IB Math AI SL Formula Booklet: What It Includes (and What It Doesn’t)
Formula Booklet Math AI SL:
https://aeteaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Math-AI-SL-formula-booklet.pdf
If you’re taking IB Math AI SL, the formula booklet is very helpful and it is important not to memorize the formulas in there, but rather, which formulas and there, which ones are not, and how to use the formulas.
For example, in sequences and series, you are given two versions of the sum formula for a geometric sequence—but don’t worry, it doesn’t matter which one you use. They are the same and you can use either one.
In financial mathematics, the booklet is especially helpful because it provides the compound interest formula along with clear explanations of each variable. Because the formula has lots of different variables, students often do not know what the letters mean or what to plug in, but it is just a matter of reading the description of what each letter is.
However, it’s just as important to know what the booklet does not do. There are some things that are not in the formula booklet that you will have to memorize. For instance, students should remember how to identify outliers using the interquartile range (IQR), as well as:
How to recognise the four conditions for a binomial probability distribution:
- Fixed number of trials
- Only two outcomes (success/failure)
- Constant probability of success
- Independent trials
Another key point: there are many formulas in the booklet that you may rarely or never use. This means that you should not memorize anything in the formula booklet, but do know which formulas are relevant in different contexts.
Finally, The trapezoidal rule does appear in exams, and many students lose marks simply because they don’t practice applying it properly. So make sure to practice this one because it could come up.
Key Tip Math AI SL:
The formula booklet is a tool—not a shortcut. The more familiar you are with it, the more confident and efficient you’ll be in the exam.
