A good knowledge of Mathematics, particularly in today's context, is essential for pursuing a degree course in Science. Unfortunately, we have in Sri Lanka a secondary school course structure in which Biological Science students are not able to study any Mathematics after they are admitted to the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) Courses.

This presents these students with a fundamental barrier when they attempt to study certain aspects of Chemistry, such as the field of Physical Chemistry. It is therefore necessary that these students be provided with an appropriate course in Mathematics, at least at University Level.

In the initial stage of the development of B.Sc. degree courses in Science at the Open University of Sri Lanka, it was therefore decided to make a pass in Mathematics at the Foundation Level a necessary requirement for admission, unless one had equivalent qualifications obtained elsewhere. Recently, it was decided to make this requirement less stringent, by requiring one course only, during the first year of the degree programme. Simultaneously, it was agreed that this Mathematics course will be provided by the Chemistry department as a zero credit course, which means that a pass in this course becomes a necessity, but the marks are not considered in computing the overall degree performance.

The details below give the course content for the relevant course unit. The contents of the course have been designed to include primarily the information and knowledge required to satisfactorily pursue courses in Chemistry at the degree level. You are therefore very strongly advised to study it well, since the knowledge you gain thereby will prove to be very useful for your studies in Chemistry.
 
Supplement on Basic Algebra
Mathematics for Chemistry Students
Statistics

Supplement on Basic Algebra 

As a generalized form of Arithmetic,  Mathematical Operations,  Law of Indices,  Equations 
Addition of fractions

Mathematics for Chemistry Students

Numbers, Logrithms, Trignometric Functions, Limits, The Principle of Differentiation , Differentiation of a Product and Differentiation of a Function of a Function ,  Maxima and Minima , Partial Differentiation , Total Differentiation ,Homogeneous Functions and Euler's Theorem on Homogeneous Functions, Integration as the Converse of Differentiation , Integration by Parts , Exact Differential Equations,  Definite Integral

Statistics

What is Statistics, Classification and Pictorial, Measures of Central Tendency , Measures of Variation, 
Elementary Probability Theory, Probability Distributions