BACK 2 BASICS

2 2 2
a + b = c
v x t = d
2
S = r

STUFF
THAT YOU
THOUGHT YOU WOULD
NEVER USE AGAIN
 CONTENTS

1. FOREWORD 3

2. MATH VOCAB 4

3. MATH BASICS 14

4. EXPONENTS & ROOTS 18

5. GEOMETRY 21

6. DRILL 25
 FOREWORD

The purpose of this booklet is not to teach math, or to prepare

you for any standardized test; this is simply meant to refresh
your memory with the basic elements of math, and to help you
learn the math terms needed basically, things which you have
already learned (or at least should have) when you were in high
school.

Although you may be preparing for the GMAT, GRE, SAT, or

any other exam, the basic knowledge and skills required are
about the same. Once you begin your course, you will get in to
the specific material and question types for your exam.

If this is your first time learning math in English, math terms can
be an issue at first, but once you have become familiar with the
material in this booklet and begin your course, the language
barrier should be all but removed.
 VOCABULARY
Arithmetic
Numbers
number
integer, whole number
natural number ( )
rational number
real number
prime number
positive
negative
even
odd
consecutive numbers
perfect numbers (1 ,4 ,9 ,16 )

Fractions

Fraction
decimal
complex fraction
improper fraction
numerator
denominator
common denominator
thousands
hundreds
tens
ones / units
half
third
fourth / quarter
fifth
Tenths
hundredths
thousandths
Mathematical Operations
addition (plus) ( )
to add
subtraction (minus) ( )
to subtract
multiplication
to multiply
division
to divide
sum
difference
product
quotient
divisor
remainder
divisible
multiple
power, exponent
squared
root
radical ...
square root
cubed ( )
absolute value
reciprocal
equal
factor
prime factor
factorization
Problems
problem
average, mean
arithmetic mean
weighed average
median ( )
speed, velocity
average speed
rate
distance
percent, percentage (%)
concentration
combinations
probability
chance
ratio, proportion
motion
mixture

Equations & Variables

equation
inequality
variable ( )
coefficient
constant
solution
to solve
simultaneous
equations
function
Percentages
percent, percentage
discount
profit, gain
loss
interest
compounded interest
simple interest
fixed interest
principal
gross /
net /
revenue
down payment

Miscellaneous
table
graph
bar graph ,
line graph
circle graph / pie
chart ,
combine
increase, raise ,
decrease, reduce
simplify ,
set
result
random
ordered pairs
portion
calculate
number line
Geometry
Two Dimensional
dimension
line
straight line
angle
acute angle
right angle
straight angle
obtuse angle
central angle
inscribed angle
complementary angles 90
supplementary angles 180
vertical angle
degree (X)
height; altitude
diagonal
base
segment
bisector
secant
length
width
tangent
side ,
edge
chord
hypotenuse
radius
radii / radiuses
diameter
leg ( )
median
parallel lines
perpendicular lines
corner
axis
axes
vertex
vertices
plane
area
circle
sector
arc
semicircle
circumscribed circle
inscribed circle
concentric circles
center of a circle
circumference
polygon
perfect
triangle
equilateral triangle
isosceles triangle
right triangle
similar
congruent
theorem
Pythagorean theorem
quadrilateral
square
rectangle
trapezoid
rhombus
 parallelogram
pentagon
hexagon
octagon
perimeter
figure
perpendicular to
respectively
intersection
intersects

Coordinate Geometry
point
center
coordinates
slope
x-axis (abscissa) x
y-axis (ordinate) y
origin
midpoint ( )
number line

Three Dimensional
volume
cube
box
solid ( )
sphere
pyramid
prism
cylinder
cylindrical
cone
surface area
Measurements
inch
foot 12 =
yard
mile
second
minute
hour
miles per hour (mph)
kilometers per hour (km/h) "
squared
cubic
cubic inch
ounce
pound 16 =

Coins
Penny 1
Nickel 5
Dime 10
Quarter 25
 THE BASICS
The simplest things we learned in school can be problematic, now that
we've forgotten how to do them. Here are a few things worth refreshing:

Long Division
1732 : 14 = ?

Starting from the left, what's the 1732 14

smallest number we can divide in to
14? 17
1
17 divided by 14 is 1 1732 14
14
1 x 14 = 14 3
17 14 = 3
12
1732 14
3 cannot be divided by 14, so bring 14
down the next digit 3 33

33 divided by 14 is 2
123
2 x 14 = 28 1732 14
14
33 28 = 5 33
28
52

5 cannot be divided by 14, so bring

down the next digit 2 123
1732 14
52 divided by 14 is 3 14
33
3 x 14 = 42 28
52
52 42 = 10
42
10 cannot be divided by 14 and there 10
is nothing left to bring down, so 10 is
the remainder.
Working With Fractions

Many times you need to reduce a fraction to its simplest (= most

reduced) form to match what you see as possible answers on the test:

21 7
=
36 12

32 4
=
56 7

Adding

To add different fractions, you need to create a common

denominator:

2 3 2 7 3 5 14 15 14 + 15 29
+ = + = + = =
5 7 5 7 7 5 35 35 35 35

Subtracting

Find the common denominator:

7 1 42 8 34 17
= = =
8 6 48 48 24

Multiplying

This is the easy one just multiply each part:

3 11 33 11
= =
7 9 63 21

Dividing

Just flip the second fraction and then multiply:

3 11 3 9 27
: = =
7 9 7 11 77
 Percents

Percents are just another way of expressing a fraction in this case, a

fraction in which the denominator equals 100:

17 25 1 33
17% = 25% = = 33% = = 0.33
100 100 4 100

You should remember how to convert some common fractions to

percents and decimals:

1 1
0.5 50% 0.333 33.3%
2 3

1 2
0.25 25% 0.667 66.7%
4 3

3 1
0.75 75% 0.2 20%
4 5

2 3
0.4 40% 0.6 60%
5 5

4 1
0.8 80% 0.167 16.7%
5 6

5 1
0.833 83.3% 0.125 12.5%
6 8

3 5
0.375 37.5% 0.625 67.5%
8 8

1 1
0.111 11.1% 0.1 10%
9 10
Quick Math

You should also be sure to remember the multiplication table as best

you can. Notice that the squares of the integers from 1 to 20 are
highlighted. For example, 13 squared is 169, and 16 squared is 256.
 EXPONENTS & ROOTS
0 or 1 Do The Math

X1 = X X a X b = X a +b
X 0 =1 X a : X b = X a b
0n = 0 ( X a ) b = X ab
1n = 1 X a Y a = ( X Y )a

Negative Odds/Evens

1 Odd n = Odd
X n =
Xn Even n = Even
n n
X Y Negative Odd = Negative
=
Y X X Even 0

Show Your Roots

X Y = X Y

X X
=
Y Y

1
X n
=n X

X
m
n
=n Xm = ( X)n
m

m n
X = mn X
 The rules - examples

73 = 7 7 7 71 = 7 70 = 1
1 3 1
(7 5 )
3
7
5 = (5) 7 (5)7 = 7 53 = 5 = (5) 2

(1) 7 3 75 = 7 3+5 = 78 ; 2 6 2 7 = 2 6+7 = 213 ;

1 1 5
7 3 7 =72 73 = 76

Common
base 710 25
(2) = 7108 = 7 2 ; = 2 58 = 2 3 ;
8 8
7 2
1
1
6 62
= = 64 = 4 6
4
6 1
64

(3) 35 75 = (3 7) 5 = 215 ; 23 73 = 143 ;

1 1 1

Common 5 3 = 52 32 = 15 2 = 15
exponent
5 1
3
12 5 12 63 1 3 20 20 3 1
(4) = = 45 ; = ; = = 53 = 3 5
35 3 42 3 7 3
4
1
43

(5) ( )
73
5
= 7 35 = 715 ; (25 )2 = 210 ;
1
53 1 5 1
11 = 113 = 1115 = 15 11

5 5
1 2 3
(6) 7 3 = ; =
73 3 2
 POWERS TO REMEMBER

22 = 4 32 = 9
52 = 25
23 = 8 33 = 27
53 = 125
24 = 42 = 16 34 = 81
54 = 625
25 = 32 35 = 243

26 = 43 = 64

27 = 128

28 = 44 = 256

29 = 512

210 = 45 = 1024
 GEOMETRY
PARALLEL LINES
x y
y x
x + y = 1800

x y
y x

TRIANGLES
The sum of the angles in a triangle is 180 degrees:
w + x + z = 180
The area of a triangle is equal to half the product of the base and the
corresponding height:
x
bh a c
Area = h
2
z w
b
The sum of any two sides of a triangle is greater than the third.
Each side of the triangle is greater than the difference between the other two.
a + c > b > |a c|

Isosceles
An isosceles triangle has two equal sides and two equal angles.
The height originating at the third angle creates two congruent right triangles:

a a

x x

Right Triangles
Any triangle with a 90 degree angle is known as a right triangle.
Right triangles uphold the Pythagorean Theorem: a 2 + b 2 = c 2
ba
Area =
2 c
b

a
Common Right Triangles
There are a few common right triangles, which appear on tests, because all
sides are integers. For example:
3:4:5 (or 6 : 8 : 10 , or 9 : 12 : 15 . . . . . )
5 : 12 : 13

Isosceles Right Triangle

1:1: 2

Golden Triangle
1: 3 : 2
A triangle with angles of 30 : 60 : 90

a a
Equilateral a 3
2
An equilateral triangle has three equal sides.
60 60
All angles are equal to 60 degrees.
a a
Any height divides the triangle in to two congruent "golden" triangles.
2 2
QUADRILATERAL
A quadrilateral is any 4-sided figure.
The sum of the angles in a quadrilateral is equal to 360.
Quadrilaterals include: squares, rectangles, parallelograms, and others.

PARALLELOGRAM
A parallelogram is comprised of two pairs of equal, parallel lines:

A B
AB || DC, AB = DC y x
AD || BC, AD = BC
x + y = 180 h

S=bxh x y
D C
b
The Diagonals in a parallelogram bisect each other and create 2 pairs of
congruent triangles.

RECTANGLE
A rectangle is actually a right-angled parallelogram.
The diagonals in a rectangle are equal.

SQUARE
A square is an equilateral rectangle.
Area = x 2
x
Diagonal = 2 x
Diagonal 2
Area =
2
The diagonals in a square create 4 congruent, isosceles right triangles.
CIRCLES
Diameter(d ) = 2 Radius(r )
Area = r 2 r
Circumference = 2r = d

Angles
The sum of all central angles in a circle is 360 degrees.
Use the central angle to find the length of an arc or the area of a slice:

arc = 2 r
360

r

slice = r 2
360

The external angle ( ) is equal to half of the central angle ( ).

= 2

A tangent line crosses a circle at a single point and creates a right angle with
the radius.

r
 DRILL
1. If 2a b + c = b + 2a c , then:
(A) a = b
(B) b = c
(C) a = b c
(D) b + c = 1
(E) b = c

3 x 3
2. If + = 1 , what is the value of x?
4 5 2
14
(A) -
6
5
(B)
12
5
(C)
6
6
(D)
5
35
(E)
6
3. Which of the following has the greatest value?
3
(A)
7
5
(B)
8
4
(C)
9
6
(D)
11
7
(E)
13

y x
4. + =?
x y
(A) x y

(B) x+ y

x2 + y 2
(C)
xy
x2 + y 2
(D)
x+ y
x+ y
(E)
xy
 2 1
5. If = , what is the value of x?
3 + x 2x 1
5
(A)
2
5
(B)
3
5
(C)
4
4
(D)
5
3
(E)
5

6. If x + y = 20 and x - 2y = 11, what is the value of x?

(A) 3

(B) 7

(C) 10

(D) 11

(E) 17
7. Which of the following has the greatest value?
1 3
(A) +
3 8
2 1
(B) +
7 4
2 1
(C)
3 8
3 1
(D) +
7 5
5 2
(E)
8 7

8. If ABDE is a square, AB = 4, and BCD =90o, what is the area of ABCDE?

(A) 16 C

(B) 20 B D

(C) 24

(D) 25
A E
(E) 40

9. If x > 0, which of the following must be true?

(A) x3 > x2
(B) x> x
x x 1 > (x 1)
x
(C)

(D) x >0
x3 x5
(E) =
x x2
10. Which of the following does not have a remainder?
15
(A)
4
53
(B)
7
51
(C)
3
68
(D)
8
71
(E)
9

11. If ABCD is a square, what is its area?

(A) 4
A x+3 B
(B) 9

(C) 16 2x + 1

(D) 25
C D
(E) 36

12. If x + 2y = 12 and 2x + y = 9, then what is the value of x + y?

(A) 3

(B) 7

(C) 8

(D) 10.5

(E) 21
 x
13. Given that x 3 = y 4 , which of the following is equal to ?
y
(A) xy

(B) x

(C) y

(D) x

(E) 3 y

14. If the average of 8 and x is equal to the average of 5, 9, and x, then what
is the value of x?
(A) 1

(B) 2

(C) 4

(D) 8

(E) 10

15. If (x 2)2 = 2 x 1, which of the following is a possible value of x?

(A) 1

(B) 2

(C) 3

(D) 6

(E) 7
16. If f < g < h , which of the following must be true?
(A) fg < h
(B) f < gh
(C) fgh > 0
(D) h g > 0
(E) fg < gh

17. The average of three numbers is 22 and the smallest of these numbers is
2. If the other two numbers are equal, each of them is
(A) 22

(B) 32

(C) 40

(D) 64

(E) 66

18. In the figure shown, what is the value of x + y?

(A) 120

(B) 140 30

(C) 180
x y
(D) 190

(E) 210
19. What is the value of z if 3z + 4z + 7z = -42?
(A) 3
1
(B)
3
1
(C) -
3
(D) -3

(E) -4

20. Two less than a certain number is one-third of that number. What is the
number?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 6
(E) 9

ANSWERS
1. B 6. E 11. D 16. D
2. C 7. A 12. B 17. B
3. B 8. B 13. E 18. E
4. C 9. D 14. C 19. D
5. B 10. C 15. A 20. C
NOTES