A/AS Mathematics

A/AS Mathematics

What is Mathematics?
It's the last 5 minutes of the World Cup qualifier and David Beckham is about to take a free kick that could take England to the World Cup Finals. The crowd are crying out for him to score… and he does. Top corner and we are through.

To set the Guinness World Record, a team of three set off on a cold November morning at the end of the Piccadily line at Heathrow. In a thrilling battle between them, the population of London, a rabbit warren of tunnels, guards and the clock, they must visit all the tube stations in London… and do this in less than 20 hours to claim their prize.

The ice cap at the North Pole is melting. When warmer climes reach further north, the ice covering the frozen wastes of Russia will recede to expose peat that will release a massive amount of CO2. Last year the percentage of ozone coverage fell again and this time significantly.

The Ancient Egyptians erected 30 metre high obelisks made of solid stone to celebrate their wealth and power. They did not use ropes to stand them up. They did not use cranes to stand them up… but they were able to say with absolute certainty that in 5½ days their obelisk would be upright.

What Mathematics can I do?
We offer 3 versions of AS Mathematics. These are Mathematics and Decision, Mathematics and Mechanics, Mathematics and Statistics. Each of these courses is made up of 3 modules (2 Core and 1 applied) as follows:
Maths and DecisionMaths and MechanicsMaths and Statistics
Core 1 (C1) Core 1 (C1) Core 1 (C1)
Core 2 (C2) Core 2 (C2) Core 2 (C2)
Decision 1 (D1) Mechanics 1 (M1) Statistics 1 (S1)

In the second year (A2) you would study Core 3, Core 4 and a different applied module, namely one of Decision 1, Mechanics 1 or Statistics 1 that you haven't already studied, or, if you get at least a grade B at AS, you may also choose either Mechanics 2 or Statistics 2. All modules are equally weighted.

What are Core 1 and Core 2?
Calculus will give you the tools to work out how long it will take for the Egyptian's obelisk to stand upright. Sequences and series will allow you to work out the sum of an infinite number of numbers. Trigonometry will enable you to model the height of the tide in a harbour so that you know when it is safe to allow a container ship to dock.

So which application should I pick?

Decision will give you the skills to determine the shortest path around all the London underground stations. You will be able to see how computers can sort the results of all Maths exams taken by students at the college, to get a rank of student's achievement. You will also understand the methods used to schedule complex projects, such as building the Channel Tunnel, in order to complete it in the least time. And you will learn how businesses decide what quantity of two different products to produce in order to maximise their profit.

Mechanics will give you the skills to model the flight path of David Beckham†s free kick. You will be able to model friction to find out whether the tyres on a car involved in a crashwere below the required tread depth. You will be able to see why Galileo was correct when he said two balls made of different materials rolling down the same slope will reach the bottom at the same time. You will use Newton†s Laws of Motion to find the driving force a car needs in order to accelerate up a hill at a given acceleration.

Statistics will give you the skills to analyse the proportion of CO2 in the atmosphere using the Normal Distribution to determine if there is a significant increase that could contribute to global warming. You will be able to determine whether the brain mass of mammals has a correlation with body size and how strong the correlation is. Using measures of spread you will be able to identify the differences in the birth and death rates of less economically developed countries to target money that will improve the economy and health of the population.

I've heard about Further Maths. What is this?
If you are a good Mathematician who is likely to get an A or preferably A* at GCSE, plus a range of other good grades, you should consider taking two A levels in Mathematics. During your first year you would study two AS levels in Maths and Further Maths. Then in the second year you could do A2 Maths and A2 Further Maths.

The extra depth of study of Pure Mathematics plus the extra breadth of applications you study provide you with an excellent background for many university courses. This is particularly useful for degrees in Mathematics, Physics and Engineering and the breadth of knowledge also helps in less obviously related subjects like Computing & Economics. Studying Further Mathematics is seen as an indication of high academic aptitude which is often helpful when making applications to certain courses and universities.

The double Maths and Further Maths courses are made up as follows:
Year 1Year 2
AS MathsAS Further MathsA2 MathsA2 Further Maths
Core 1 (C1) Decision 1 (D1) Core 3 (C3) Mechanics 2 (M2)
Core 2 (C2) Statistics 1 (S1) Core 4 (C4) Further Pure 2 (FP2)
Mechanics 1 (M1) Further Pure (FP1) Statistics 2 (S2) M3, FP3, S3 or D2

There will be a choice for one unit in the second year, depending on the preferences of all the students. We intend to run two of the four options. In previous years they have been Mechanics 3 and Further Pure 3. There is also an opportunity for gifted students to extend their mathematics further by studying additional units to gain AS (or A2) Further Maths (Additional) in their second year.

Progression
Mathematics is highly valued in a very wide range of careers and professions as it provides good evidence of the ability to think clearly and logically. It is accepted almost everywhere as a good entry qualification for practically every subject at degree level. It is a necessary requirement for anyone interested in mathematics, scientific, engineering or statistics related careers.

Course costs
All students will be expected to provide their own textbook and stationery, computer disks and calculators (where appropriate). Any further costs are outlined below:

Essential: AS Maths - £35 for books, AS Maths & Further Maths - £70 for books.

Optional: Many students buy a graphics calculator, such as the Casio fx-7400G, for around £25.

If the cost of equipment, materials and trips may cause you financial hardship, there is the opportunity to apply for help from the College Access Fund.

Course: EDEXCEL 8371/8372/

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