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GDC Skills Reference

IB Mathematics: Applications & Interpretation · Every GDC operation, all three calculators
www.jmaths.xyz
How to read this sheet: every row is one GDC operation, with the keystrokes for all three IB-approved calculators side by side — TI-84 Plus CE, TI-Nspire CX II, and Casio fx-CG50. Use the column for the calculator you actually own; ignore the other two. Keystrokes in [BRACKETS] are physical keys; menu paths use →. A dash “—” means that calculator has no native command for that operation.
1
Setup & Modes
OperationTI-84 Plus CETI-Nspire CX IICasio fx-CG50
Set degree mode (AI SL default) [MODE]DEGREE [doc] → Settings → Document Settings → Angle: Degree [SHIFT][MENU] (SET UP) → Angle: Deg
Set radian mode (for complex args) [MODE]RADIAN [doc] → Settings → Document Settings → Angle: Radian [SHIFT][MENU] (SET UP) → Angle: Rad
Complex \( a + bi \) mode [MODE] → a+b\( i \) (or re^(\( \theta i \))) On by default; insert \( i \) from keypad / symbol palette [SHIFT][MENU] → Complex Mode → a+bi (or r∠\( \theta \))
Scientific (standard-form) display [MODE] → SCI [doc] → Settings → Exponential Format = Scientific [SHIFT][MENU] (SET UP) → Display = Sci
Enter standard form (e.g. \( 3.45\times10^4 \)) [2nd][,] (EE) → type 3.45E4 [EE] key, or type 3.45×10^4 [EXP] / [×10x]3.45 EXP 4
Turn on \( r \) / \( r^2 \) in regression (DiagnosticOn) [2nd][CATALOG] → DiagnosticOn Always reported — no setting needed Always reported — no setting needed
Angle-mode trap: at AI SL trigonometry is always in degrees — set degree mode before graphing or solving. For AI HL complex numbers, switch to radians before reading an argument, or angle/Arg will return degrees.

GDC Skills Reference

IB Mathematics: Applications & Interpretation · Every GDC operation, all three calculators
www.jmaths.xyz
2
Number, Sequences & Finance
OperationTI-84 Plus CETI-Nspire CX IICasio fx-CG50
Sum a sequence \( \sum_{k=1}^{20}(3k+5) \) [2nd][STAT] (LIST) → MATH sum( + OPS seq( → sum(seq(3X+5, X, 1, 20)) Templates key → Σ template: k=1, 20, body 3k+5 (or sum(seq(3k+5, k, 1, 20))) Run-Matrix: OPTN → LIST → Seq to build list, then OPTN → LIST → Sum
Change of base \( \log_2 8 \) [MATH] → logBASE( → logBASE(8, 2) log template [log□] or type log(8, 2) Run-Matrix → [MATH] menu → \( \log_{\square}(\square) \) template (not [SHIFT][log])
Compound interest / future value (TVM) [APPS] → Finance → TVM Solver → cursor on FV, [ALPHA][ENTER] [Menu] → Finance → Finance Solver → leave FV blank, tab to it, [Enter] [MENU] → Financial → Compound Interest → highlight FV, [SOLVE] (F5/F6)
Solve for interest rate \( I\% \) TVM Solver → cursor on I%, [ALPHA][ENTER] Finance Solver → leave I(%) blank, tab to it, [Enter] Compound Interest → F-key under I% (F2)
Loan / annuity payment (PMT) TVM Solver → cursor on PMT, [ALPHA][ENTER] Finance Solver → leave PMT blank, tab to it, [Enter] Compound Interest → F-key under PMT (F4)
Depreciation (use negative rate) TVM Solver → enter negative I%, solve FV Finance Solver → enter negative I(%), solve FV Compound Interest → negative I%, P/Y=C/Y=1, solve FV
TVM sign convention: money you pay out (deposits, PV of a loan you take) is entered as a positive or negative amount consistently — if FV comes out with the wrong sign, flip the sign of PV. Set P/Y and C/Y to the compounding frequency (12 for monthly).
3
Equations & Graphs
OperationTI-84 Plus CETI-Nspire CX IICasio fx-CG50
Graph a function Enter in [Y=][GRAPH] Open Graphs → type equation → [Enter] [MENU] → Graph → enter Y1 → [DRAW] (F6)
Find zeros / roots (solve \( f(x)=0 \)) [2nd][CALC] → 2: zero → set bounds per root [Menu] → Analyze Graph → Zero → set bounds [G-SOLV] (SHIFT+F5) → ROOT
Intersection (solve \( f(x)=g(x) \)) both in [Y=][2nd][CALC] → 5: intersect [Menu] → Analyze Graph → Intersection [G-SOLV] (SHIFT+F5) → INTSECT (ISCT)
Maximum / minimum (vertex, turning point) [2nd][CALC] → 3: minimum / 4: maximum → bounds [Menu] → Analyze Graph → Minimum / Maximum [G-SOLV] (SHIFT+F5) → MIN / MAX
Equation solver (algebraic, e.g. cosine rule) [MATH] → Solver → enter as \( =0 \), cursor on X, [ALPHA][ENTER] nSolve(eqn, x) or solve(eqn, x) in Calculator Menu → Equation → F3 (SOLVER) → type eqn → F6 (SOLV)
Evaluate inverse \( f^{-1}(k) \) graph \( y=f(x) \) & \( y=k \) → intersect → read \( x \) graph both → Analyze Graph → Intersection → read \( x \) graph Y1=\( f(x) \), Y2=\( k \) → G-SOLV INTSECT → read \( x \)

GDC Skills Reference

IB Mathematics: Applications & Interpretation · Every GDC operation, all three calculators
www.jmaths.xyz
4
Functions & Regression
OperationTI-84 Plus CETI-Nspire CX IICasio fx-CG50
Enter \( x,y \) data [STAT] → Edit (x in L1, y in L2) Lists & Spreadsheet (x in col A, y in col B) [MENU] → Statistics (x in List 1, y in List 2)
Linear regression \( y=ax+b \) (reports \( r, r^2 \)) [STAT] → CALC → 4: LinReg(ax+b) L1, L2 [Menu] → Statistics → Stat Calculations → Linear Regression (mx+b) [CALC] (F2) → REG (F3) → X (linear)
Quadratic regression (reports \( R^2 \) only) [STAT] → CALC → 5: QuadReg Stat Calculations → Quadratic Regression REG (F3) → \( X^2 \)
Cubic regression (reports \( R^2 \) only) [STAT] → CALC → 6: CubicReg Stat Calculations → Cubic Regression REG (F3) → \( X^3 \)
Exponential regression \( y=ab^{x} \) (reports \( r, r^2 \)) [STAT] → CALC → 0: ExpReg Stat Calculations → Exponential Regression REG (F3) → EXP
Sinusoidal regression (no \( r \) / \( R^2 \)) [STAT] → CALC → SinReg Stat Calculations → Sinusoidal Regression REG (F3) → Sin
Which fits report \( r \)? Linear, exponential, ln and power give Pearson \( r \) (and \( r^2 \)) — on the TI-84 turn on DiagnosticOn first. Quadratic and cubic give \( R^2 \) only. Sinusoidal gives neither — judge the fit by graphing the model over the data.
5
Statistics
OperationTI-84 Plus CETI-Nspire CX IICasio fx-CG50
1-Var Stats (mean, \( \sigma_x \), quartiles) [STAT] → CALC → 1: 1-Var Stats L1 (,L2 freq) Stat Calculations → One-Variable Statistics [CALC] (F2) → 1-VAR (set Freq in SET F6)
Box plot [2nd][Y=] (STAT PLOT) → choose box-plot icon → [GRAPH] Data & Statistics page → set plot type to Box Plot [GRAPH] (F1) → SET (F6) Graph Type: MedBox → DRAW
Normal cdf \( P(a<X<b) \) [2nd][DISTR] → normalcdf(lower, upper, \( \mu, \sigma \)) Distributions → Normal Cdf(lower, upper, \( \mu, \sigma \)) DIST (F5) → NORM → Ncd (enter lower, upper, \( \sigma, \mu \))
Inverse normal (find \( x \) from a left-tail area) DISTR → invNorm(area, \( \mu, \sigma \)) Distributions → Inverse Normal(area, \( \mu, \sigma \)) DIST → NORM → InvN (Tail: Left; area, \( \sigma, \mu \))
Binomial pdf \( P(X=k) \) DISTR → binompdf(n, p, k) Distributions → Binomial Pdf(n, p, k) DIST (F5) → BINM → Bpd (x=k, Numtrial=n, p)
Binomial cdf \( P(X\leq k) \) DISTR → binomcdf(n, p, k) Distributions → Binomial Cdf(n, p, lower, upper) BINM → Bcd (x=k, Numtrial=n, p)
Poisson pdf / cdf HL DISTR → poissonpdf(\( \lambda, x \)) / poissoncdf(\( \lambda, x \)) Distributions → Poisson Pdf / Poisson Cdf(lower, upper, \( \lambda \)) DIST → POISN → Ppd / Pcd
\( \chi^2 \) test for independence (2-way) enter matrix [A] → [STAT] → TESTS → \( \chi^2 \)-Test store obs matrix → Stat Tests → \( \chi^2 \) 2-way Test TEST → CHI → 2WAY (F6 shows expected)
\( t \)-test for two means (Pooled: No) [STAT] → TESTS → 2-SampTTest Stat Tests → 2-Sample \( t \) Test TEST → t → 2-Sample
\( z \)-interval for the mean (known \( \sigma \)) HL [STAT] → TESTS → ZInterval Confidence Intervals → z Interval INTR → Z → 1-Sample
Read \( \sigma_x \), not \( S_x \): all three calculators show both standard deviations in 1-Var Stats. For IB AI quote the population SD \( \sigma_x \) (divisor \( n \)); square it for the variance. Casio asks for \( \sigma \) before \( \mu \) in the normal screens — opposite order to the TIs.

GDC Skills Reference

IB Mathematics: Applications & Interpretation · Every GDC operation, all three calculators
www.jmaths.xyz
6
Calculus
OperationTI-84 Plus CETI-Nspire CX IICasio fx-CG50
Numeric derivative \( f'(a) \) [MATH] → 8: nDeriv( → nDeriv(\( Y_1 \), X, a) Calculus → Numerical Derivative, or Graphs → Analyze → dy/dx graph → [G-SOLV] (SHIFT+F5) → dy/dx; or [OPTN] CALC \( \frac{d}{dx} \)
Numeric definite integral \( \int_a^b f(x)\,dx \) [MATH] → 9: fnInt( → fnInt(\( f \), X, a, b); or [2nd][CALC] → 7: \( \int f \)dx nInt(\( f \), x, a, b); or Graphs → Analyze Graph → Integral [G-SOLV] (SHIFT+F5) → \( \int \)dx; or [OPTN] CALC integral template
7
Matrices & Vectors HL
OperationTI-84 Plus CETI-Nspire CX IICasio fx-CG50
Enter a matrix [2nd][x⁻¹] (MATRIX) → EDIT → [A] Define a := [[2,3][1,4]] (matrix template) [MENU] → Run-Matrix → [F3] (MAT) → Mat A
Multiply matrices \( [A] \times [B] \) \( a \cdot b \) \( \text{Mat A} \times \text{Mat B} \)
Determinant MATRIX → MATH → det([A]) det(a) [OPTN] → MAT/VCT → Det → det(Mat A)
Inverse \( [A] \)[x⁻¹] \( a^{-1} \) Mat A[x⁻¹]
Power \( A^n \) (adjacency / Markov) \( [A]\hat{}n \) \( a\hat{}n \) \( \text{Mat A}\hat{}n \)
Solve a linear system \( A\mathbf{x}=\mathbf{b} \) enter [A], [B] → compute \( [A]^{-1}[B] \) simultEqn() or rref() on augmented matrix Menu → Equation → Simultaneous; or \( \text{Mat A}^{-1}\times\text{Mat B} \)
Eigenvalues — (no native command; use PlySmlt2 on \( \lambda^2-(a+d)\lambda+\det A=0 \), or by hand) eigVl(a) (Matrix & Vector → Advanced → Eigenvalues) — (no command; solve \( \det(A-\lambda I)=0 \) by hand)
Eigenvectors — (by hand from each eigenvalue) eigVc(a) — (by hand from each eigenvalue)
8
Complex Numbers HL
OperationTI-84 Plus CETI-Nspire CX IICasio fx-CG50
Enter \( i \) [2nd][.] \( i \) key / symbol palette [SHIFT][0]
Modulus \( |z| \) abs(z) abs(z) [OPTN] → COMPLEX → Abs
Argument \( \arg(z) \) (radian mode!) angle(z) angle(z) [OPTN] → COMPLEX → Arg
Conjugate \( \bar{z} \) — (use \( a-bi \), or conj via CATALOG) conj(z) [OPTN] → COMPLEX → Conj
Polar ↔ rectangular form set [MODE] a+b\( i \) or re^(\( \theta i \)) to choose display ▸Polar / ▸Rect, or type \( r\,e^{(i\theta)} \) [SHIFT][MENU] → Complex Mode → a+bi or r∠\( \theta \)
Powers, e.g. \( (1+i)^8 \) (1+i)^8 [ENTER] (1+i)^8 [Enter] (1+i)^8 [EXE]
Argument trap: the calculator must be in radian mode or angle / Arg returns the argument in degrees. The TI-84 has no one-key conjugate — type \( a-bi \) directly, or find conj( in the CATALOG.