IITM BS Qualifier Maths for Non-Maths Students: What to Revise First

If you are not from a maths background, revise basic algebra first: moving terms across an equals sign, negative numbers, fractions and squaring brackets. Every topic in the first 4 weeks of Maths 1 uses these skills. After that, follow the course order: sets and functions, then straight lines, then quadratics, then polynomials. Straight lines and quadratics are worth extra time because the later weeks build on them.

To apply for the Data Science programme, you only need to have studied Maths in Class 10.

What Maths 1 covers in the qualifier weeks

The official course page for Mathematics for Data Science I (BSMA1001) lists these topics:

The course page names "Introductory Algebra: a real-world approach" by Ignacio Bello as the prescribed book, if you want extra practice questions.

Step 1: fix your algebra toolkit

Spend the first few days on these, 30 to 45 minutes a day:

• Solving a one-step and two-step equation, like 3x minus 7 = 11, so x = 6.
• Signs: minus times minus is plus. Be extra careful here in weeks 2 and 3, where one sign slip changes the whole answer.
• Squaring a bracket: (x minus 3) squared is x squared minus 6x + 9, not x squared minus 9.
• Factorising simple quadratics: x squared minus 6x + 5 = (x minus 1)(x minus 5).

If these feel slow, do 10 short questions a day until they feel easy.

Step 2: sets and functions (week 1)

Say set A has 1, 2, 3, 4 and set B has 3, 4, 5.

• A union B has 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
• A intersection B has 3, 4.
• A minus B has 1, 2.
• Count check: 4 + 3 minus 2 = 5 elements in the union.

A relation is a function only if every input has exactly one output. The pairs (1, 5), (2, 6), (1, 7) are not a function, because 1 goes to two outputs. Draw arrow diagrams for these questions. It is faster than reasoning in your head.

Step 3: straight lines (week 2)

Take the points (1, 2) and (3, 8).

• Slope = (8 minus 2) divided by (3 minus 1) = 6 divided by 2 = 3.
• The line is y = 3x minus 1. Check with x = 1: y = 3 minus 1 = 2. Correct.
• A parallel line has the same slope, 3.
• A perpendicular line has slope minus 1/3, because the two slopes multiply to minus 1.

Common mistake: subtracting the y values in one order and the x values in the other order. Always take both from the same point first.

Step 4: quadratics (week 3)

Take y = x squared minus 6x + 5.

• Vertex x value = minus b divided by 2a = 6 divided by 2 = 3.
• At x = 3, y = 9 minus 18 + 5 = minus 4. So the vertex is (3, minus 4).
• The number in front of x squared is positive, so the curve opens upward and the vertex is a minimum.
• Roots: (x minus 1)(x minus 5) = 0, so x = 1 or x = 5. The vertex sits exactly halfway between them, at 3. Use this as a quick check.

Step 5: polynomials (week 4)

Take p(x) = (x minus 2) squared times (x + 1).

• It crosses the x-axis at x = minus 1 and touches it at x = 2. A zero that appears twice (multiplicity 2) makes the graph touch the axis and turn back instead of crossing.
• The highest power is 3, so the graph has at most 2 turning points.
• For large positive x the graph goes up, and for large negative x it goes down.

Sketch at least one graph by hand every day this week. Reading graphs is a new skill for many non-maths students, so practise it early.

A daily maths routine during the qualifier

• 40 minutes: the new video and your own notes, in your own words.
• 30 minutes: practice questions before looking at any solution.
• 10 minutes: write every mistake in one list and redo it two days later.

Maths has its own minimum in both the hall ticket rule and the exam. For General candidates that is 40%, so you cannot rely on the other three courses to cover it.

For more help, see our Maths 1 course page, the week-by-week Maths 1 guide, IITM BS with weak maths and the 4-week qualifier study plan.

Common questions

Do I need Class 11 and 12 maths for the qualifier?

The DS eligibility rule only asks that you studied Maths in Class 10. The handbook says the foundation courses are meant to train people from many educational backgrounds in the basics. Students who did Class 11 and 12 maths may find some parts familiar.

Should I skip week 1 because sets look easy?

No. Week 1 also covers relations and types of functions, which take real practice. It is also the first graded assignment, and in DS your week 1 and week 2 average decides if you can write the first exam.

How do I check my answers without a solution key?

Substitute back. If you found x = 5 as a root, put 5 into the equation and see if you get 0. If you found a line, check that both given points satisfy it.

Is calculus or graph theory in the qualifier?

Not in the first 4 weeks. The course page places calculus from week 7 and graph theory in weeks 10 and 11, after the qualifier.