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6 Math Review Reference Sheets

Probability, Sequences, and Partial Sums

PROBABILITY:

Concept Definition, Notation, and Equations Example: Rolling a die with 6

numbered sides once

Event A set of outcomes of an experiment The event of the outcome being an odd
number is the set {1, 3, 5}.

Probability The probability of an event E is a number If the 6 outcomes are equally likely,
between 0 and 1, inclusive, and is denoted P (E). then the probability of each outcome
If each outcome is equally likely, P (E) = is 1 . The probability that the outcome
6
(the number of possible outcomes in E) . is an odd number is P ({1, 3, 5}) =
(the total number of possible outcomes) |{1, 3, 5}| 3 1
= = .
6 6 2
Conditional The probability that E occurs if F occurs is |{1}|
Probability |E ∩F | P ({1, 3, 5}|{1, 2}) = =1
P (E|F ) = . |{1, 2}| 2
|F |

Not E The set of outcomes that are not in event E: 6 −1 = 5

P (not {3}) =
P (not E) = 1 − P (E). 6 6

E and F The set of outcomes in both E and F, that is, For E = {1, 3, 5} and F = {2, 3, 5}:
E ∩ F; P (E and F ) = P (E ∩ F ) = P ({3, 5}) =
P (E and F ) = P (E ∩ F ) = P (E|F )P (F ). |{3, 5}| 3 1
= = .
6 6 3
E or F The set of outcomes in E or F or both, that is, For E = {1, 3, 5} and F = {2, 3, 5}:
E ∪ F; P (E or F ) = P (E) + P (F ) − P (E and
P (E or F ) = P (E) + P (F ) − P (E and F ). F ) =
3 + 3 − 2 = 4 = 2.
6 6 6 6 3
Dependent E is dependent on F if P (E|F ) ≠ P (E). For E = {2, 4, 6} and F = {5, 6}:
and E and F are independent if neither is dependent P (E|F ) = P (E) = 1 , and
Independent on the other. If E and F are independent, 2
Events 1
P (F|E) = P (F ) = , so E and F are
P (E and F ) = P (E)P (F ). 3
independent. Thus
( 2 ​ )​​(​  3 ​​ )​  = ​  6 ​  .​​
1 _
P (E and F ) = P (E)P (F ) = ​​ ​ _ 1 _1

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 GMAT™ Official Guide Quantitative Review 2022

SEQUENCE: PARTIAL SUM:

An algebraic function whose domain consists of The sum of the first k terms of series an is called a partial
only positive integers. k

​  n​ ​  ​​ with the sum of the series and is denoted ∑a

(5)
Example: Function a (n) = n 2 + ​​ _
i
i =1

domain of all positive integers n = 1, 2, 3, ... is an

​  n​ ​  ​​​,
(5)
infinite sequence an. Example: For this same function a (n) = n 2 + ​​ _
the partial sum of the first three terms is ​​
3
 ​​ ​a​ i​​  = ​(​1​​  2​  + ​ _1 ​ )​ + ​(​2​​  2​  + ​ _2 ​ )​ + ​(​3​​  2​  + ​ _3 ​ )​.​​
∑ 
i=1 5 5 5

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