Pearson (Edexcel) 9FM0 Mrs Nicky Connock
Further Mathematics
Why should I study Further Mathematics?
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Mathematics is the language of commerce, engineering and other sciences. It is elegant and beautiful, exciting and challenging, perfect and truthful. It is an attractive qualification, highly sought after by employers. We are living in the golden age of mathematics right now!
What do I need to know or be able to do before taking Further Mathematics? To study A level Further Mathematics you would typically be expected to have achieved an 8 or 9 at GCSE or IGCSE Mathematics.
What will I learn? How to: Use mathematical skills and knowledge to solve problems. Solve quite complicated problems by using mathematical arguments and logic. Understand and demonstrate what is meant by proof in mathematics. Simplify real life situations so that you can use mathematics to show what is happening and what might happen in different circumstances. Use the mathematics that you learn to solve problems that are given to you in a real-life context. Use calculator technology and other resources (such as formulae booklets or statistical tables) effectively and appropriately and understand the limitations of such technology. Reflect on the ideas that some of the greatest minds of the millennium have produced. Use advanced mathematical techniques in Further Mathematics topics.
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Who is this course suitable for?
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Those with a facility for Mathematics, logical thought and who aim at perfection.
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Those who want to get to grips with more of the many different branches of mathematics. Those who want to see the beauty of the subject and see its ‘real’ face; the maths beyond the more functional aspects studied in A level maths. Further Maths gives you the opportunity to see why so many people have studied this subject, with such dedication and devotion, for so many centuries. Those who like surprises, and also that sense of ‘correctness’ you get when you meet a new idea that just strikes you as an ‘obvious’ revelation, now you know it. Those who want to challenge themselves mathematically. Those who want to start exploring the ‘rules’ that govern the universe.
How is the course assessed? Pupils taking Further Mathematics must also complete A level Mathematics. In addition to the examinations for A level Mathematics they would typically do: Topics: Compulsory papers: Pure Mathematics 1 and 2 (Proof, Complex numbers, Matrices, Further algebra and functions, Further calculus, Further vectors, Polar coordinates, Hyperbolic functions, Differential equations). Two written papers. Option papers with topics chosen from Mechanics, Statistics, Decision & Pure. Two written papers.
What could I go on and do at the end of my course? Further Mathematics at A level normally, but not always, leads into university courses with a strong mathematical or statistical base. This often includes subjects such as Mathematics, Engineering or Economics, although Further Mathematics is not always a requirement to study these at University.
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