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CORE 2 Summary Notes
1 Indices
• Rules of Indices
a b a+b
x × x = x
a b a–b
x ÷ x = x 2x + 1 x
Solve 3 – 10 × 3 + 3 = 0
a b ab
(x ) = x 3 × (3x)
2
– 10 × 3
x
+ 3 = 0
x 1
Solve 9 =
0
27 Let y = 3
x

• x =1 2x –3
3 = 3 2
3y – 10y + 3 = 0
–a 1 2x = – 3 (3y – 1)(y – 3) = 0
x = a
• x
x = –
3
y =
1
gives 3 =
x 1
x= – 1
1
2 3 3
• x = x n n
y = 3 gives 3 = 3
x
x= 1
m
• x n
= ( n x )m = n x m

2 Graphs and Transformations

ASYMPTOTES
Straight lines that are approached by a graph which never actually meets them.

Vertical Asymptote
y x=2
5
1
y= + 1 4
x– 2 3
2
1

– 5– 4– 3– 2– 1 1 2 3 4 5 x
– 1
– 2
– 3 Horizontal Asymptote
– 4 y=1
– 5

a
TRANSLATION - to find the equation of a graph after a translation of   you replace x
b
by (x-a) and y by (y - b)

3 
e.g. The graph of y = x2 -1 is translated through   . Write down the equation of
 − 2
the graph formed.
y - b = f(x-a)
(y + 2) = (x-3)2 – 1 y y = x2 -1
y = x2 – 6x + 6 5
or 4
3
y = x2 – 6x + 6
y = f(x-a) +b 2
1

– 5– 4– 3– 2– 1 1 2 3 4 5 x
– 1
– 2
– 3
– 4
1
– 5
 REFLECTING y = -f(x)
Reflection in the x-axis, replace y with –y
Reflection in the y-axis, replace x with – x y = f(-x)

STRETCHING
1 1
Stretch of factor k in the x direction replace x by x y = f( x )
k k
1
Stretch of factor k in the y direction replace y by y
k y = kf(x)
2
e.g. Describe a stretch that will transform y = x + x -1 to the
graph of y = 4x2 + 2x -1

4x2 + 2x -1 = (2x)2 + (2x) -1

So x has been replaced by 2x.

Stretch of scale factor ½ in the x direction

3 Sequences and Series 1

• A sequence can be defined by the nth term such as un = n2 +1
u1 = 12 +1 u2 = 22 +1 u3 = 32 +1 u4 = 42 +1
=2 =5 =10 =17

• An INDUCTIVE definition defines a sequence by giving the first term and a rule to find
the next terms.
Un+1 = 2un + 1 u1 =3 u2 =7 u3 =15

• Some sequences get closer and closer to a value called the LIMIT – these are known
as CONVERGING sequences
e.g The sequence defined by Un+1 = 0.2un + 2 u1 =3 converges to a limit l
Find the value of l.
l must satisfy the equation I = 0.2l + 2
0.8l = 2
l = 2 ÷ 0.8
= 2.5
ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE
Each term is found by adding a fixed number (COMMON DIFFERENCE) to the
previous one.
u1 = a u2 = u1+ d u3 = u2 + d

a is the first term ,d is the common difference the sequence is

a, a + d , a + 2d, a + 3d,……….

Un = a + (n - 1)d

SUM of the first n terms of an AP (Arithmetic progression)

1 1
Sn = n ( 2a + (n-1)d ) or n(a + l) where l is the last term
2 2
1
• The sum of the first n positive integers is n(n + 1)
2
5

Σi
3 3 3 3 3 3 3
• SIGMA notation = 0 + 1 +2 + 3 +4 +5
i=0

2
 20
Show that Σ (3n – 1)
r=1
= 610

= 2 + 5 + 8 + .········59
a = 2 d = 3
20
S20 = (2 × 2 + (20 – 1) × 3)
2
= 10 × 61
= 610

4 Geometric Sequences
• A geometric sequence is one where each term is found by MULTIPLYING the
previous term by a fixed number (COMMON RATIO)

• The nth term of a geometric sequence a, ar, ar2, ar3, …is arn-1
a is the first term r is the common ratio

• The sum of a geometric sequence a + ar + ar2 + ar3 ….+ arn-1 is a geometric

a(r n − 1)
series S n =
r −1
a
• If -1 < r < 1 then the sum to infinity is
1− r

2 4 8
Find the sum to inifinty of the series 1 + + +
3 9 27
2
Geometric Series first term = 1 common ratio =
3
1
Sum to infinity = =3
2
1−
3
5 Binomial Expansion
• The number of ways of arranging n objects of which r are one type and (n-r) are
n n!
another is given by   = where n! = n(n-1)(n-2)….x 3 x 2 x 1
 r  r! (n − r )!

n  n   n  2  n  3 n
(1 + x) = 1 +   x +   x +   x + .········.x
•
 1   2   3 

n n  n  n–1 1  n  n–2 2  n  1 n–1 n

(a + b) = a +   a b +   a b + .··········.   ab + b
 1   2   n– 1 

Find the coefficient of x3 in the expansion of (2+3x)9

Note 3 + 6 = 9 (n)

9
n=9 , r=3  (3 x )3 (2)6
3
= 84 × 27 x3 × 64 = 145152 x3

3
 6 Trigonometry

• Exact Values – LEARN

45 30 60
1 3
sin 30 = sin 60 =
1 2 30
sin 45 = 2
√2 2 2 2
1 3 1
cos 30 = √3 cos 60 =
45 1 2 60 2
cos 45 =
2
1 1 1 1 tan 60 = 3
tan 45 = 1 tan 30 =
3

COSINE RULE
2 2 2
a = b + c – 2bc cos A
B
2 2 2
b = a + c – 2ac cos B c

a
2 2 2
c = a + b – 2ab cos A
C A

SINE RULE b

a b c
= =
sinA sinB sinC

AREA of a TRIANGLE
1 1 1
ab sinC = bc sinA = ac sinB
2 2 2

e.g. Find the area of triangle PQR

R Finding angle P
2 2 2
8 = 9 + 12 – 2 × 9 × 12 × cos P
8
cm
m

2 2 2
9c

9 + 12 – 8
cos P = = 0·745
2 × 9 × 12
P Q
12 cm P = 41·8·····.

1
Area = × 9 × 12 × sin 41·8·····.
2
= 35·99991 36 cm =
2 Try to avoid rounding until you reach your final
answer
2
= 36 cm

RADIANS and ARCS 180 = π radians 90 =

π
radians 60 =
π
radians
360 º = 2π radians 2 3
π π
45 = radians 30 = radians
4 6

4
 l
LENGTH OF AN ARC l = rθ
r

r AREA of SECTOR = ½ r2θ

7 Trigonometry
y
1
y = sin θ
– 270 – 180 – 90 90 180 270 360 x

– 1

sin (-θ) = - sin θ sin (180 – θ) = sin θ

sin (π – θ) = sin θ (in radians)

y = cos θ y
1

– 270 – 180 – 90 90 180 270 360 x

– 1

cos (-θ) = cos θ cos (180 – θ) = - cos θ

cos ( π – θ) = - cos θ (in radians)

y = tan θ y
10

sinx
tan x = 5

cos x
– 270 – 180 – 90 90 180 270 360 x

– 5

– 10

Tan (-θ) = - tan θ

2 2
sin x + cosx = 1
SOLVING EQUATIONS LEARN THIS IDENTITY

e.g. Solve the equation 2sin2 x = 3 cos x for 0 < x < 2 π

2
2 sin x = 3 cosx
2
2(1 – cos x) = 3 cos x
2
2cos x + 3cosx – 2 = 0
(2cos x – 1)(cos x + 2) = 0

cos x = -2 has no solution

5
 π π 5π
cos x = -½ x= or 2π − =
3 3 3

PROVING IDENTITIES
2
Show that (sin x + cos x ) = 1 + 2sinx cos x
2 2 2
LHS: (sin x + cos x) = (sin x + 2 sinx cos x + cos x)
2 2
= sin x + cos x + 2 sinx cos x
= 1 + 2 sin x cos x

LHS = RHS

TRANSFORMATIONS
Stretch in the y direction scale factor a y = a sin θ
y = sin x y = 4 sin x
y
5
4
3
2
1

– 180 – 90 90 180 270 360 x

– 1
– 2
– 3
– 4

1
Stretch in the θ direction scale factor y = cos bθ
b

y = cos θ y = cos 2θ
y
2

– 180 – 90 90 180 270 360 x

– 1

− c 
Translation   y = sin (θ + c)
0 

y = sin x y = sin (x+30)

y
2

– 180 – 90 90 180 270 360 x

– 1 A

– 2
6
 0
Translation   y = cosθ + d
d
y = cos θ y = cosθ +2
y
5
4
3
2
1

A
– 180 – 90 – 1 90 180 270 360 x

8 Exponentials and Logarithms

• A function of the form y = ax is an exponential function

• The graph of y = ax is positive for all values y = 3

–x
y = 4
x
y = 2
x

of x and passes through the point (0,1)

y
16
14
12

• A Logarithm is the inverse of an 10

exponential function 8
6
4
x
y = a ⇒ x = loga y 2

– 3 – 2 – 1 1 2 3 x

e.g log 32 = 5 because 25 = 32

2

LEARN THE FOLLOWING

loga a = 1 loga 1 = 0
x log x
loga a = x a = x

Laws of Logarithms
loga m + loga n = loga mn

 m 
loga m – loga n = loga  
 n 
k
kloga m = loga m

E.g Solve logx 4 + logx 16 = 3

logx 64 = 3
3
x = 64
x = 4

7
 • An equation of the form ax =b can be solved by taking logs of both sides

9 Differentiation and Integration

n dy n–1
• If y = x then = nx
dx
n+1
x
∫
n
• x dx = + c for all values of n except n = – 1
n + 1
2 1 3 1 5
1 + x 2 2
∫ ∫
–2
e.g = x + x2 = 2x2 + x + c
x 5

TRAPEZIUM RULE
The trapezium rule gives an approximation of the area under a graph.
If the gap between the ordinates is h then

Area = ½ h (end ordinates + twice ‘sum of interior ordinates’)

2
Use the trapezium rule 4 strips to estimate the area under the graph of y = 1 + x
from x = 0 to x = 2
x y y
0 1
0.5 √1.25 2
1 √2
1.5 √3.25
1

Area =
½ x 0.5 ( 1 + √3.25 + 2(√1.25 + √2))
= 1.966917 – 1 1 2 3 x

= 1.97 (3sf)
– 1