VCE General Mathematics 

General Mathematics Units 1– 4 provide for the study of non-calculus and discrete mathematics topics. They are designed to be widely accessible and provide preparation for general employment, business or further study, in particular where data analysis, recursion and financial modelling, networks and matrices are important. 

Students who have done only Mathematical Methods Units 1 and 2 will have had access to assumed key knowledge and key skills for General Mathematics Units 3 and 4 but may also need to undertake some supplementary study.

Use of the Casio Classpad calculator is expected as an integral component of every topic. It is allowed in every assessment for this subject, as well as a bound reference to support students.

• Investigating and comparing data distributions – includes types of data, display and description of the distribution of data, summary statistics for centre and spread, and the comparison of sets of data.

• Algebra, Number and Structure - includes the concept of a sequence and its representation by rule, table and graph, arithmetic or geometric sequences as examples of sequences generated by first-order linear recurrence relations, and simple financial and other applications of these sequences.

• Functions, Relations and Graphs - includes linear functions and relations, their graphs, modelling with linear functions, solving linear equations and simultaneous linear equations, line segment and step graphs and their applications.

• Matrices – includes the concept of matrices and matrix operations to model and solve a range of practical problems, including population growth and decay.

• Investigating relationships between two numerical variables – includes response and explanatory variables, scatterplots their use in identifying and qualitatively describing the association between two numerical variables as well as interpreting the data and using it to make predictions.

• Graphs and Networks – includes the use of graphs and networks to model and solve a range of practical problems, including connectedness, shortest path and minimum spanning trees.

• Functions, Relations & Graphs – includes direct and inverse variation, transformations to linearity and modelling of some non-linear data.

• Space, Measurement & Trigonometry - includes units of measurement, accuracy, computations with formulas for different measures, similarity and scale in two and three dimensions, and their practical applications involving simple and composite shapes and objects, trigonometry, problems involving navigation and Pythagoras’ theorem and their applications in the plane.

• Data Analysis - includes the investigation of data types, representation and distribution of data, location, spread, association, correlation and causation, response and explanatory variables, linear regression, data transformation and goodness of fit, times series, seasonality, smoothing and predictions.

• Recursion and financial modelling - This topic covers the use of first-order linear recurrence relations and technology to model and analyse a range of financial situations, and solve related problems involving interest, appreciation and depreciation, loans, annuities and perpetuities.

• Matrices - includes the definition of matrices, different types of matrices, matrix operations, transition matrices and the use of first-order linear matrix recurrence relations to model a range of situations and solve related problems.

• Networks and Decision Mathematics - includes the definition and representation of different kinds of undirected and directed graphs, Eulerian trails, Eulerian circuits, bridges, Hamiltonian paths and cycles, and the use of networks to model and solve problems involving travel, connection, flow, matching, allocation and scheduling.

You should discuss your maths choices with your current maths teacher. The following teachers can be contacted to find out more about this course:

St Mary's Teachers:

Ms Margaret White:  mwhite@cmc.vic.edu.au

Mr Darren Scott:  dscott@cmc.vic.edu.au

Mrs Bethany Amsing:  bamsing@cmc.vic.edu.au

Mrs Clare Hope: chope@cmc.vic.edu.au

Coolock Teachers:

Mr Shane McConvill: smcconvill@cmc.vic.edu.au