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Formulae & Tips For CAT: The Competition Master
Formulae & Tips For CAT: The Competition Master
&
Tips for CAT
Brought to you by
The Competition Master
126, Industrial Area-1, Chandigarh - 160002 India
surface area = rl
19.
In AP, to find the nth term
and sumof the series, use
the following:
AP, GP:
1
2
21. Permutations and
combinations:
Circular permutations:
The number of circular
permutations of n different
objects is (n1)!
For example, if 20
people are invited to a
party, to find out how many
ways can they and the host
be seated at a circular
11
nth term = a + (n-1)d,
where a is the first term
and d is the common
difference.
n
Sum = {2a + (n-1)d}, or
2
n
Sum = (a + l)
2
where l is the last term.
n-1
In GP, nth term = a.r ,
where r is the common ratio.
Sum of n terms
n
(r .1)
= a if r >1,
r-1
n
2(1-r )
and if r <1.
1-r
Sum to infinity, if r <1,
of a GP is given by :
a
S = .
1-r
: If two
numbers a and b are given,
their geometric mean is
given by ab .
The reciprocals of an AP
form a harmonic
progression.
1 1 1
Thus, , ,
3 6 9
Geometric mean
Harmonic Progression:
1
, , ...
12
is an example of HP, try to
get the series into AP, do
the calculations and then
change into fractions again.
20. If an event
can happen in y ways and
the number of ways that a
particular event can
occur is x, then the
probabilityof t
Probability :
he event
x
happening is .
y
If x is the probability of an
event happening, the
probability that it will not
happen is (1 x).
n
r
n!
P =
(n-r)!
table, since there are 21
people to be seated
around a circular table. So
the number of ways that
they can be seated around
it is 20!.
Combi nat i ons: The
number of combinations of
n distinct objects taken r at
a time, is given by:
22. Calendar: Every
year which is divisible by 4
is a leap year. Every fourth
century is a leap year but
no other century is a leap
year. Thus 400, 800, 1200
and so on are leap years
but 700, 900, 1100 are not
leap years, even though
they are divisible by 4.
To solve calendar sums,
the number of odd days will
give the answer as to the
day of the week that a
particular day should be.
The week starts with
Sunday (0 odd day) and
goes till Saturday (6 odd
days).
23. Clocks: A clock has
a dial divided into 60
minutes. Each minute will
thus subtend an angle of 6
at the centre, since total
circle is 360. Each five-
minute interval subtends a
30 angle.
A minute hand moves 6
every minute. The hour
hand moves a distance of 5
minutes or 30 in one hour.
In one minute, he
moves
In one hour, the minute
hand moves 60 minutes,
while the hour hand moves
5 minutes. The minute
hand thus gains 55 minutes
over the hour hand.
24. Logs: The following
rules are important:
1. Log of 1 to any base
is 0.
(x
0
= 1 for any x).
2. Log of any number to
the same base is 1.
(Loga a = 1, since a
1
=
a).
3. Log of any number is
12
n
r
n!
C =
r! (n-r)!
30 1
degrees, or .
60 2
the sum of the logs of its
factors.
(log mn = log m + log
n).
4. Log of a fraction is the
log of numerator minus log
of denominator. (log =
log m - log n).
5. Log a
x
= x log a.
6. Loga b x logb a = 1
25. Calculus: Rules for
derivatives:
1. The derivative of a
constant is zero. If y = 10,
= 0, since it does not
change with respect to x.
3. The derivative of a
term equals the derivative
of each term added
together.
4. When y = u.v where u
and v are functions of x,
then
GEOMETRY
1. Parallel Lines: The
following rules are useful:
( i ) Co r r e s p o n d i n g
angles are equal.
(ii) Alternate angles are
equal.
(iii) Interior angles on
the same side are
supplementary.
2. Triangle: A triangle is
a three sided figure. It has
13
m
n
dy
2. If y = xn, then
dx
n-1
= n.x .
I
2
f y = x +2x-1,
dy d
2
then = (x )
dx dx
d d
+ (2x) - (1)
dx dx
=2x +2.
dy
= v.du + u.dv.
dx
u
5. If y = where u and v
v
are functions of x, then
dy d.du-u.dv
= .
2 dx
v
dy
x x
6. (a) If y = e , then = e .
dx
dy
x
(b) If y = a , then
dx
x
= a log a.
(c) If y = log x,
e
dy 1
then = .
dx x
(d) If y = log x,
a
dy 1
then = = log a.
dx x
the following properties:
(i) The sum of all the
angles is 180.
(ii) The exterior angle is
equal to the sum of the
interior opposite angles.
There are 6 exterior
angles of the triangle.
(iii) An interior and
exterior angle is
supplementary.
(iv) The sum of any two
sides is always greater than
the third side.
(v) The difference of any
two sides is always less
than the third side.
(vi) The side opposite
the greater angle will be the
greatest side.
(vii) A triangle has at
least 2 acute angles.
A median of a triangle is
the line from a vertex to the
midpoint of the opposite
side. The centroid is the
point at which the medians
of the triangle meet. The
centroid divides the
medians in the ratio 2:1.
The median bisects the
area of the triangle.
Theorem of Appolonius:
Sum of the squares of two
sides of a triangle =
2(median)
2
+ 2(half the
third side)
2
.
The orthocentre is the
point where the three
altitudes of the triangle
meet.
The circumcentre is the
point where the
perpendicular bisectors of
all the sides meet. A circle
drawn with the
circumcentre as the centre,
can circumscribe the
triangle.
The incentre is the point
where the three bisectors
of a triangle meet. The
inradius of the circle is the
perpendicular distance
from the incentre to any of
the sides of the triangle.
The incentre divides the
bisector of any angle in the
ratio of (b+c) : a.
Angle bisector
theorem: The bisector of
any angle of a triangle
divides the opposite side in
the ratio of the two adjacent
14
sides.
Area of a triangle:
There are 2 ways to find the
area of a triangle:
where a,b,c are the sides of
the triangle and
The isosceles triangle:
Is a triangle in which two
sides are equal and two
angles are also equal.
Equilateral triangle: Is a
triangle in which all sides
are equal and all angles are
also equal (60).
Right angled triangle:
The Theorem of
Pythagoras is repeatedly
used, which states that the
square of the hypotenuse
equals the sum of the
squares of the other two
sides.
The median to the
hypotenuse bisects the
hypotenuse, which is also
the circumradius of the
triangle.
Pythagorean triplets:
The following are some
examples of Pythagorean
triplets:
3, 4, 5
5, 12, 13
7, 24, 25
8, 15, 17
9, 40, 41
11, 60, 61
12, 35, 37
16, 63, 65
20, 21, 29.
Congruency: Two trian-
gles are congruent if:
1. Two sides and the
included angle of one
triangle are respectively
equal to the two sides and
the included angle of the
second triangle (SAS).
15
1
(a) Area = (base)(height)
2
(b) s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)
a+b+c
s= .
2
3
Height = side.
2
3
2
Area = side .
4
1
Inradius = (height)
3
2
Circumradius = (height).
3
2. Three sides of the first
are respectively equal to
the three sides of the
second triangle (SSS).
3. Two angles and a
side of the first are
respectively equal to the
two angles and one side of
the other triangle (AAS).
4. The hypotenuse and
one side of a right angled
triangle are respectively
equal to the hypotenuse
and one side of another
right angled triangle (RHS).
Similarity: Two triangles
are similar if:
1. Three angles of one
triangle are respectively
equal to three angles of the
second (AAA).
2. Two angles of one
triangle are respectively
equal to two angles of the
second (AA).
3. Two sides of one
triangle are proportional to
two sides of the other and
the included angles are
equal (SAS).
In a right angled
triangle, the altitude to the
hypotenuse separates the
triangle into two triangles
which are similar to each
other and to the original
triangle.
Midpoint theorem: The
line joining the midpoints of
any two sides of a triangle
is parallel to the third side
and equal to half of it.
Basic proportionality
theorem: A line parallel to
one side of a triangle
divides the other two sides
proportionally. In the figure,
DE is parallel to BC. Then,
AD/BD = AE/EC.
3. Polygons: A polygon
is any closed plane figure.
A triangle is a polygon with
3 sides, a quadrilateral with
4 sides, a pentagon with 5
sides and a hexagon with 6
sides. A polygon with
infinite sides is a circle.
A regular polygon is one
which has all sides and
angles equal.
In a polygon, the sum of
all the interior angles is
(2n 4) right angles.
16
Straight lines joining the
midpoints of the adjacent
sides of any quadrilateral
forms a parallelogram.
4. Circles: Some
qualities of circles are given
below.
1. A tangent touches a
circle at only one point. A
chord is any line joining
any two points on the
circle. When the chord
passes through the centre,
it becomes the diameter.
2. A tangent is
perpendicular to the radius.
3. A perpendicular from
the centre of the circle to
the mid-point of a chord is
perpendicular to the chord.
Equal chords are
equidistant from the centre.
The reverse is also true.
4. There is only one
circle that can pass
through three non-collinear
points.
5. Tangents drawn from
an external point are equal.
6. The angle subtended
by an arc of a circle at the
centre is double the angle
subtended by it at any
point on the remaining part
of the circle.
7. Angles in the same
segment are equal.
8. The angle in a semi
circle is a right angle.
9. In a cyclic
quadrilateral, the sum of
the opposite angles is
1800. If one side of cyclic
quadrilateral is produced,
then the exterior angle is
equal to the interior
opposite angle. The
quadrilateral formed by
angle bisectors of a cyclical
17
1
Area = (perimeter)
2
(perpendicular from centre
to any side).
Quadrilaterals: In a
quarilateral, the sum of all
four angles is 360.
1
Area = (diagonal)
2
(sum of perpendiculars
on it fromopposite
vertices)
quadrilateral is also cyclic.
10. Equal arcs make
equal chords.
11. When two circles
touch, their centres and the
point of contact are
collinear. If they touch
externally, the distance
between their centres is
equal to the sum of radii
and if the cicles touch
internally, the distance
between the centres equals
the difference of the radii.
12. If from the point of
contact of a tangent, a
chord is drawn then the
angle which the chord
makes with the tangent is
equal to the angle formed
by the chord in the
alternate segment.
TRIGONOMETRY
In a right angled
triangle, three ratios must
be learnt:
1. Sin A
= Opposite/ Hypotenuse
2. Cos A
= Adjacent/Hypotenuse
3. Tan A
= Opposite/Adjacent
Some important ratios
are given in the following
table:
18
2
2
13. Area of the circle is r .
Area of sector with angle
= r .
360
Angle Ratio
Sin Cos Tan
0 0 1 0
1 3 1
30
2 2 3
1 1
45 1
2 2
3 1
60 3
2 2
90 1 0 unde -
fined
ALGEBRA
Quadratic equations:
The equation ax
2
+ bx + c
= 0 where a, b, c are real
numbers and , is a
quadratic equation.
Quadratic equations can
be solved by factorising.
Two solutions are obtained,
which are also called roots
of the equation.
If the equation ax
2
+ bx
+ c = 0 cannot be
factorised, the roots are
obtained by the formula
a) If b
2
4ac is positive,
the roots and are both real
and unequal.
b) If b
2
4ac is a perfect
square, then the roots are
rational and unequal.
c) If b
2
4ac is zero, then
the roots are real and
equal.
d) If b
2
4ac is negative,
the roots are complex and
unequal.
The value of b
2
4ac is
called the discriminant.
Formulae: It is useful to
remember the following
formulae:
1. (x+y)
2
= x
2
+ 2xy +
y
2
.
2. (x-y)
2
= x
2
2xy + y
2
.
3. (x+y)
2
(xy)
2
= 4xy.
4. (x+y)
2
+(xy)
2
= 2(x
2
+ y
2
).
5. (x+y)
3
= x
3
+ y
3
+3xy(x+y).
6. (xy)
3
=
x
3
y33xy(xy).
7. x
2
y
2
= (x+y)(xy).
8. x
3
+ y
3
=
(x+y)(x
2
+y
2
xy).
19
2
2
2
b b 4ac
x=
2a
If and are the roots so
obtained, then
b + b 4ac
x=
2a
b b 4ac
=x=
2a
2
If and are the roots
of a quadratic equation
ax + bx + c = 0, then
-b c
+ = and =
a a
a 0
9. x
3
y
3
= (xy)(x
2
+ y
2
+ xy).
10. (x + y + z)
2
= [x
2
+
y
2
+ z
2
+2(xy +yz + xz)].
11. x
3
+y
3
+ z
3
3xyz =
(x + y + z)(x
2
+y
2
+ z
2
xy
yz zx).
12. If x + y + z = 0,
then x
3
+ y
3
+ z
3
= 3xyz.
The converse is also
true.
Surds and indices: The
following formulae are
useful:
1. a
m
a
n
= a
m+n
.
Sets:
n(AUB) = n(A) + n(B).
If the sets intersect, then
n(AUB) = n(A) + n(B)
n(AB).
For three sets,
n(AUBUC) = n(A) + n(B) +
n(C) n(AB) n(BC)
n(CA) + n(ABC).
DATA
INTERPRETATION
Steps to do DI
questions:
1. Spend half a minute
to look at the table or
graph. Note the years to
which the data refers to
and the units. Sometimes
the figures may be given in
thousands while the
answer may be in millions,
resulting in mistakes.
2. Make sure you
understand what the table
says and what it does not.
3. The level of approxi-
mation that can be done is
assessed from the choices.
If the answers are wide,
time should not be wasted
in working out exact
figures. If the choice none
of the above exists, a close
approximation may be
20
0
m
a
mn
2. = a .
n
a
m n mn
3. (a ) = a .
a
n n n n
4. (ab) = a b and ( )
b
n
a
= .
n
b
5. a = 1.
n 1/n
6. a = a .
n n n
7. a.b = a. b.
required.
4. Read the question
carefully. It will give an
indication as to which row
and column should be
seen.
5. There may be one or
two very large questions
requiring calculations.
Attempt these at the last.
6. Revise bar charts, pie
charts, statistics and
graphs before attempting
DI questions.
DATA SUFFICIENCY
Steps to solve DS
questions:
1. Read the statement
carefully and understand
the question that must be
answered.
2. Read the first piece of
data provided, while
completely ignoring the
second. If you read
everything at once, it will be
difficult to arrive at an
answer.
3. Can the question be
answered on reading the
first statement only? If so, it
is sufficient to answer the
question. The second
statement must be similarly
checked. If it is not
sufficient, it must be
checked whether the
answer can be provided by
combining it with the
second.
4. Read the second
statement while completely
ignoring the first. This is
important, otherwise the
data in the first will
influence your answer.
5. After both statements
have been considered
individually, combine them
to see whether the answer
is obtained by combining
them. This step is not
necessary if each
statement is sufficient
independently to answer
the question.
6. Do not waste time
trying to solve a problem;
you are only to determine
whether the information is
sufficient to solve the
problem. The exact answer
is not required.
21
7. Sometimes choices
help. If you are sure about
the first statement, the
answer can be A or D. If
you are sure about the
second one, the answer
can be B or D. Looking at
the choices at this stage
will help you tick the right
choice.
8. When geometric
figures are given, do not
assume things going by
the look of the figures. An
angle may look like 90
degrees, but the data
provided may make it just a
little more or a little less
than a right angle. Similarly,
a triangle may look
isosceles, but the data
provided may be
otherwise. Remember, the
figures may not be drawn
to scale.
9. Note that data
sufficiency problems are
time savers since they do
not require long
calculations. So they
should be attempted first.
22