Edexcel A Level Further Mathematics Paper 3A (9FM0 3A) - 22nd June 2023 [Exam Chat]

Do we need to know how to prove the formulas for numerical methods or be expected to memorise them?

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 42

Original post by The tesseract

Never seen them expect the proof in any mark scheme. They are quite easy to derive anyway

I agree, but I prefer not to do extra unnecessary workings. It just clutters the page and given how bad my handwriting is, I’d probably give the markers an aneurysm

Reply 43

Original post by The tesseract

Do we need to know how to prove the formulas for numerical methods or be expected to memorise them?

I’m pretty sure they give you the formulae in the question.

I haven’t seen anything asking for their proofs, but I’ll check the spec again

Reply 44

Screenshot 2023-06-21 20.32.22.png174.1KB

One way to prove t formulae (another is to just use double angle formula)

Reply 45

Original post by TypicalNerd

I’m pretty sure they give you the formulae in the question.

I haven’t seen anything asking for their proofs, but I’ll check the spec again

In the "Enhanced content guidance" it says it is always given I think.

Reply 46

Screenshot 2023-06-21 20.35.41.png34.9KB

Original post by The tesseract

Do we need to know how to prove the formulas for numerical methods or be expected to memorise them?

See below.

Reply 47

Original post by J.DEM

In the "Enhanced content guidance" it says it is always given I think.

Yeah, the only numerical method formula you actually have to memorise is Simpson’s rule. I do it quite informally:

Integral ≈ h/3 x [(Σendpoints) + 4(Σodd values) + 2(Σeven values)]

Reply 48

Original post by TypicalNerd

Yeah, the only numerical method formula you actually have to memorise is Simpson’s rule. I do it quite informally:

Integral ≈ h/3 x [(Σendpoints) + 4(Σodd values) + 2(Σeven values)]

Ye, same. The chapter from the book isn't very hard, its just one of the more tedious ones if I'm being honest , so I hope we only get a question on simpson's rule.

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 49

Original post by J.DEM

Ye, same. The chapter from the book isn't very hard, its just one of the more tedious ones if I'm being honest.

Indeed. It’s easy, but boring.

Imo, the worst FP1 gets is the loci problems with conics.

Reply 50

Original post by TypicalNerd

Indeed. It’s easy, but boring.

Imo, the worst FP1 gets is the loci problems with conics.

True. When people first start, they think its the reducible differential equations, but they come out quite neat. The conics one in 2019 was a beast.

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 51

Original post by J.DEM

True. When people first start, they think its the reducible differential equations, but they come out quite neat. The conics one in 2019 was a beast.

Oh absolutely. RDE’s don’t compare to whatever the heck that question was.

Reply 52

Original post by J.DEM

See below.

How do you get enhanced guidance? When I look it up it only goes up to the guidance column.

Reply 53

The t-formulae integral in 2020 was worse I think. Absolutely NOBODY got it

Reply 54

Original post by The tesseract

The t-formulae integral in 2020 was worse I think. Absolutely NOBODY got it

The challenge in that question was really problem solving , because you had to recognise the improper integral in there (Which actually isn't there to begin with but is introduced by the weierstrass substitution). With conic sections, the questions just become very convoluted , especially that one in 2019. There was one last year which people got stuck on about inequalities (But in the mocks I didn't find it that bad) . FP1 usually has a curveball somewhere hidden within. Something which actually might come up which hasn't come up ever apart from on the specimen is using l'hopital's rule on stuff like (1+a/x)^x or that kinda thing, and that is in all likelihood going to trip a lot of people up if it came up, but if you're prepared then that kind of thing should be calm.

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 55

Original post by The tesseract

How do you get enhanced guidance? When I look it up it only goes up to the guidance column.

Go to HGS maths , year 13, further maths, and then on the left hand side of screen it is one of the three options.

Reply 56

Original post by J.DEM

The challenge in that question was really problem solving , because you had to recognise the improper integral in there (Which actually isn't there to begin with but is introduced by the weierstrass substitution). With conic sections, the questions just become very convoluted , especially that one in 2019. There was one last year which people got stuck on about inequalities (But in the mocks I didn't find it that bad) . FP1 usually has a curveball somewhere hidden within. Something which actually might come up which hasn't come up ever apart from on the specimen is using l'hopital's rule on stuff like (1+a/x)^x or that kinda thing, and that is in all likelihood going to trip a lot of people up if it came up, but if you're prepared then that kind of thing should be calm.

Yeah that's why I specifically made sure I knew how to do it. You change what's inside the limit to e to the ln(whatever is inside the limit). Essentially the e and the ln cancel, but you can use a nice rule where the e goes out of the limit and you basically do the limit of the thing with a ln. You can then use ln properties to get rid of the power and proceed as normal. They've never tested this before so I've got an inkling it will be tomorrow.

Reply 57

I’m wondering what Taylor Series question we’ll get, assuming we get one.

It may be interesting to use a Taylor Series expansion to evaluate a limit.

Reply 58