CDS MATHEMATICS FORMULAS & CONCEPTS
1. NUMBER SYSTEM
Basic Definitions
Natural Numbers (N): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
Whole Numbers (W): 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
Integers (Z): ...-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3...
Rational Numbers (Q): Numbers that can be written as p/q
Irrational Numbers: Numbers that cannot be written as p/q
HCF & LCM Formulas
HCF × LCM = Product of two numbers
For three numbers a, b, c:
LCM = (a × b × c × HCF of all three) / (HCF(a,b) × HCF(b,c) × HCF(a,c))
Divisibility Rules
2: Last digit is even
3: Sum of digits divisible by 3
4: Last two digits divisible by 4
5: Last digit is 0 or 5
6: Divisible by both 2 and 3
8: Last three digits divisible by 8
9: Sum of digits divisible by 9
10: Last digit is 0
11: Difference of sum of alternate digits divisible by 11
Squares and Cubes
Perfect Squares (1-30):
1² = 1, 2² = 4, 3² = 9, 4² = 16, 5² = 25, 6² = 36, 7² = 49, 8² = 64, 9² = 81, 10² = 100
11² = 121, 12² = 144, 13² = 169, 14² = 196, 15² = 225, 16² = 256, 17² = 289, 18² = 324, 19² = 361,
20² = 400
21² = 441, 22² = 484, 23² = 529, 24² = 576, 25² = 625, 26² = 676, 27² = 729, 28² = 784, 29² =
841, 30² = 900
Perfect Cubes (1-20):
1³ = 1, 2³ = 8, 3³ = 27, 4³ = 64, 5³ = 125, 6³ = 216, 7³ = 343, 8³ = 512, 9³ = 729, 10³ = 1000
11³ = 1331, 12³ = 1728, 13³ = 2197, 14³ = 2744, 15³ = 3375, 16³ = 4096, 17³ = 4913, 18³ = 5832,
19³ = 6859, 20³ = 8000
2. PERCENTAGE, PROFIT & LOSS
Percentage Formulas
Percentage = (Part/Whole) × 100
Increase % = (Increase/Original) × 100
Decrease % = (Decrease/Original) × 100
If a value increases by x% and then decreases by y%, net change = x - y - (xy/100)
If a value increases by x% twice, net increase = x + x + (x²/100) = 2x + x²/100
Profit & Loss Formulas
Profit = Selling Price - Cost Price
Loss = Cost Price - Selling Price
Profit % = (Profit/CP) × 100
Loss % = (Loss/CP) × 100
SP = CP(1 + Profit%/100) for profit
SP = CP(1 - Loss%/100) for loss
CP = SP × 100/(100 + Profit%) for profit
CP = SP × 100/(100 - Loss%) for loss
Discount Formulas
Discount = Marked Price - Selling Price
Discount % = (Discount/MP) × 100
SP = MP(1 - Discount%/100)
3. RATIO, PROPORTION & VARIATION
Ratio Formulas
If a:b = m:n, then a/b = m/n
If a:b = m:n, then (a+b):(a-b) = (m+n):(m-n)
If a/b = c/d = e/f = k, then (a+c+e)/(b+d+f) = k
Proportion Types
Direct Proportion: If x₁/y₁ = x₂/y₂
Inverse Proportion: If x₁ × y₁ = x₂ × y₂
Partnership Formulas
Profit ratio = Capital ratio (if time is same)
Profit ratio = Capital × Time ratio (if time is different)
4. SIMPLE & COMPOUND INTEREST
Simple Interest (SI)
SI = (P × R × T)/100
Amount = P + SI = P(1 + RT/100)
P = Principal, R = Rate %, T = Time (years)
Compound Interest (CI)
Amount = P(1 + R/100)ᵀ
CI = Amount - Principal
For half-yearly: A = P(1 + R/200)²ᵀ
For quarterly: A = P(1 + R/400)⁴ᵀ
Important CI Formulas
If CI for 2 years = x, then CI for 3 years = x(3 + R/100)
Difference between CI and SI for 2 years = PR²/(100)²
Difference between CI and SI for 3 years = P × R² × (300 + R)/(100)³
5. TIME, SPEED & DISTANCE
Basic Formulas
Speed = Distance/Time
Time = Distance/Speed
Distance = Speed × Time
Unit Conversions
km/hr to m/s: Multiply by 5/18
m/s to km/hr: Multiply by 18/5
Relative Speed
Objects moving in same direction: Relative speed = |S₁ - S₂|
Objects moving in opposite directions: Relative speed = S₁ + S₂
Train Problems
Time to cross a pole = Length of train/Speed of train
Time to cross a platform = (Length of train + Length of platform)/Speed
Time for two trains to cross each other = (L₁ + L₂)/(S₁ + S₂) (opposite direction)
6. TIME & WORK
Basic Formulas
Work = Rate × Time
If A can do work in 'a' days, A's one day work = 1/a
If A and B together can do work in 'c' days, (A + B)'s one day work = 1/c
If A can do work in 'a' days and B in 'b' days, together they finish in ab/(a+b) days
Pipe & Cistern
Inlet pipe fills in 'a' hours, rate = 1/a per hour
Outlet pipe empties in 'b' hours, rate = -1/b per hour
Net rate = 1/a - 1/b (if inlet > outlet)
7. ALGEBRA
Basic Operations
(a + b)² = a² + 2ab + b²
(a - b)² = a² - 2ab + b²
(a + b)(a - b) = a² - b²
(a + b + c)² = a² + b² + c² + 2(ab + bc + ca)
a² + b² = (a + b)² - 2ab
a² + b² = (a - b)² + 2ab
Factorization
a² - b² = (a + b)(a - b)
a³ + b³ = (a + b)(a² - ab + b²)
a³ - b³ = (a - b)(a² + ab + b²)
a³ + b³ + c³ - 3abc = (a + b + c)(a² + b² + c² - ab - bc - ca)
Linear Equations
For ax + by = c and dx + ey = f:
x = (ce - bf)/(ae - bd)
y = (af - cd)/(ae - bd)
Quadratic Equations
For ax² + bx + c = 0:
x = (-b ± √(b² - 4ac))/(2a)
Sum of roots = -b/a
Product of roots = c/a
Discriminant = b² - 4ac
If > 0: Real and distinct roots
If = 0: Real and equal roots
If < 0: Complex roots
8. GEOMETRY
Triangles
Area Formulas:
Area = (1/2) × base × height
Area = (1/2) × a × b × sin C
Area = √(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)) where s = (a+b+c)/2 (Heron's Formula)
Important Properties:
Sum of angles = 180°
Exterior angle = Sum of two opposite interior angles
In right triangle: a² + b² = c² (Pythagoras theorem)
Special Triangles:
30-60-90: sides in ratio 1 : √3 : 2
45-45-90: sides in ratio 1 : 1 : √2
Circles
Circumference = 2πr = πd
Area = πr²
Arc length = (θ/360°) × 2πr
Sector area = (θ/360°) × πr²
Chord length = 2r sin(θ/2)
Quadrilaterals
Rectangle:
Area = length × breadth
Perimeter = 2(l + b)
Diagonal = √(l² + b²)
Square:
Area = side²
Perimeter = 4 × side
Diagonal = side × √2
Parallelogram:
Area = base × height
Area = ab sin θ
Rhombus:
Area = (1/2) × d₁ × d₂
Area = side² × sin θ
Trapezium:
Area = (1/2) × (sum of parallel sides) × height
9. MENSURATION
2D Figures
Triangle: Area = (1/2) × base × height
Rectangle: Area = l × b
Square: Area = side²
Circle: Area = πr²
Parallelogram: Area = base × height
Trapezium: Area = (1/2) × (a + b) × h
3D Figures
Cube:
Volume = a³
Surface Area = 6a²
Diagonal = a√3
Cuboid:
Volume = l × b × h
Surface Area = 2(lb + bh + hl)
Diagonal = √(l² + b² + h²)
Cylinder:
Volume = πr²h
Curved Surface Area = 2πrh
Total Surface Area = 2πr(r + h)
Cone:
Volume = (1/3)πr²h
Curved Surface Area = πrl where l = √(r² + h²)
Total Surface Area = πr(r + l)
Sphere:
Volume = (4/3)πr³
Surface Area = 4πr²
Hemisphere:
Volume = (2/3)πr³
Curved Surface Area = 2πr²
Total Surface Area = 3πr²
10. TRIGONOMETRY
Basic Ratios
sin θ = opposite/hypotenuse
cos θ = adjacent/hypotenuse
tan θ = opposite/adjacent
cosec θ = 1/sin θ
sec θ = 1/cos θ
cot θ = 1/tan θ
Standard Values
Angle 0° 30° 45° 60° 90°
sin 0 1/2 1/√2 √3/2 1
cos 1 √3/2 1/√2 1/2 0
tan 0 1/√3 1 √3 ∞
Fundamental Identities
sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
1 + tan²θ = sec²θ
1 + cot²θ = cosec²θ
tan θ = sin θ/cos θ
cot θ = cos θ/sin θ
Heights & Distances
Angle of Elevation: Angle above horizontal
Angle of Depression: Angle below horizontal
tan θ = height/base
11. STATISTICS
Measures of Central Tendency
Mean (Arithmetic):
For ungrouped data: x̄ = Σx/n
For grouped data: x̄ = Σfx/Σf
Median:
For ungrouped data: Middle value when arranged in order
For grouped data: L + [(n/2 - CF)/f] × h
Mode:
For ungrouped data: Most frequent value
For grouped data: L + [(f₁ - f₀)/(2f₁ - f₀ - f₂)] × h
Important Relationships
For normal distribution: Mean = Median = Mode
For positively skewed: Mean > Median > Mode
For negatively skewed: Mode > Median > Mean
Mode = 3Median - 2Mean
12. QUICK CALCULATION TRICKS
Multiplication Tricks
Numbers ending in 5:
25 × 25 = 625 (2 × 3 = 6, append 25)
35 × 35 = 1225 (3 × 4 = 12, append 25)
Multiplication by 11:
23 × 11: Place 2+3=5 between 2 and 3 → 253
47 × 11: 4+7=11, carry 1 → 517
Squaring numbers near 50:
(50+a)² = 2500 + 100a + a²
52² = 2500 + 200 + 4 = 2704
Division Shortcuts
Division by 5: Multiply by 2 and divide by 10
Division by 25: Multiply by 4 and divide by 100
Division by 125: Multiply by 8 and divide by 1000
Fraction to Decimal (Important)
1/2 = 0.5
1/3 = 0.333...
1/4 = 0.25
1/5 = 0.2
1/6 = 0.1666...
1/7 = 0.142857... (repeating)
1/8 = 0.125
1/9 = 0.111...
MEMORY AIDS & PATTERNS
Perfect Square Patterns
Numbers ending in 0: Square ends in 00
Numbers ending in 1: Square ends in 01
Numbers ending in 2: Square ends in 04
Numbers ending in 3: Square ends in 09
Numbers ending in 4: Square ends in 16
Numbers ending in 5: Square ends in 25
Numbers ending in 6: Square ends in 36
Numbers ending in 7: Square ends in 49
Numbers ending in 8: Square ends in 64
Numbers ending in 9: Square ends in 81
Quick Percentage Calculations
10% = Move decimal one place left
1% = Move decimal two places left
25% = Divide by 4
50% = Divide by 2
75% = 3/4 of the number
Area & Volume Quick Reference
Common π approximations:
π ≈ 3.14 (most common)
π ≈ 22/7 (for calculations)
Important geometric constants:
√2 ≈ 1.414
√3 ≈ 1.732
√5 ≈ 2.236
