Learning Objectives
Chapter 1 - Business and maths – what’s the link?
- understand why anyone aiming at a business career needs to be reasonably proficient in certain areas of mathematics
- have had a chance to reflect on your previous experiences of studying mathematics, and on the strengths and weaknesses of your personal learning style
- have begun to develop your skills at reading about and writing mathematics
- be aware of the use and limitations of spreadsheets and calculators when carrying out mathematical processes.
Back to the top of the page
Chapter 2 - Arithmetic – working with numbers
- be able confidently to carry out arithmetic operations involving positive and negative numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages
- have developed your ability to estimate roughly what the result of a calculation should be
- know how to round numbers to a given number of decimal places or significant figures, and be able to make a sensible decision as to how many figures to quote in a practical context
- be aware of a range of symbols for mathematical operations and understand their meanings
- be comfortable in reading and writing arithmetical expressions, and understand the technical terminology which is used in this context.
Back to the top of the page
Chapter 3 - Introducing algebra
- be able to explain why algebra can be a useful tool in a business context
- be confident in manipulating algebraic expressions involving powers, roots, brackets and arithmetical operations
- be able to express simple practical problems in algebraic terms
- be familiar with the terminology used to interpret algebraic expressions.
Back to the top of the page
Chapter 4 - Graphs
- appreciate the reasons for using graphical methods
- be able to plot graphs using numerical information
- be able to plot graphs of simple algebraic relationships
- be able to interpret information presented graphically
- know how to recognise a linear equation and to interpret the numerical constants in such an equation
- be aware of some important types of non-linear relationship.
Back to the top of the page
Chapter 5 - Solving equations
- understand what is meant by an equation and its solution
- be able to recognise and solve linear equations
- be able to recognise and solve quadratic equations using the formula method
- be able to solve two simultaneous linear equations
- feel confident in manipulating formulae
- understand inequalities and be able to manipulate them correctly
- be able to build equations to represent practical situations, and to interpret their solutions appropriately.
Back to the top of the page
Chapter 6 - Introducing calculus
- be able to define what is meant by the slope of a curve at a point
- know what is meant by differentiation, derivative and rate of change
- be able to find the derivative of algebraic expressions involving powers of x
- understand the significance of second derivatives, and be able to use them to find maximum/minimum values of a function
- be able to apply the processes of calculus to the solution of practical problems.
Back to the top of the page
Chapter 7 - Solving practical problems with mathematics
- be able to translate practical problems expressed verbally into a mathematical format, to use mathematical ideas to solve the problem, and to interpret your solution in the practical terms of the original problem
- be aware of the simplifications which may take place in making the transition from a practical to a mathematical format
- be aware of the potential limitations on the extent to which the mathematical solution may be practically useful.
Back to the top of the page
Chapter 8 - Statistics: organising data
- be able to describe and give examples of different types of statistical data
- understand the methods by which statistical data may be obtained
- be able to organise data into suitable tables
- know how to construct a range of charts to represent data, and be able to make an appropriate choice of chart for a specific set of data
- be confident in understanding and if necessary criticising published tables and charts.
Back to the top of the page
Chapter 9 - Statistics: summarising data
- understand why it is desirable to calculate summary measures for a set of data, and what features of the data these measures might represent
- be able to define the mean, median and mode of a set of data, and to calculate these by hand in simple cases
- be able to define the standard deviation, quartiles and mode of a set of data, and to calculate these by hand in simple cases
- be able to interpret the summary measures in practical terms, and to make an informed choice of the best measure to use in a given situation
- know what is meant by skewness, and be able to describe in qualitative terms the skewness or symmetry of a distribution.
Back to the top of the page