Maths Extension 2 syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the NSW Maths Extension 2 syllabus, in syllabus order, with a focused answer for each. Open any dot point for the answer, exam-style questions and links to related points.
Using Complex Numbers (MEX-N2)
Module overview →How do equations and inequalities in the complex variable describe curves and regions in the Argand plane?
How are complex numbers represented, added, multiplied and divided, and how does the Argand plane give them geometric meaning?
How does de Moivre's theorem let us compute powers and roots of complex numbers, and what is the geometry of the nth roots of unity?
How does the modulus-argument form of a complex number turn multiplication and division into operations on lengths and angles?
How do quadratic and higher polynomial equations behave over the complex numbers, and why do real polynomials have complex roots in conjugate pairs?
Further Integration (MEX-C1)
Module overview →How does integration by parts reverse the product rule, and how do we choose the parts to evaluate products such as or ?
How does decomposing a rational function into partial fractions turn an awkward integral into a sum of standard logarithm and arctangent integrals?
How do trigonometric and rationalising substitutions transform integrals containing square roots or awkward rational functions into standard forms?
How do we integrate powers and products of trigonometric functions by choosing between the Pythagorean-identity substitution, the double-angle reduction, and the product-to-sum identities?
Applications of Calculus to Mechanics (MEX-M1)
Module overview →How does a resistance proportional to speed change rectilinear motion, and what is the terminal velocity of a body falling under gravity with resistance?
How do we use Newton's laws to turn the forces acting on a body, including weight, tension, normal and resistive forces, into its equation of motion?
How does the defining equation of simple harmonic motion lead to its displacement, velocity and period, and how do we model an oscillating particle?
How do we analyse rectilinear motion when acceleration is given as a function of displacement or of velocity rather than of time?
How is two-dimensional projectile motion analysed with calculus, and how does air resistance proportional to velocity change the horizontal and vertical motion?
Proof (MEX-P1)
Module overview →How do we prove inequalities rigorously, and how do foundational results such as the arithmetic-geometric mean inequality follow from elementary algebra?
How do rigorous logical arguments such as proof by contradiction and counterexample establish or refute mathematical statements?
How does mathematical induction prove statements about all positive integers, including inequalities, divisibility, and results needing more than one base case?
Further Work with Vectors (MEX-V1)
Module overview →How are vectors in three dimensions described, how do we find lines and spheres, and how does the scalar product extend to space?
How can vector methods prove classical geometric results such as concurrency, midpoint theorems and properties of parallelograms more cleanly than coordinate geometry?
How do we resolve one vector along the direction of another, and what do the scalar and vector projections measure geometrically?
