .
Money: interest and depreciation
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Compound interest | = future value, = present value, = number of years, = number of compounding periods per year, = nominal annual rate of interest | geometric, ratio per period |
| Depreciation | = starting value, = value after years, = annual rate of depreciation | geometric, ratio per year |
Counting and the Binomial Theorem
- Video: Binomial expansion (opens YouTube in a new tab)
- Video: Combinations and permutations (opens YouTube in a new tab)
Counting
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Factorial | ||
| Permutations | order matters, | |
| Combinations | order does not matter |
- Connection: for
- Connection: , , and
The binomial theorem
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Binomial theorem | ||
| General term | the term in , | |
| Pascal’s triangle | 1 11 121 1331 14641 15101051 | row gives |
- Connection: has terms. In each term, the powers of and add up to .
- Exam note: A coefficient is the number only. A term includes the power of .
- Exam note: In , use as the second term. The signs alternate.
- Exam note: Bracket the whole term: , not .
Extended binomial
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Extended binomial | , |
- Connection: is the geometric series with , valid for .
Partial Fractions
Two linear factors
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Two linear factors | the two factors are different |
- Connection: Clear the denominators: . This holds for every , so substitute the that makes each factor zero.
- Connection: In Topic 5:
- Exam note: Factorise the denominator fully first.
- Exam note: The numerator must have lower degree than the denominator. If not, divide first.
- Exam note: Watch the signs: .
Systems of Linear Equations
Up to three equations in three unknowns
Eliminate one unknown at a time.
| Result | What you see after eliminating |
|---|---|
| Unique solution | Each unknown gets one value. |
| Infinitely many solutions | One equation becomes . It gives no new information. Let one unknown be any number , then write the other unknowns in terms of . If two equations become , let two unknowns be and . |
| No solution | One equation becomes with , for example . This is impossible, so the system has no solution. |
Complex Numbers
Cartesian form
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Cartesian form | ||
| Conjugate and modulus | ||
| Argument | check the quadrant |
- Connection:
- Connection: and . Add if this is outside the required range.
- Connection:
- Exam note: and , for . This gives two equations.
- Exam note: Give in the range the question states, often or .
Arguments on the axes
| lies on the | All its arguments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| positive real axis | |||
| negative real axis | |||
| positive imaginary axis | |||
| negative imaginary axis |
Here , and . The column uses .
- Exam note: Adding a multiple of gives the same point. Give the argument in the range the question asks.
- Exam note: Do not use here. On the imaginary axis , and on the real axis it gives for both and . Sketch , then read the angle.
- Exam note: has no argument.
Anticlockwise is positive. Clockwise is negative.
Polar and Euler forms
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Polar and Euler forms | ||
| Product | ||
| Quotient |
- Connection: and
and
Adjust arguments by if needed. - Connection: : vector addition (the diagonal of the parallelogram).
is the reflection of in the real axis. - Connection: Multiplying by : rotate anticlockwise about 0.
- Connection: Multiplying by : enlarge by and rotate by .
- Connection: is the distance between the points and .
- Connection: and
Powers and roots
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| De Moivre | . For fractional powers, use the th roots formula. | |
| th roots | , |
- Connection: If :
- Connection: The roots of , , have equal modulus, and their arguments are apart. For they form a regular -gon centred at 0.
- Connection: The roots of (the th roots of unity) add to 0, for .
- Exam note: Conjugate roots: if the coefficients are real and is a root, then is a root.
- Exam note: th roots: list all of them. Start at , then put . Keep every argument in the required range.
Proof
Deductive proof, contradiction and counterexample
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | The symbol means true for every value. In an equation, holds for some values only. | |
| LHS to RHS | Start from one side. Change it one step at a time until it becomes the other side. | LHS RHS |
| Contradiction | Assume the statement is false. Reach something impossible. So the statement is true. | |
| Counterexample | One case where the statement fails shows it is not always true. |
- Connection: Even numbers: . Odd numbers: . Consecutive integers: , . Here .
- Exam note: LHS to RHS: work on one side only. Do not rewrite the whole identity on every line.
- Exam note: A counterexample is one specific value, with the check shown.
Proof by induction
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Induction |
| , or from the first value |
- Exam note: Write “Assume true for ”, not “for all ”.
- Exam note: In the step, show the line where you use the assumption for .
- Exam note: Write the full concluding sentence. Mark schemes usually give the final mark only when the earlier steps are there.
Topic 2 Functions
Lines and Quadratics
Straight lines
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Straight line | ||
| Gradient | ||
| Parallel lines | ||
| Perpendicular lines |
The three forms of a quadratic
| Form | Equation | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | -intercept axis of symmetry vertex | |
| Factor | -intercepts , axis of symmetry | |
| Vertex | vertex axis of symmetry |
- Connection: : minimum at the vertex. : maximum at the vertex.
Roots and the discriminant
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Quadratic formula | ||
| Discriminant | ||
two distinct real roots: the graph crosses the -axis twice | ||
two equal real roots: the graph touches the -axis | ||
no real roots: the graph misses the -axis | ||
| Always positive | for all and | |
| Always negative | for all and |
- Exam note: “Real roots” means . “Two distinct real roots” means .
Functions, Composites and Inverses
Functions and composites
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Function | Each in the domain gives exactly one | |
| Domain, range | Domain: the allowed inputs. Range: the outputs. | |
| Composite | apply first |
- Connection: In general .
Inverse functions
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Inverse | : swap and , then make the subject. must be one-to-one. | |
| Identity | ||
| Self-inverse | , so . Symmetric in . |
- Connection: The graph of is the reflection of in .
- Connection: Domain of = range of
Range of = domain of - Exam note: is not .
- Exam note: Not one-to-one? Restrict the domain first, usually to one side of a turning point.
Odd and even functions
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Odd | Half-turn symmetry about the origin | |
| Even | Symmetric in the -axis |
Graphs and Transformations
- Video: Transformations of graphs: translations, stretches and reflections (opens YouTube in a new tab)
Transformations of
| New graph | Transformation | Point moves to |
|---|---|---|
translation units up | ||
translation units down | ||
translation units to the right | ||
translation units to the left | ||
reflection in the -axis | ||
reflection in the -axis | ||
vertical stretch, scale factor | ||
horizontal stretch, scale factor | ||
translation units to the left, then horizontal stretch, scale factor |
- Exam note: In this table . So always moves up and always moves down.
- Connection: Inside the bracket: changes and works the opposite way to how it looks.
- Connection: Outside the bracket: changes and works the way it looks.
- Connection: : stretch first, then translate.
- Exam note: Describe each transformation fully: type, direction and scale factor or distance.
Sketching
- Exam note: Label key features on a sketch: intercepts, turning points, asymptotes and domain end points.
- Exam note: Papers 2 and 3: find intersections, zeros and turning points with the GDC.
Special Function Graphs
Each graph is drawn from , shown dashed. Gold lines are asymptotes.
| On | On |
|---|---|
| Part on or above the -axis, | stays the same |
| Part below the -axis, | reflected in the -axis |
| Graph | on or above the -axis: |
| On | On |
|---|---|
| Part for | stays the same |
| Part for | removed. It is replaced by the reflection of the part in the -axis. |
| Symmetry | symmetric in the -axis: an even function |
| On | On |
|---|---|
| Zero at , | vertical asymptote |
| Vertical asymptote | as hole at : still undefined at |
| as | horizontal asymptote |
| Horizontal asymptote , | horizontal asymptote |
| Positive or negative | same sign |
| Points where or | stay fixed |
| Increasing | decreasing |
| Decreasing | increasing |
| Maximum point, not on the -axis | minimum point, same |
| Minimum point, not on the -axis | maximum point, same |
| On | On |
|---|---|
| Zero at | touches the -axis at |
| Negative values | become positive, so |
| Values with | move away from the -axis |
| Values with | move closer to the -axis |
| Points where or | stay fixed |
| Points where | move to |
Rational Functions
Types and their asymptotes
| Type | Asymptotes | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reciprocal | vertical horizontal self-inverse: | ||
| Linear over linear | vertical: where the denominator horizontal | ||
| Linear over quadratic | vertical: where the denominator horizontal | ||
| Quadratic over linear | vertical: where the denominator oblique |
Finding asymptotes and intercepts
- Connection: Vertical asymptote: the that makes the denominator 0 (numerator ).
- Connection: -intercept: put . -intercept: put .
- Connection: Horizontal asymptote, compare degrees:
top < bottom:
top = bottom: ratio of leading coefficients - Connection: Oblique asymptote when the top degree is one more: divide to get , so .
- Exam note: Write asymptotes as equations.
- Exam note: A graph can cross a horizontal or oblique asymptote. It never crosses a vertical one.
Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
The two graphs
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Exponential | domain , range asymptote , through | |
| Logarithmic | domain , range asymptote , through |
- Connection: and are inverses: reflections in . The same holds for and .
Changing the graphs
- Connection: : increasing. : decreasing.
- Connection: : the reflection of in the -axis
- Connection: : asymptote . : growth. : decay.
- Connection: needs . Its vertical asymptote is where .
- Exam note: Translations move the asymptote too.
- Exam note: In , the value at is , not .
Solving Equations and Inequalities
Using graphs
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Graphical solution | Solutions of are the -coordinates where the graphs meet | |
The -values where the graph of is above |
- Connection: Number of solutions = number of intersection points
Quadratic inequalities
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Roots , | or |
- Exam note: Sketch the graph, then read off where it is above or below the -axis.
- Exam note: Multiplying or dividing by a negative number reverses the inequality.
Polynomials
Factor and remainder theorems
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Polynomial | , degree | |
| Factor theorem | is a factor | |
| Remainder theorem | leaves remainder |
- Connection: Divisor : remainder
Sum and product of roots
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Sum of roots | for | |
| Product of roots |
- Connection: Quadratic : and
- Exam note: Write the equation as … = 0 before using the sum and product formulas.
- Exam note: The sum and product include repeated and complex roots.
Shape of the graph
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Single root | The graph crosses the -axis. | |
| Double root | is a factor, so is a root twice. The graph touches the -axis at and turns there. |
- Connection: Degree : at most real roots and at most turning points
- Connection: For large , behaves like .
Topic 3 Geometry and Trigonometry
3D Geometry and Triangles
Points in 3D
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | ||
| Midpoint |
Solids
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Right pyramid | = area of base, = height | |
| Right cone | curved surface total surface , = slant height | |
| Sphere | ||
| Hemisphere | curved surface |
Right-angled triangles
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Ratios | ||
| Pythagoras | = hypotenuse |
Angles of elevation and depression
- Exam note: Angles of elevation and depression are measured from the horizontal.
- Connection: The angle of elevation of from equals the angle of depression of from .
Any triangle
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Sine rule | ||
| Cosine rule | ||
| Area |
| Use the sine rule when you know | Use the cosine rule when you know |
|---|---|
|
|
- Exam note: Set the GDC to degrees or radians to match the question.
The ambiguous case of the sine rule
- Exam note: It happens only when you know two sides and an angle not between them, and you use the sine rule to find an angle.
- Exam note: gives two angles: and . Check both. Keep only if the angles of the triangle still add up to with every angle positive.
Radians and the Unit Circle
Radians, arcs and sectors
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Radians | ||
| Arc length | in radians | |
| Sector area | in radians |
- Exam note: Arc length and sector area need in radians.
The unit circle and exact values
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Unit circle | -coordinate -coordinate | |
| Tan |
undefined |
The full unit circle is on the next page.
The unit circle
Example:
The point on the unit circle at is .
-coordinate
-coordinate
Symmetries from the unit circle
| sin | cos | tan |
|---|---|---|
- Exam note: Exact values of multiples: find the reference angle, then the sign from the quadrant.
Trigonometric Identities
Reciprocal ratios and Pythagorean identities
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Reciprocal ratios | ||
| Pythagorean |
- Connection: Divide by to get , or by to get .
Compound and double angles
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Compound angle | ||
| Double angle |
- Connection: Put in the compound angle formulas to get the double angle formulas.
- Connection: and
- Exam note: .
- Exam note: Pick the form that matches the rest of the equation: all sin or all cos.
Trigonometric Functions
The three graphs
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| , | period range sin is odd (blue). cos is even (dark). | |
period asymptotes , |
Transformed sine and cosine
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Functions |
| Feature | From the function | From the graph |
|---|---|---|
| Amplitude | ||
| Period | radians: degrees: | from a maximum to the next maximum, or from a minimum to the next minimum then or |
| Principal axis | ||
| Maximum, minimum | the highest and lowest -values | |
| Horizontal shift | to the right | sine with : the where the graph crosses going up |
- Connection: Example: amplitude 1.5, period , principal axis , shift to the right, maximum , minimum .
Inverse trig functions
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
domain range | ||
domain range | ||
domain range |
Vectors
Vector basics
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Components | ||
| Magnitude | ||
| Unit vector | ||
| Displacement |
- Connection: Parallel: . Two vectors are parallel when one is a multiple of the other.
Scalar product
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Scalar product | = angle between and | |
| Angle between vectors |
- Connection: Perpendicular:
- Connection: and
- Exam note: is a number.
- Exam note: For the angle at a vertex, both vectors must start at that vertex.
Vector product
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Vector product | ||
| Area of parallelogram | , adjacent sides |
- Connection: is perpendicular to both and .
- Connection:
- Connection: Parallel:
- Connection: Area of triangle
- Exam note: is a vector.
Lines and Planes
Lines
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Vector form | : a point on the line : direction vector | |
| Parametric form | ||
| Cartesian form | ||
| Parallel | Directions are parallel. Coincident if they also share a point. | |
| Intersecting | One solution for and in all three components | |
| Skew | Not parallel and no common point (3D only): one line passes over the other |
- Connection: Kinematics : = initial position, = velocity, speed =
- Exam note: Intersecting lines: solve two components, then check the third.
Planes
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Vector form | : a point on the plane , : two directions in the plane, not parallel | |
| Normal form | : the normal vector | |
| Cartesian form |
- Connection: Normal to :
- Connection: Line meets plane: substitute the line into the plane and solve for .
No solution: line parallel to plane
True for all : line lies in the plane - Connection: Two non-parallel planes meet in a line with direction .
- Connection: Three planes: solve as a system (Topic 1).
Angles
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Two lines | directions | |
| Line and plane | direction and normal | |
| Two planes | normals |
- Exam note: Each formula gives the acute angle : the modulus makes the right side positive.
- Exam note: Two lines or two planes: without the modulus you may get the obtuse angle. The acute angle is then . Line and plane: always use .
- Exam note: Line and plane: use sin, because is at to the plane.
Topic 4 Statistics and Probability
Data and Statistics
Mean and spread
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | ||
| Variance | ||
| Standard deviation | ||
| Grouped data | use mid-interval values as | gives an estimate |
| Change to every value | Mean | Standard deviation | Variance | IQR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Add to every value | unchanged | unchanged | unchanged | |
| Subtract from every value | unchanged | unchanged | unchanged | |
| Multiply every value by | ||||
| Divide every value by , |
- Connection: Adding or subtracting moves every value by the same amount, so the spread does not change.
- Connection: Example: 2, 4, 6 has mean 4. Add 10 to every value: 12, 14, 16, mean 14, same spread. Multiply every value by 3: 6, 12, 18, mean 12, and is 3 times larger.
- Exam note: Use from the GDC, not .
Quartiles, outliers and box plots
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Interquartile range | ||
| Outlier | below or above | |
| Cumulative frequency | read across at for , for the median, for | percentile : at of |
Sampling and data
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Population, sample | The population is the whole group being studied. A sample is part of it. | |
| Simple random sample | Every possible sample of that size is equally likely to be chosen. | |
| Bias, reliability | A biased sample does not represent the population. Check that the source of the data is reliable. | |
| Frequency distribution | A table of values or classes with their frequencies. A histogram shows it as bars with no gaps. | |
| Mode, modal class | The value with the highest frequency. For grouped data: the class with the highest frequency. |
- Connection: Sampling methods: simple random, systematic, stratified, quota, convenience
- Exam note: Discrete data is counted. Continuous data is measured.
Correlation and Regression
Correlation
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Pearson’s | from the GDC |
- Connection: close to : strong linear correlation. close to 0: weak or no linear correlation. The sign of gives the direction.
- Connection: Scatter diagram: plot each pair as a point. A line of best fit drawn by eye passes through the mean point .
- Exam note: Correlation does not mean causation.
Regression lines
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| on | : predicts from | |
| on | : predicts from |
- Connection: For each increase of 1 in , changes by .
When , . - Connection: Both lines pass through .
- Exam note: The on line predicts from only. Using it to predict from is not reliable: use the on line.
- Exam note: Interpolation is reliable when the correlation is strong ( is close to ). Extrapolation is not reliable.
Probability
Basic rules
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Probability of | , equally likely outcomes | |
| Complementary events | ||
| Combined events | ||
| Mutually exclusive | so | |
| Expected number | for trials with probability |
Conditional probability and independence
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Conditional | ||
| Independent |
- Connection: Independent
- Connection:
- Exam note: “Given that” means conditional: divide by the probability of the given event.
Tree diagrams and Bayes’ theorem
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Bayes’ theorem | ||
| Three events |
- Connection: Tree diagram: multiply along branches and add the end results.
- Connection: Bayes is the tree read backwards: the branch you want over all branches that give .
- Exam note: Without replacement, the second-stage probabilities change.
Discrete Distributions
Discrete random variables
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Probability distribution | ||
| Expected value | ||
| Variance |
- Connection: and
- Connection: Standard deviation
- Connection: Fair game:
Binomial distribution
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Binomial | ||
| Mean and variance |
- Connection: Conditions: fixed , two outcomes (success and failure), constant , independent trials
- Connection:
- Exam note: GDC: binomial pdf for and binomial cdf for .
- Exam note: “At least”, “more than” and “fewer than”: rewrite with before using the cdf.
The Normal Distribution
The normal curve
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | variance | |
| Properties | symmetric about , mean = median = mode, total area 1 |
- Connection: Normal probabilities such as : use the normal cdf on the GDC with the lower bound, the upper bound, and .
- Exam note: gives the variance. Take the square root for .
The empirical rule
Using symmetry: an example
- Connection:
- Connection:
- Connection: , because 40 and 60 are both 10 from the mean.
- Connection: , so .
Standardising and the inverse normal
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Standardised variable |
- Connection: or unknown, with a given probability such as :
1. Standardise with the formula: , where .
2. Use the inverse normal on , with mean 0 and standard deviation 1, to find the -value with .
3. Set and solve for the unknown. - Connection: Example: and . Inverse normal: . So , giving (2 d.p.).
- Connection: Both and unknown: two probabilities are given. Do steps 1 to 3 for each one. This gives two equations in and . Solve them together.
- Exam note: Inverse normal: check which tail the GDC uses.
Continuous Random Variables
Probability density functions
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| pdf conditions | and | |
| Probability |
- Connection: Outside the given domain, , so integrate over the domain only.
- Exam note: Piecewise pdf: integrate each piece over its own interval.
Mean, variance, mode and median
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Expected value | ||
| Variance | ||
| Mode | the where is greatest | |
| Median |
- Connection: and , as for discrete
- Connection:
- Exam note: The mode can be at an end point of the domain, not only where .
- Exam note: Check the median lies inside the domain.
Topic 5 Calculus
Limits and First Principles
Limits and continuity
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Limit | : the value approaches as |
- Connection: Continuous at :
- Connection: Differentiable at means continuous at . The reverse is not necessarily true: is continuous at but not differentiable there.
- Connection: ( in radians)
First principles
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Derivative | the gradient function and the rate of change of with respect to | |
| Higher derivatives |
- Exam note: Expand , cancel , then let .
L’Hôpital’s rule
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| L’Hôpital’s rule | form or also as |
- Connection: Still or after one step: use l’Hôpital again.
- Exam note: Check the form is or before using l’Hôpital.
- Exam note: Differentiate the top and bottom separately. It is not the quotient rule.
Differentiation Rules
Standard derivatives
- Exam note: Trig derivatives need in radians.
Chain, product and quotient rules
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Chain rule | , where | |
| Product rule | ||
| Quotient rule |
- Connection:
- Connection: and
- Connection:
- Exam note: Simplify first: split fractions and use log laws before differentiating.
Using Derivatives
Shape of a graph
| If | Then |
|---|---|
is increasing | |
is decreasing | |
stationary point at | |
and | local maximum at |
and | local minimum at |
and | the test fails: check the sign of on each side of |
, and changes sign at | horizontal (stationary) point of inflection at |
concave up | |
concave down | |
and changes sign at | point of inflection at |
- Connection: Second derivative test: first solve to find the stationary point . Then test the sign of .
- Connection: turns where and changes sign. has an inflection where turns.
- Connection: Horizontal (stationary) inflection: the tangent is horizontal, there. Non-stationary inflection: there.
- Exam note: alone does not prove an inflection. Check the sign change.
Step 2: test each one with . has an inflection where turns.
Sketching the first and second derivatives
| Graph of | Graph of | Graph of |
|---|---|---|
increasing | above the -axis | |
decreasing | below the -axis | |
max or min | crosses the -axis | |
point of inflection | max or min | crosses the -axis |
concave up | increasing | above the -axis |
concave down | decreasing | below the -axis |
- Connection: touches the -axis without crossing: a horizontal point of inflection of .
- Exam note: Mark the -values of the key points of first. Then sketch through them.
Max at and min at : crosses the axis.
Inflection at : has its min and crosses the axis.
Tangents and normals
- Connection: Tangent at : find the point and the gradient . Put them into the equation of a straight line.
- Connection: Normal at : the same point, with gradient , because the normal is perpendicular to the tangent. If , the normal is .
Implicit differentiation and related rates
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Implicit | ||
| Related rates |
- Connection: Implicit products:
- Exam note: Related rates: a decreasing quantity has a negative rate.
Optimisation
- Connection: Write the quantity in one variable, set the derivative to 0, then confirm max or min.
- Exam note: Check the end points of the domain too.
Integration
- Video: Integration by parts (opens YouTube in a new tab)
- Video: Integration by substitution (opens YouTube in a new tab)
Standard integrals
- Exam note: Add to every indefinite integral. Keep the modulus in .
- Connection: A boundary condition finds .
Recognising the form
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Linear inside | ||
| Top is the derivative of the bottom | ||
| Derivative times exponential |
- Connection: , : use the double angle formula (Topic 3).
- Connection: Denominator with two distinct linear factors: partial fractions first (Topic 1).
Substitution and definite integrals
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Substitution | : let , , then find | |
| Definite integral |
- Connection: Example: . Let , so . This gives .
- Exam note: Substitution in a definite integral: change the limits to -values too.
Integration by parts
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| By parts | or |
- Connection: By parts: choose that gets simpler when differentiated, such as or . If is in the integral, take . For , use .
- Connection: : parts twice, then the integral appears again. Solve for it.
Areas, Volumes and Kinematics
Areas
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| With the -axis | when | |
| With the -axis | ||
| Between curves |
- Connection: Below the -axis, the integral is negative. Split at the roots or integrate .
- Exam note: Area between curves: find where they meet for the limits.
area
integral
Volumes of revolution
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| About the -axis | ||
| About the -axis |
- Connection: Square first:
Kinematics
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Velocity, acceleration | ||
| Going back | use the starting values to find | |
| Displacement from to | ||
| Distance travelled from to | ||
| Speed |
displacement
distance
- Connection: : moving in the positive direction. : moving in the negative direction.
- Connection: At rest: . Changes direction: changes sign.
- Connection: Speeding up: and have the same sign. Slowing down: opposite signs.
- Connection: Maximum speed from a – graph: speed is , so look for the point furthest from the -axis. It can be above or below the axis.
Furthest from the -axis: at , not at .
Maximum speed .
Differential Equations
- Video: Separable differential equations (opens YouTube in a new tab)
- Video: Homogeneous differential equations (opens YouTube in a new tab)
- Video: Differential equations: integrating factor (opens YouTube in a new tab)
- Video: Euler's method (opens YouTube in a new tab)
Euler’s method
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Euler’s method | = step length |
- Connection: A smaller gives a better approximation.
- Exam note: Keep full accuracy at every step.
Exact methods
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Variables separable | ||
| Homogeneous | : put , | separable in and |
| Integrating factor | : | first write the equation in this form |
- Connection: An initial condition finds the constant.
- Exam note: Add the constant before you divide or take exponentials.
Maclaurin Series
Standard series
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Maclaurin series | ||
| all | ||
| all | ||
| all | ||
Building new series
Three separate methods. Each one starts from a standard series.
| Name | Formula | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Substitution | Replace in a standard series. Example: comes from the series for with replaced by . | |
| Differentiation or integration | Differentiate or integrate a standard series term by term. | |
| Products | Multiply two standard series and keep the terms up to the power asked. |
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37 pages · 5 topics · 34 sections
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Last updated: November 2026.
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