Section 4 of 21
Mathematics
Algebra through differential equations and numerical methods
- p35-62page range
- 28pages long
- 15subsections
- 46drill items
What the section holds
The general mathematics reference for every discipline. It opens with discrete mathematics and set notation, then moves through analytic geometry of the straight line and conic surfaces, logarithms, complex numbers, trigonometry, and a large mensuration block of area and volume formulas for standard shapes. The calculus material covers derivatives, integrals, and series, followed by differential equations, Fourier and Laplace transforms, matrices, determinants and vector operations, and finally numerical methods.
Why it matters for your exam
Mathematics carries the largest or near-largest question allocation on several discipline specifications, and the Electrical and Computer specification allocates more questions to it than to any other single area.
How to navigate it
The two blocks worth locating cold are mensuration, because area and volume formulas are needed inside other disciplines' problems, and the transform material, because Laplace and Fourier are near the end of the section rather than with the differential equations they belong to.
Search terms that land here
mensuration | laplace transform | fourier | determinant | newton's method
Subsections, in handbook order
These are the headings the handbook itself uses. The page number beside each is where it begins.
- Discrete Mathp35
- Logarithmsp36
- Quadratic Equationp36
- Quadric Surface (SPHERE)p36
- Straight Linep36
- Algebra of Complex Numbersp37
- Trigonometryp38
- Mensuration of Areas and Volumesp40
- Differential Calculusp46
- Progression and Seriesp51
- Differential Equationsp52
- Laplace Transformsp57
- Matricesp58
- Determinantsp59
- Numerical Methodsp61
Disciplines that use this section
Page numbers here are read from handbook version 10.5 (seventh printing, April 2025), which runs to 502 pages. NCEES revises the handbook and page numbers move with it, which is why the drill asks which section a topic lives in rather than which page. Check the version of your own copy, downloaded free from NCEES.