Mathematics

Course summary

The course consists of a mixture of pure and applied mathematics. When studying pure mathematics you will be extending your knowledge of such topics as algebra and trigonometry as well as learning some brand new concepts, such as calculus. If you enjoyed the challenge of problem solving at GCSE using such mathematical techniques, then you should find the prospect of this course very appealing. Although many of the ideas you will meet are interesting in their own right, they also serve as an important foundation for other branches of mathematics, especially mechanics and statistics. In mechanics, you will learn how to describe mathematically the motion of objects and how they respond to forces acting upon them, from cars in the street to satellites revolving around a planet. You will also learn the technique of mathematical modelling; that is, of turning a complicated physical problem into a simpler one that can be analysed and solved using mathematical methods. In statistics, you will learn how to analyse and summarise numerical data in order to arrive at conclusions about it. You will also learn new probability techniques, analysing common situations using probability models.