Diploma Programme

Mathematics: applications and interpretation

HL formula booklet
For use during the course and in the examinations
First examinations 2021

Version 1.0

HIGHER LEVEL

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2023

Contents

Topic 1: Number and algebra – HL 2

Topic 2: Functions – HL 3

Topic 3: Geometry and trigonometry – HL 4

Topic 4: Statistics and probability – HL 8

Topic 5: Calculus – HL 10
Topic 1: Number and algebra – HL

1.2 The nth term of an un = u1 + (n − 1) d

arithmetic sequence

The sum of n terms of an n n

arithmetic sequence
S n= ( 2u1 + (n − 1) d ) ; Sn= (u1 + un )
2 2

1.3 The nth term of a un = u1r n −1

geometric sequence

The sum of n terms of a u1 (r n − 1) u1 (1 − r n )

= Sn = , r ≠1
finite geometric sequence r −1 1− r

1.11 The sum of an infinite u1

S∞ = , r <1
geometric sequence 1− r

1.4 Compound interest r 

kn

FV = PV × 1 +  , where FV is the future value,
 100k 
PV is the present value, n is the number of years,
k is the number of compounding periods per year,
r% is the nominal annual rate of interest

1.5 Exponents and logarithms a x = b ⇔ x = log a b , where a > 0, b > 0, a ≠ 1

1.9 Laws of logarithms log=a xy log a x + log a y

x
log
= a log a x − log a y
y
log a x m = m log a x
for a, x, y > 0

1.6 vA − vE
Percentage error ε= × 100% , where vE is the exact value and vA is
vE
the approximate value of v

1.12 Complex numbers z= a + bi

Discriminant ∆= b 2 − 4ac

1.13 Modulus-argument (polar) z= re iθ =

r (cos θ + isin θ ) = r cis θ
and exponential (Euler)
form

Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL formula booklet 2

 1.14 a b
Determinant of a 2 × 2 A=
  ⇒ det A =A =
ad − bc
matrix c d

a b −1 1  d −b 
Inverse of a 2 × 2 matrix A 
=  ⇒ A=   , ad ≠ bc
c d det A  −c a

1.15 Power formula for a matrix M n = PD n P −1 , where P is the matrix of eigenvectors and D is
the diagonal matrix of eigenvalues

Topic 2: Functions – HL

Prior learning – HL

Solutions of a quadratic
−b ± b 2 − 4ac
equation The solutions of ax 2 +=
bx + c =0 are x ,a≠0
2a

2.1 Equations of a straight line = 0 ; y − y1= m ( x − x1 )

y mx + c ; ax + by + d =

y2 − y1
Gradient formula m=
x2 − x1

2.5 Axis of symmetry of the b

graph of a quadratic f ( x) = ax 2 + bx + c ⇒ axis of symmetry is x = −
2a
function

2.9 L
Logistic function f ( x) = , L , k,C > 0
1 + Ce − kx

Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL formula booklet 3

Topic 3: Geometry and trigonometry – HL

Prior learning – HL

Area of a parallelogram A = bh , where b is the base, h is the height

1
Area of a triangle A = (bh) , where b is the base, h is the height
2

1
Area of a trapezoid A
= (a + b) h , where a and b are the parallel sides, h is the height
2

Area of a circle A = πr 2 , where r is the radius

Circumference of a circle C = 2πr , where r is the radius

Volume of a cuboid V = lwh , where l is the length, w is the width, h is the height

Volume of a cylinder V = πr 2 h , where r is the radius, h is the height

Volume of prism V = Ah , where A is the area of cross-section, h is the height

Area of the curved surface of A= 2πrh , where r is the radius, h is the height
a cylinder

Distance between two

d= ( x1 − x2 ) 2 + ( y1 − y2 ) 2
points ( x1 , y1 ) and ( x2 , y2 )

Coordinates of the midpoint of  x1 + x2 y1 + y2 

a line segment with endpoints  ,   
( x1 , y1 ) and ( x2 , y2 )  2 2 

3.1 Distance between two

d= ( x1 − x2 ) 2 + ( y1 − y2 ) 2 + ( z1 − z2 ) 2
points ( x1 , y1 , z1 ) and
( x2 , y2 , z2 )

Coordinates of the  x1 + x2 y1 + y2 z1 + z2 
midpoint of a line segment  ,   ,   
with endpoints ( x1 , y1 , z1 )  2 2 2 

and ( x2 , y2 , z2 )

1
Volume of a right-pyramid V= Ah , where A is the area of the base, h is the height
3

Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL formula booklet 4

 1 2
Volume of a right cone V= πr h , where r is the radius, h is the height
3

Area of the curved surface A = πrl , where r is the radius, l is the slant height
of a cone

4 3
Volume of a sphere V= πr , where r is the radius
3

Surface area of a sphere A = 4πr 2 , where r is the radius

3.2 a b c
Sine rule = =
sin A sin B sin C

a 2 + b2 − c2
Cosine rule c 2 = a 2 + b 2 − 2ab cos C ; cos C =
2ab

1
Area of a triangle A = ab sin C
2

3.4 θ
Length of an arc l
= × 2πr , where θ is the angle measured in degrees, r is
360
the radius

θ
Area of a sector A
= × πr 2 , where θ is the angle measured in degrees, r is
360
the radius

3.7 Length of an arc l = rθ , where r is the radius, θ is the angle measured in radians

Area of a sector 1
A = r 2θ , where r is the radius, θ is the angle measured in
2
radians

3.8 Identities cos 2 θ + sin 2 θ =

1

sin θ
tan θ =
cos θ

Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL formula booklet 5

 3.9 Transformation matrices  cos 2θ sin 2θ 
  , reflection in the line y = (tan θ ) x
 sin 2θ − cos 2θ 

 k 0
  , horizontal stretch / stretch parallel to x-axis with a scale
 0 1
factor of k

1 0
  , vertical stretch / stretch parallel to y-axis with a scale
0 k 
factor of k

k 0
  , enlargement, with a scale factor of k, centre (0, 0)
0 k

 cos θ− sin θ 
  , anticlockwise/counter-clockwise rotation of
 sin θcos θ 
angle θ about the origin ( θ > 0 )

 cos θ sin θ 
  , clockwise rotation of angle θ about the origin
 − sin θ cos θ 
(θ > 0 )

3.10  v1 
2 2 2  
Magnitude of a vector v = v + v2 + v3 , where v =  v2 
1
v 
 3

3.11 Vector equation of a line r = a + λb

Parametric form of the x0 λ l , y =+

x =+ y0 λ m, z =+
z0 λ n
equation of a line

Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL formula booklet 6

 3.13  v1   w1 
   
Scalar product v ⋅ w= v1w1 + v2 w2 + v3 w3 , where v =  v2  , w =  w2 
v  w 
 3  3
v⋅w = v w cos θ , where θ is the angle between v and w

Angle between two v1w1 + v2 w2 + v3 w3

cos θ =
vectors v w

 v2 w3 − v3 w2   v1   w1 
     
Vector product w  v3 w1 − v1w3  , where v =  v2  , w =  w2 
v ×=
v w −v w  v  w 
 1 2 2 1  3  3
v×w =v w sin θ , where θ is the angle between v and w

Area of a parallelogram A= v × w where v and w form two adjacent sides of a

parallelogram

Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL formula booklet 7

Topic 4: Statistics and probability – HL

4.2 Interquartile range IQR

= Q3 − Q1

4.3 k

∑fx i i k
Mean, x , of a set of data x= i =1

n
, where n = ∑f
i =1
i

4.5 n ( A)
Probability of an event A P ( A) =
n (U )

Complementary events P ( A) + P ( A′) =

1

4.6 Combined events P ( A ∪ B )= P ( A) + P ( B) − P ( A ∩ B)

Mutually exclusive events P ( A ∪ B )= P ( A) + P ( B)

P ( A ∩ B)
Conditional probability P ( A B) =
P ( B)

Independent events P ( A ∩ B) =
P ( A) P ( B)

4.7 Expected value of a k

E(X )
discrete random variable X= ∑=
x P(X
i =1
i xi )

4.8 Binomial distribution

X ~ B (n , p)

Mean E ( X ) = np

Variance Var (=
X ) np (1 − p )

Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL formula booklet 8

 4.14 Linear transformation of a E ( aX +=
b ) aE ( X ) + b
single random variable
Var ( aX + b ) =
a 2 Var ( X )

Linear combinations of n E ( a1 X 1 ± a2 X 2 ± ... ± a=

n Xn ) a1E ( X 1 ) ± a2 E ( X 2 ) ± ... ± an E ( X n )
independent random
variables, X 1 , X 2 , ..., X n
Var ( a1 X 1 ± a2 X 2 ± ... ± an X n )
= a12 Var ( X 1 ) + a2 2 Var ( X 2 ) + ... + an 2 Var ( X n )
                          

Sample statistics

Unbiased estimate of n 2
population variance sn2−1
sn2−1 = sn
n −1

4.17 Poisson distribution

X ~ Po (m)

Mean E(X ) = m

Variance Var ( X ) = m

4.19 Transition matrices T n s0 = sn , where s0 is the initial state

Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL formula booklet 9

Topic 5: Calculus – HL

5.3 Derivative of x n x n ⇒ f ′( x) =
f ( x) = nx n −1

5.9 Derivative of sin x f ( x) =sin x ⇒ f ′( x) =cos x

Derivative of cos x f ( x) =⇒
cos x f ′( x) =
− sin x

1
Derivative of tan x f ( x) =tan x ⇒ f ′( x) =
cos 2 x

Derivative of e x e x ⇒ f ′( x) =
f ( x) = ex

1
Derivative of ln x f ( x) =ln x ⇒ f ′( x) =
x

dy dy du
Chain rule y = g (u ) , where u = f ( x) ⇒ = ×
dx du dx

dy dv du
Product rule y =uv ⇒ =u + v
dx dx dx

du dv
v −u
Quotient rule u dy
y= ⇒ = dx 2 d x
v dx v

5.5
x n +1
Integral of x n ∫x=
n
dx + C , n ≠ −1
n +1

5.8
b 1
The trapezoidal rule
∫ y dx ≈ h ( ( y0 + yn ) + 2( y1 + y2 + ... + yn −1 ) ) ,
a 2
b−a
where h =
n

Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL formula booklet 10

 5.11 Standard integrals 1
∫ x=
dx ln x + C

∫ sin x dx =
− cos x + C

∫ cos x=
dx sin x + C

1
∫ cos 2
=
x
dx tan x + C

∫e
x
x ex + C
d=

5.12 b b
Area of region enclosed A = ∫ y dx or A = ∫ x dy
a a
by a curve and x or y-axes

Volume of revolution b b
V = ∫ πy 2 dx or V = ∫ πx 2 dy
about x or y-axes a a

5.13 dv d 2 s dv
Acceleration a
= = = 2
v
dt dt ds

Distance travelled from t2

t1 to t2
distance = ∫t1
v(t ) dt

Displacement from t2

t1 to t2
displacement = ∫t1
v(t ) dt

5.16 Euler’s method yn +=

1 yn + h × f ( xn , yn ) ; xn +=
1 xn + h , where h is a constant
(step length)

Euler’s method for xn +1 = xn + h × f1 ( xn , yn , tn )

coupled systems
yn +1 = yn + h × f 2 ( xn , yn , tn )
tn +1= tn + h

where h is a constant (step length)

5.17 Exact solution for coupled = x Aeλ1t p1 + Beλ2t p2

linear differential equations

Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL formula booklet 11