All students study the same core pure mathematical content for Further Mathematics, which makes up half of the content for A Level and a third for AS level. The remaining half for A Level is split equally between mechanics, statistics and extra pure mathematics. The remaining two-thirds for AS Level is split equally between mechanics and statistics.
At AS, topic areas studied include complex numbers, which allow the solution of a range of equations that would otherwise have no solutions, through the introduction of ‘imaginary’ numbers, and matrices which consist of grids of numbers that can be used to represent transformations and are used to solve simultaneous equations amongst many other uses.
At A level, other areas of pure mathematics are covered such as polar co-ordinates, differential equations and hyperbolic functions. Each of these builds on earlier topics and encourages the development of a wider understanding of the ways in which mathematical topics are interconnected.