Application and Interpretations Standard Level Syllabus

Year 1 
Semester 1 
Unit 1: Modelling an Unfair World

Semester 2 
Unit 2: Patterns in the Rhythms in Mathematics
Unit 3: Take a Chance on Me!
Unit 4: Describing Pathways (Part 1)

IA introduction

 
Year 2 
Semester 1 
Unit 1: Concurrent Topics
● Year 1 Review
● IA Exploration
Unit 2: Describing Pathways (Part 2)

Semester 2
Unit 3: Describing Pathways (Part 3)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Application and Interpretations Standard Level DETAILED Syllabus 
 
Year 1 
 
Semester 1 
Unit 1: Modelling an Unfair World

Statistics (20 Hours)

4.1 Concepts of population, sample, random sample, discrete and continuous
data. Reliability of data sources and bias in sampling. ​(missing data/errors
in the recording data)
Interpretation of outliers ​(data > 1.5 × IQR away from nearest quartile;
awareness that some outliers are a valid part of the sample, but some
outlying data items may be an error in the sample. ​Sampling techniques and
their effectiveness.
4.2 Presentation of data (discrete and continuous): frequency distributions
(tables), Histograms ​(with equal class intervals, not required: frequency
density histograms).​
Cumulative frequency; cumulative frequency graphs; use to find median,
quartiles, percentiles, range and interquartile range (IQR).
Production and understanding of box and whisker diagrams. ​(using to
compare two distributions, using symmetry, median, IQR or range. Outliers
should be indicated with a cross. Determining whether the data may be
normally distributed by consideration of the symmetry of box and whiskers.
4.3 Measures of central tendency (mean, median and mode).
Estimation of mean from grouped data. ​(using mid interval value). ​Modal
class.
Measures of dispersion (IQR, standard deviation and variance)
Effect of constant changes on the original data.
Quartiles of discrete data.
4.4 Linear correlation of bivariate data.
Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient, r .
Scatter diagrams; lines of best fit, by eye, passing through the mean point.
Equation of the regression line of y on x . Use of the regression line for
prediction purposes. Interpret the meaning of the parameters, a and b , in a
linear regression y = ax + b
4.10 Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, rs . Awareness of the
appropriateness and limitations of Pearson’s product moment correlation
coefficient and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, and the effect of
outliers on each.
Number & Algebra (14 hours?)
1.1 Operations with numbers in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ ℤ
1.6 Approximation: decimal places, significant figures. Upper and lower bounds
of rounded numbers. Percentage errors. Estimation.
1.2 Arithmetic Sequences and series:
Use of the formulae for the nth term and the sum of the first n terms
Use of sigma notation for sums of arithmetic sequences
Applications (simple interest)
Analysis, interpretation and prediction where a model is not perfectly
arithmetic in real life. ​(approximating common differences)
1.3 Geometric Sequences and series:
Use of the formulae for the nth term and the sum of the first n terms
Use of sigma notation for sums of geometric sequences
Applications ​(spread of disease, salary increase/decrease & population
growth)
1.4 Financial applications of geometric sequences and series
Compound interest, annual depreciation ​(using built-in financial app, real
value of an investment with an interest rate and an inflation rate,
compounded Yearly, half-yearly, quarterly or monthly)
1.7 Amortization and annuities using technology (including finance app).
1.5 Laws of exponents with integer exponents
Introduction to logarithms with base 10 and e ​(definition of a logarithm)
Numerical evaluation of logarithms using technology.

Semester 2 
 
Unit 2: Patterns in the Rhythms in Mathematics

Geometry and Trigonometry (12 hours)

3.1 The distance between two points in three-dimensional space, and their
midpoints. Volume and surface area of three-dimensional solids including
right-pyramid, right cone, sphere, hemisphere and combinations of these
solids. The size of an angle between two intersecting lines or between a line
and plane.
3.2 Use the sine, cosine and tangent ratio to find the sides and angles of
right-angled triangles. The sine rule, the cosine rule, area of a non-right
triangle.
3.3 Applications of right and non-right angled trigonometry, including
Pythagoras’ theorem. Angles of elevation and depression. Construction of
labelled diagrams from written statements.
3.4 The circle: length of an arc, area of a sector. (Radians not required at SL)
Unit 3: Take a Chance on Me!

Probability (16 hours)

4.5 Concepts of trial, outcome, equally likely outcomes, relative frequency,
n(A)
sample space and Event. The probability of an event A is P (A) = n(U ) . The
complementary events A and A′ .
Expected number of occurrences.
4.6 Use of Venn diagrams, tree diagrams, sample space diagrams and tables of
outcomes to calculate probabilities.
Combined events and mutually exclusive events. ​(non-exclusivity of “or”).
Independent events.
4.7 Concept of discrete random variables and their probability distributions.
Expected value (mean), for discrete data. Applications.
4.8 Binomial distribution, mean and variance of the binomial distribution.
4.9 The normal distribution and curve. Properties of the normal distribution.
Diagrammatic representation, the empirical rule (68%, 95%, 99.7% rule)
Normal probability calculations and inverse normal calculations.
4.11 Formulation of null and alternative hypotheses, H 0 and H 1 . Significance
levels. p -values. Expected and observed frequencies. The ​χ​2​ test for
independence: contingency tables, degrees of freedom, critical value.
The ​χ2​​ goodness of fit test.
The t - test. Use of the p -value to compare the means of two populations.
Using one-tailed and two-tailed tests.

IA Introduction

 
Year 2  

Unit 1: Describing Pathways (Part 1)

Functions 1 (8 hours)
2.1 Different forms of the equation of a straight line ( y = mx + c , ax + by + d = 0 ,
y − y 1 = m(x − x1 ) ). Gradient, intercepts. Parallel lines, perpendicular lines.
3.5 Equations of perpendicular bisectors.
3.6 Voronoi diagrams: sites, vertices, edges, cells. Addition of a site to an
existing Voronoi diagram. Nearest neighbour interpolation. Applications of
the “toxic waste dump” problem.
1.8 Use technology to solve: systems of linear equations (3x3) and polynomial
equations

Unit 2: Describing Pathways (Part 2)

Functions 2 (30 hours)

2.2 Concept of a function, domain, range and graph.
Function notation f (x) , v (t) , C (n) . Concept of functions as mathematical
models. Informal concept that an inverse functions reverses the effect of a
function. Inverse function as a reflection in the line y = x , and the notation
f −1 (x)
2.3 The graph of a function; y = f (x) ​(the difference between ‘draw’ and ‘sketch’)
Creating a sketch from information given or a context, including transferring
a graph from screen to paper. Using technology to graph functions including
their sums and differences.
2.4 Determine key features of graphs ​(max/min, intercepts, symmetry, vertex,
zeros/roots, vertical/horizontal asymptotes using technology).​ Finding
intersections using technology.
2.5 Modelling with the following functions: Linear, quadratic, exponential
growth/decay, direct/inverse variation f (x) = axn n ∈ ℤ , Cubic, sine and cosine.
2.6 Modelling skills:​ use the modelling process described in the “mathematical
modelling” section to create, fit and use the theoretical models in section 2.5
and their graphs. ​Develop and fit the model: G ​ iven a context recognize and
choose an appropriate model and possible parameters. Determine a
reasonable domain for a model. Find the parameters of a model. ​Test and
reflect upon the model: C ​ omment on the appropriateness and
reasonableness of a model. Justify the choice of a particular model, based on
the shape of the data, properties of the curve and/or on the context of the
situation. ​Use the model:​ Reading, interpreting and making predictions
based on the model.

IA Completion
Semester 2 
 
Unit 3: Describing Pathways (Part 3)

Calculus (19 hours)

Differential Calculus
5.1 Introduction to the concept of a limit. ​(estimation of a limit from a table or
graph)​ Derivative interpreted as gradient function and as a rate of change.
5.2 Increasing and decreasing functions. Graphical interpretation of f ′(x) <, =, > 0
5.3 Derivative of f (x) = axn is f ′(x) = anxn−1 , n ∈ Z .
Derivative of functions of the form f (x) = axn + bxn−1 ... , n ∈ Z
5.4 Tangents and normals at a given point and their equations (w/ technology
and analytically)
5.6 Values of x where the gradient of a curve is zero. Solution of f ′(x) = 0 . Local
max/min points.
5.7 Optimization problems in context.

Integral Calculus
5.5 Introduction to integration as anti-differentiation of functions of the form
f (x) = axn + bxn−1 ... , n ∈ Z , n =/ − 1 . ​(link between anti-derivative, definite
integrals and areas). A
​ nti-differentiation with a boundary condition to
determine the constant term. Definite integrals using technology. Area of a
region enclosed by a curve and the x − axis
5.8 Approximating areas using the trapezoidal rule.