GMAT® Equation Guide

Geometry Exterior Angle of a Triangle Triangle Inequality Theorem The Ratio of the Sides of a 45-45-90 Right
Triangle
An exterior angle of a triangle is equal to In any triangle, the sum of the lengths of
Angles the sum of its two remote interior angles. any two sides of the triangle is greater than
the length of the third side.

Pythagorean Theorem

The Hypotenuse of a 45-45-90 Right

Triangle is the Diagonal of a Square
A square’s diagonal cuts the square into
Parallel Lines Intersected by a Transversal
two 45-45-90 right triangles.

Pythagorean Triples
→ 3-4-5 Right Triangle
→ 5-12-13 Right Triangle

Isosceles Right Triangle

Supplementary Angles
The Ratio of the Sides of a 30-60-90
Angles are supplementary if their
Right Triangle
measures sum to 180°.

Area of a Triangle

base × height 1
area = = bh
2 2

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 GMAT® Equation Guide

The Area of an Equilateral Triangle Rectangle The Maximum Area of a Rectangle Hexagons
Given a rectangle with a fixed perimeter,
side2 3 3 3 2
Area = the rectangle with the maximum area is a Area = s
4 square. 2

The Minimum Perimeter of a Rectangle Exterior Angles of Any Polygon

Cutting an Equilateral Triangle in Half Given a rectangle with a fixed area, the They always sum to 360°.
Dropping an altitude from the upper vertex rectangle with the minimum perimeter is a
to the base of an equilateral triangle square.
produces two identical 30-60-90 triangles.
The Longest Line Segment of a Rectangle
The longest segment is the diagonal. The Trapezoid

Diagonal = L2 + W 2

The Square

The Parallelogram
→ Opposite sides are equal Circles
→ Opposite angles are equal

Interior Angles of a Polygon

The sum of the interior angles of a polygon
= (n – 2) × 180, where n = the number of
sides in the polygon.

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 GMAT® Equation Guide

Arc Length and Sector Area Right Triangle Inscribed in a Circle The Area of a Circular Ring The Cube

Arc Length
central angle arc length
=
360 circumference
Sector Area
central angle area of sector
=
360 area of circle
The Rectangular Solid
Regular Polygons Inscribed In Circles
Inscribed Angles in Circles
The Cylinder
When a regular polygon is inscribed in a
circle, the polygon divides the circle into
arcs of equal length.

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 GMAT® Equation Guide

The Diagonal of a Rectangular Solid or Coordinate Geometry The Slope-Intercept Equation

Cube
⇒ y = mx + b Negative Slope
Cube The Coordinate Plane
where :
Diagonal = side 3 → y = the y-coordinate
→ x = the corresponding x-coordinate
→ m = the slope of the line
→ b = the y-intercept of the line

Positive Slope

Rectangular Solid Slope of a Line

Zero Slope
2 2 2 2
Diagonal = L + W + H Δy y 2 − y 1 Rise
⇒ slope = m = = =
Δx x 2 − x 1 Run
where :
→ y 2 = the second y-coordinate
→ y 1 = the first y-coordinate
→ x 2 = the second x-coordinate
→ x 1 = the first x-coordinate
→ m = slope of the line

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 GMAT® Equation Guide

Undefined Slope The Distance Formula Example:

→ 5, 10, 15, 20
Distance = (x2 − x 1 )2 + (y2 − y 1 )2 → 20 = 5 + (4 – 1)5

→ 20 = 20
Midpoint Formula

! x + x2 y1 + y2 " Sum of the Terms of an Arithmetic

Midpoint = # 1 , $
% 2 2 & Sequence

n
Sn = (a1 + an )
2
4
Functions and Sequences Sn = (5 + 20)
2
Sn = 2(25)
Range
The set of all the numbers a function can
5 + 10 + 15 + 20 = 50
generate (i.e., the set of all outputs) is
Parallel Lines called the range of the function.
Parallel lines have the same slope but Geometric Sequence
different y-intercepts, and as a result, the
A geometric sequence (or geometric
lines will never intersect. Domain progression) is one in which the ratio
The set of all the numbers that a function between every pair of consecutive terms is
can use (i.e., the set of all inputs) is called the same.
Perpendicular Lines the domain of the function.
Formula:
The slopes of two perpendicular lines are
negative reciprocals; negative reciprocals an = a1 × rn−1
multiply to -1. Arithmetic Sequences
Where an is the nth term and a1 is the first
An arithmetic sequence is a sequence in term of the sequence, and r is the common
which the difference between every pair of ratio.
Reflections consecutive terms is the same.
Example:
Reflection over the x-axis Formula:
→ 5, 10, 20, 40
(x, y) → (x, -y)
an = a1 + (n – 1)d → 40 = 5 x 24-1
Reflection over the y-axis
Where an is the nth term in the sequence, a1
(x, y) → (-x, y) → 40 = 40
is the first term of the sequence, and d is
Reflection over the origin the common difference

(x, y) → (-x, -y)

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