Category Archives: Algebra

February 11, 2026 · 3:28 am

Complex Numbers and Trig Idenities

My Year 12 Specialist Students are using complex numbers to prove trigonometric identities.

Things like

$\begin{equation*}sin(5\theta)=16sin^5(\theta) -20sin^3(\theta)+5sin(\theta) \end{equation}$

Method 2 might be a little bit easier depending upon how your brain works.

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Filed under Algebra, Binomial Expansion Theorem, Complex Numbers, Identities, Trig Identities, Trigonometry, Year 12 Specialist Mathematics

Tagged as complex numbers, de moivre's theorem, trigonometric identities

January 2, 2026 · 7:08 am

Geometry Puzzle (finding a fraction of an area)

Geometry Puzzles in Felt Tip: A Compilation of puzzles from 2018 – Catriona Shearer

Band $1$ and $3$ have the same area.

We want to find the area of the shaded segment.

As the dots are equally spaced, the sector’s angle is $\frac{\pi}{2} = (\frac{2\pi}{12}\times 3)$

Remember the area of a segment is $A=\frac{1}{2}r^2(\theta-sin(\theta))$ where the angle measurement is in radians.

(1) $\begin{equation*}A=\frac{1}{2}r^2(\frac{\pi}{2}-sin(\frac{\pi}{2}))=\frac{1}{2}r^2(\frac{\pi}{2}-1))=\frac{\pi r^2}{4}-\frac{r^2}{2}\end{equation*}$

We want to find the area of the shaded segment.

As the dots are equally spaced, the sector’s angle is $\frac{2\pi}{12} = (\frac{\pi}{6})$

(2) $\begin{equation*}A=\frac{1}{2}r^2(\frac{\pi}{6}-sin(\frac{\pi}{6}))=\frac{\pi r^2}{12}-\frac{r^2}{4}\end{equation*}$

The area of band $1$ is equation $1 -$ equation $2$ .

(3) $\begin{equation*}\frac{\pi r^2}{4}-\frac{r^2}{2}-(\frac{\pi r^2}{12}-\frac{r^2}{4})=\frac{\pi r^2}{6}-\frac{r^2}{4}\end{equation*}$

Band 2 consists of two congruent triangles and two congruent sectors.

$\begin{equation*}\theta=\frac{2\pi}{12}\times 5=\frac{5\pi}{6}, \alpha=\frac{\pi}{6}\end{equation}$

(4) $\begin{equation*}A=2(\frac{1}{2}r^2sin(\frac{5\pi}{6}))+2(\frac{1}{2}r^2\frac{\pi}{6})=\frac{r^2}{2}+\frac{r^2 \pi}{6}\end{equation*}$

Hence the shaded area is $2(\frac{\pi r^2}{6}-\frac{r^2}{4})+\frac{r^2}{2}+\frac{r^2 \pi}{6}=\frac{\pi r^2}{2}$

The area of the circle is $\pi r^2$

Hence the fraction of the shaded area is $=\frac{\frac{\pi r^2}{2}}{\pi r^2}=\frac{1}{2}$

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Filed under Area, Area of Triangles (Sine), Finding an area, Geometry, Puzzles, Simplifying fractions

Tagged as catriona shearer, finding an area, geometry, geometry puzzle

December 19, 2025 · 8:10 am

Algebra Time Question

This question is from Challenging Problems in Algebra

It’s the type of question students hate – “Who talks like that?”

Let $t$ be the number of hours from noon.

$\begin{equation*}\frac{t}{8}+6-\frac{t}{4}=t\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}6=\frac{9t}{8}\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}t=\frac{48}{9}=5\frac{1}{3}\end{equation}$

Hence the time is 5:20pm

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Filed under Algebra, Puzzles, Simplifying fractions, Solving Equations

Tagged as algebra, solving linear equations, time

December 10, 2025 · 7:54 am

Geometry Problem

Problem from *50 Maths Problems with Solutions* – Ajmal KP

The blue shaded area is the area of triangles $APO$ and $AQO$ subtract the sector $POQ$ .

We can use Heron’s law to find the area of the triangle $\Delta{ABC}$

$\begin{equation*}A=\sqrt{s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)}\end{equation}$

where $s=\frac{a+b+c}{2}$

$\begin{equation*}A=\sqrt{20(20-16)(20-10)(20-14)}=40\sqrt{3}\end{equation}$

We also know the area of triangle $\Delta{ABC}=sr$ where $r$ is the radius of the inscribed circle.

Hence, $40\sqrt{3}=20r$ and $r=2\sqrt{3}$

We know $AP=AQ, CQ=CR$ , and $BP=BR$ – tangents to a circle are congruent.

$\begin{equation*}14-x=6+x\end{equation}$

(1) $\begin{equation*}8=2x\end{equation*}$

(2) $\begin{equation*}x=4\end{equation*}$

Area $\Delta{AQO}=\frac{1}{2}10\times 2\sqrt{3}=10\sqrt{3}$

Area $\Delta{APO}=$ Area $\Delta{AQO}$

$\begin{equation*}tan(\theta)=\frac{10}{2\sqrt{3}}\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}\theta=70.9^{\circ}\end{equation}$

Area of sector $OPQ=\frac{2\times70.9}{360}\pi (2\sqrt{3})^2=14.8$

Blue area = $20\sqrt{3}-14.8=19.8cm^2$

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Filed under Algebra, Area, Finding an angle, Finding an area, Geometry, Heron's Law, Interesting Mathematics, Puzzles, Radius and Semi-Perimeter, Right Trigonometry, Solving Equations, Trigonometry

Tagged as geometry puzzle

November 26, 2025 · 10:57 am

Trigonometric Equation

Solve $cos(4\theta)+cos(2\theta)+cos(\theta)=0$ for $0\le \theta \le\pi$

Remember the identity

(1) $\begin{equation*}cos(A)+cos(B)=2cos(\frac{A+B}{2})cos(\frac{A-B}{2})\end{equation*}$

Hence

$\begin{equation*}cos(4\theta)+cos(2\theta)=2cos(3\theta)cos(\theta)\end{equation}$

Now I have

$\begin{equation*}2cos(3\theta)cos(\theta)+cos(\theta)=0\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}cos(\theta)(2cos(3\theta)+1)=0\end{equation}$

$cos(\theta)=0$ or $cos(3\theta)=\frac{-1}{2}$

$\theta=\frac{\pi}{2}$

$cos(3\theta)=-\frac{1}{2}$ for $0 \le \theta \le 3\pi$

$3\theta=\frac{2\pi}{3}, \frac{4\pi}{3}, \frac{8\pi}{3}$

$\theta=\frac{2\pi}{9}, \frac{4\pi}{9}, \frac{8\pi}{9}$

Hence $\theta =\frac{\pi}{2},\frac{2\pi}{9}, \frac{4\pi}{9}, \frac{8\pi}{9}$

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Filed under Identities, Quadratic, Solving Equations, Solving Trig Equations, Trigonometry, Year 11 Specialist Mathematics

Tagged as solving trig equations, sum to product trig identity

November 22, 2025 · 6:10 am

I usually choose to use synthetic division when factorising polynomials, but I know some teachers are unhappy when their students do this. So for completeness, here is my PDF for Polynomial Long Division.

Polynomial Long Division Download

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Filed under Algebra, Cubics, Factorisation, Factorising, Factorising, Polynomials, Quadratics, Solving, Solving, Solving Equations, Year 11 Mathematical Methods

Tagged as polynomial long division, solving cubic equations

November 11, 2025 · 10:19 am

Completing the Square

$x^2+6x-4 \rightarrow (x+3)^2-13$

Completing the square is useful to

sketch parabolas.
solve quadratics.
factorising quadratics
finding the centre and radius version of the equation of a circle.

When completing the square we take advantage of perfect squares. For example, $(x+3)^2=(x+3)(x+3)=x^2+6x+9$

$6=2\times 3$ and $9=3\times 3$

Example 1

Put $x^2+8x-5$ into completed square form.

What perfect square has an $8x$ term?

$(x+4)^2=x^2+8x+16$

We don’t want $+16$ , we want $-5$ , so subtract $16+5$

$x^2+8x-5=(x+4)^2-21$

$x^2+bx+c=(x+\frac{b}{2})^2-(\frac{b}{2})^2+c$

What about a non-monic quadratic? For example,

$2x^2+12x+11$

Factorise the $2$

$2(x^2+6x+\frac{11}{2})$

And continue as before

$2[(x+3)^2-9+\frac{11}{2}]=2[(x+3)^2-\frac{18}{2}+\frac{11}{2}]=2[(x+3)^2-\frac{7}{2}]=2(x+3)^2-7$

Example 2

$y=2x^2+7x-5$

$2(x^2+\frac{7}{2}x-\frac{5}{2})$

$2[(x+\frac{7}{4})^2-(\frac{7}{4})^2-\frac{5}{2}]$

$2[(x+\frac{7}{4})^2-\frac{49}{16}-\frac{40}{16}]$

$2[(x+\frac{7}{4})^2-\frac{89}{16}]$

$2(x+\frac{7}{4})^2-\frac{89}{8}$

$ax^2+bx+c=a(x+\frac{b}{2a})^2-a((\frac{b}{2a})^2+\frac{c}{a})$

Casio Classpad e-activity

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Filed under Algebra, Arithmetic, Classpad Skills, Completing the Square, Fractions, Quadratic, Quadratics, Year 10 Mathematics, Year 9 Mathematics

Tagged as completing the square, quadratics

October 28, 2025 · 5:42 am

Integration Question (much easier with Integration by Parts)

The Year 12 Mathematics Methods course doesn’t cover Integration by Parts, so they end up with questions like the following.

Determine the following:
(a) $\frac{d}{dx} \left (e^{2x}sin(3x) \right )$
(b) $\frac{d}{dx} \left (e^{2x}cos(3x) \right )$
Hence, determine the following integral by considering both parts (a) and (b)
$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}13e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx$

(a) Use the product rule

(1) $\begin{equation*}\frac{d}{dx} \left (e^{2x}sin(3x) \right)= 2e^{2x}sin(3x)+3e^{2x}cos(3x) \end{equation*}$

(b)

(2) $\begin{equation*}\frac{d}{dx} \left (e^{2x}cos(3x) \right )=2e^{2x}cos(3x)-3e^{2x}sin(3x)\end{equation*}$

I need to use equations $1$ and $2$ to find $\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}13e^2xcos(3x) \enspace dx$ .

The $e^{2x}sin(3x)$ terms need to vanish and I need $13$ of the $e^{2x}cos(3x)$ terms.

$3\times \text{equation} (1)+ 2\times \text{equation} (2)$

(3) $\begin{equation*}3\frac{d}{dx} \left (e^{2x}sin(3x) \right)= 6e^{2x}sin(3x)+9e^{2x}cos(3x) \end{equation*}$

(4) $\begin{equation*}2\frac{d}{dx} \left (e^{2x}cos(3x) \right )=4e^{2x}cos(3x)-6e^{2x}sin(3x)\end{equation*}$

Equation $3$ plus equation $4$

(5) $\begin{equation*}3\frac{d}{dx} \left (e^{2x}sin(3x) \right)+2\frac{d}{dx} \left (e^{2x}cos(3x) \right )=13e^{2x}cos(3x)\end{equation*}$

Integrate both sides of the equation

$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}} \left (3\frac{d}{dx} \left (e^{2x}sin(3x) \right)+2\frac{d}{dx} \left (e^{2x}cos(3x) \right ) \right ) dx=\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}13e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx$

By the fundamental theorem of calculus, we know

$(3e^{2x}sin(3x) \right)+2 \left (e^{2x}cos(3x) \right ]_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}=\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}13e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx$

$3e^{\pi}sin(\frac{3\pi}{2}})+2e^{\pi}cos(\frac{3\pi}{2}})-3e^0sin(3(0))-2e^0cos(3(0))=\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}13e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx$

$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}13e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx=-3e^{\pi}-2$

Integration by Parts

Remember $\int u\enspace dv=uv-\int v \enspace du$

$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx$

Let $u=cos(3x)$ , then $du=-3sin(3x)$

and $dv=e^{2x}$ , then $v=\frac{e^{2x}}{2}$

$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx = \left (cos(3x)\left (\frac{e^{2x}}{2}\right ) \right )_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}-\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}} \frac{e^{2x}}{2}(-3sin(3x)) \enspace dx$

$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx=cos(\frac{3\pi}{2})(\frac{e^\pi}{2})-cos(0)(\frac{e^0}{2})+\frac{3}{2}\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}sin(3x)e^{2x} \enspace dx$

$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx=-\frac{1}{2}+\frac{3}{2}\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}sin(3x)e^{2x} \enspace dx$

Let $u=sin(3x)$ , then $du=3cos(3x)$

and $dv=e^{2x}$ . then $v=\frac{e^{2x}}{2}$

$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx=-\frac{1}{2}+\frac{3}{2}(\frac{e^{2x}}{2}sin(3x)]_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}-\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}} \frac{e^{2x}}{2}(3cos(3x)) \enspace dx)$

$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx=-\frac{1}{2}+\frac{3}{2}(-\frac{e^\pi}{2}-\frac{3}{2} \int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}} e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx)$

$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx=-\frac{1}{2}-\frac{3e^\pi}{4}-\frac{9}{4} \int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}} e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx$

Collect like terms (the integrals are like)

$\frac{13}{4}(\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx)=-\frac{1}{2}-\frac{3e^\pi}{4}$

$(\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{2}}e^{2x}cos(3x) \enspace dx)=\frac{-2-3e^\pi}{13}$

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Filed under Algebra, Calculus, Integration, Integration by Parts, Year 12 Mathematical Methods

Tagged as integration by parts

October 15, 2025 · 6:19 am

Hard Equation Solving Question

Find the value(s) of $k$ such that the equation below has two numerically equal but opposite sign solutions (e.g. $5$ and $-5$ ).

$\begin{equation*}\frac{x^2-2x}{4x-1}=\frac{k-1}{k+1}\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}(x^2-2x)(k+1)=(k-1)(4x-1)\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}(k+1)x^2-2kx-2x=4kx-k-4x+1\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}(k+1)x^2-2kx-4kx-2x+4x-1=0\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}(k+1)^2x^2-(6k-2)x-1=0\end{equation}$

For there to be two numerically equal but opposite sign solutions, the $b$ term of the quadratic equation must be $0$ .

$\begin{equation*}6k-2=0\end{equation}$

Hence $k=\frac{1}{3}$ .

When $k=\frac{1}{3}$ the equation becomes

$\begin{equation*}\frac{x^2-2x}{4x-1}=\frac{\frac{-2}{3}}{\frac{4}{3}}\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}\frac{x^2-2x}{4x-1}=\frac{-1}{2}\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}2x^2-4x=-4x+1\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}2x^2-1=0\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}x^2=\frac{1}{2}\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}x=\pm \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\end{equation}$

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Filed under Algebra, Polynomials, Quadratic, Quadratics, Solving, Solving, Solving Equations

Tagged as hard algebra question, quadratic, solving quadratic equations

October 9, 2025 · 6:37 am

Trigonometric Exact Values

Find exactly $sin(18^\circ)$

We must be able to find an arithmetic combination of the exact values we knew to find $18$ .

$\begin{equation*}90=5\times 18\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}90-3(18)=2(18)\end{equation}$

I re-arranged as above, so I could take advantage of $cos(90)=0$ and $sin(90)=1$

cos(2x)=cos^2(x)-sin^2(x)=1-2sin^2(x)=2cos^2(x)-1

$\begin{equation*}sin(90-3(18))=sin(2(18))\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}sin(90)cos(3(18))-sin(3(18))cos(90)=2sin(18)cos(18)\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}cos(3(18))=2sin(18)cos(18)\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}4cos^3(18)-3cos(18)=2sin(18)cos(18)\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}4cos^3(18)-3cos(18)-2sin(18)cos(18)=0\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}cos(18)(4cos^2(18)-3-2sin(18))=0\end{equation}$

Hence,

$\begin{equation*}4cos^2(18)-2sin(18)-3=0\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}4-4sin^2(18)-2sin(18)-3=0\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}-4sin^2(18)-2sin(18)+1=0\end{equation}$

Use the quadratic equation formula

$\begin{equation*}sin(18)=\frac{-b\pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}sin(18)=\frac{2 \pm \sqrt{4-4(-4)(1)}}{-8}\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}sin(18)=\frac{2 \pm \sqrt{20}}{-8}\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}sin(18)=\frac{-2 \mp 2\sqrt{5}}{8}\end{equation}$

$\begin{equation*}sin(18)=\frac{-1 \mp \sqrt{5}}{4}\end{equation}$

As $sin(18)>0$ , $sin(18)=\frac{-1+\sqrt{5}}{4}$

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Filed under Addition and Subtraction Identities, Algebra, Identities, Quadratic, Quadratics, Solving, Solving Equations, Solving Trig Equations, Trigonometry, Year 11 Specialist Mathematics

Tagged as exact values, sin(18), trig exact values, trigonometric identities

Category Archives: Algebra

Complex Numbers and Trig Idenities

Geometry Puzzle (finding a fraction of an area)

Algebra Time Question

Geometry Problem

Trigonometric Equation

Polynomial Long Division

Completing the Square

Example 1

Example 2

Integration Question (much easier with Integration by Parts)

Integration by Parts

Hard Equation Solving Question

Trigonometric Exact Values

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