HL Paper 3 (AA and AI)
One book and 18 chapters on the HL Paper 3 investigation for AA and AI, with eight full practice papers.
Photon Guidebook · 2026 Edition
Photon Guidebook for IB Maths AI HL
Applications and Interpretation is a calculator course, so these two volumes teach it that way: the GDC steps sit next to the reasoning, and every worked answer shows what the examiner wants written down.
- 2 volumes
- 24 chapters
- 1,326 pages
- Browser e-book
- Print: coming soon
Free sample: Chapter 2, Sequences, series and financial mathematics. Full title: Photon Guidebook: Mathematics Applications and Interpretation HL for the IB Diploma, by Ejaz Ahmad with the Photon Academy team.
Who it's for
Written for students who
- AI HL students who are comfortable with the ideas but unsure how much working to show when the calculator does the heavy lifting.
- Students who find the HL-only topics (matrices and Markov chains, graph theory, coupled systems) thin in their class notes.
- Students preparing for the Paper 3 modelling investigations.
Also inside
Beyond the topics
Volume 2 closes with a chapter on the Paper 3 modelling investigations and a chapter on exam technique for all three papers.
Worked solutions to the practice questions are free on the publisher's site: IB Maths AI HL worked solutions.
How each chapter is built
The same four-part pattern runs through the book, so you always know where you are.
- Start from the examEach chapter opens with How IB asks this: a count of the topic's questions on the papers since 2021, ranked by the marks they carry.
- Calculator steps beside the methodWhere the graphic display calculator does the work, the keystrokes sit next to the reasoning, followed by what you still need to write down to earn the marks.
- Marked the way examiners markWorked solutions show M1, A1 and R1 against the lines that earn them, so a correct calculator answer is never left without the working that supports it.
- Practice in three roundsBasics, Tutorial and Mastery, ending at full exam standard. Worked solutions to every practice question are free online.
Contents
24 chapters, 1,326 pages, in two volumes.
Volume 1
Units 1 to 3, Chapters 1 to 12 · 682 pages- 1Number, approximation and error
- 2Sequences, series and financial mathematics
- 3Exponents and logarithms
- 4Complex numbers
- 5Matrices, eigenvalues and Markov chains
- 6Functions and graphs
- 7Modelling with functions and regression
- 8Trigonometry and three-dimensional geometry
- 9Voronoi diagrams
- 10Vectors
- 11Matrix transformations
- 12Graph theory
Volume 2
Units 4 and 5, Paper 3 and exam strategy, Chapters 13 to 24 · 644 pages- 13Describing data
- 14Correlation and regression
- 15Probability
- 16Probability distributions
- 17Hypothesis tests and confidence intervals
- 18Differentiation
- 19Integration
- 20Kinematics
- 21Differential equations
- 22Coupled systems and phase portraits
- 23Paper 3: modelling investigations
- 24Exam strategy
Look inside
Eight real pages, shown exactly as the e-book displays them. Tap any page to open it at full size, or read the whole sample.
Buy the IB Maths AI HL e-book
Payments are handled by Photon Academy (Singapore), the publisher.
Volume 1
S$100SGD, one-time
- Covers
- Units 1 to 3, Chapters 1 to 12
- Length
- 682 pages
- Access
- 2 years, personal licence
Volume 2
S$100SGD, one-time
- Covers
- Units 4 and 5, Paper 3 and exam strategy, Chapters 13 to 24
- Length
- 644 pages
- Access
- 2 years, personal licence
How buying works
The Buy button opens the publisher's checkout on ibtuition.sg. You sign in with Google first, so the book is linked to your account, then pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayNow through HitPay.
The book opens in your browser as soon as payment clears.
The author
Ejaz Ahmad
Ejaz Ahmad has taught IB Diploma maths and physics since 2015 and is IB-certified for Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL and Physics HL. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from the National University of Singapore and has taught more than 1,000 IB students. He writes the guidebooks with the Photon Academy team.
Questions
How do I read the e-book?
In the page-turn reader in any up-to-date browser on a phone, tablet or laptop. It has a contents navigator and search, and there is nothing to install.
How long do I keep access?
Two years from purchase, for each volume you buy. Your access is tied to the Google account you sign in with when you pay.
Do I need both volumes?
No. Each can be bought on its own: the first takes you through units 1 to 3, the second through units 4 and 5, paper 3 and exam strategy.
Can I download or print it?
No. It is a personal licence read online, and each page is watermarked with the buyer's account. A printed edition is in preparation.
Are these real IB past paper questions?
No. Every question and worked solution is original, written by Photon Academy in the style of the exam. The book does not reproduce IB papers, markschemes or booklets.
Who handles the payment?
Photon Academy in Singapore, the publisher. Checkout runs on ibtuition.sg through HitPay, which accepts cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayNow. Prices are in Singapore dollars and your card provider converts them.
Free IB Maths AI HL resources
Use these alongside the book. All free to read, no sign-in.
Course hubIB Maths AI HLEvery topic cheatsheet, the exam papers and IA help.FreeIB Maths AI HL paper analysisWhich topics have carried the marks since 2021.FreeAll topic cheatsheetsFormulas, methods and common traps, topic by topic.IA helpMaths IA guideThe criteria in plain words, with ideas and outlines.
Related guidebooks
IB Maths AA HL
Two volumes and 19 chapters for the full Higher Level course, with Paper 3 and exam technique in Volume 2.
IB Maths AA SL
One volume and 12 chapters for the full Standard Level course, ending with a chapter on exam technique.