UPSC Maths Optional Books: Best Maths Optional Booklist for UPSC Exam

UPSC Maths Optional Books for Paper 1

UPSC Maths Syllabus for Paper-1 is advanced, and you would need the best UPSC Maths Optional Books that will help you prepare for this section. Some of the topics covered in Paper-1 are Linear Algebra, Analytic Geometry, Calculus, Vector Analysis, Dynamics & Statics, etc., and the best Maths books that would help you cover this section are mentioned below. 

• Dynamics, Statics and Hydrostatics – M. Ray
• Differential Calculus – Shanti Narayan, PK Mittal
• Linear Algebra – K.C. Prasad, K B Datta
• Differential equations:- Golden series – NP Bali
• Vector Analysis – Shanti Narayan, PK Mittal
• Analytic Geometry – Shanti Narayan, DK Jha, HC Sinha, and Sharma

Maths Books for UPSC Optional Paper-2 

Paper-2 contains a wide range of topics like Algebra, Real Analysis, Linear Programming, Partial Differential Equations, Mechanics, and Fluid Dynamics. The Maths books for UPSC that would give your crisp information about these topics are given below.

• Statistical Mechanism – Carson Horg
• Schaum’s Outline of Matrices – Frank Ayres
• Matrices – A R Vashistha
• Coordinate Geometry – R. L. Soni
• Mathematics Dictionary – RC James
• Textbook of Coordinate Geometry – Rai Ballabh
• Analytical Solid Geometry – Shanti Narayanan, PK Mittal
• Modern Algebra – A. R. Vashistha
• Differential Equations – Schaum Series (Frank Ayres)
• Operations Research – Kanti Swarup, PK Gupta, Man Mohan
• Algebra – J. N. Sharma and S. N. Goyal
• Problems in Calculus of One Variable – I. A. Maron
• Text Book on Differential Calculus – Gorakh Prasad
• Linear Algebra – Finite Dimension Vector Spaces – Sharma and Vashishta

Other Important Maths Books for UPSC

Apart from the Maths books we have mentioned above, there are some reference books that you can add as well. But make sure you don’t pick multiple books at a time just to cover one topic. Here is a list of Maths reference books.

• Statistical Mechanism – Carson Horg
• Analytical Solid Geometry – Shanti Narayanan, PK Mittal
• Text Book on Differential Calculus – Gorakh Prasad
• Operations Research – Kanti Swarup, PK Gupta, Man Mohan
• Algebra – J. N. Sharma and S. N. Goya
• Mathematics Dictionary – RC James
• Linear Algebra – Finite Dimension Vector Spaces – Sharma and Vashishta
• Schaum’s Outline of Matrices – Frank Ayres
• Problems in Calculus of One Variable – I. A. Maron
• Coordinate Geometry – R. L. Soni
• Matrices – A R Vashistha
• Modern Algebra – A. R. Vashistha
• Differential Equations – Schaum Series (Frank Ayres)
• Textbook of Coordinate Geometry – Rai Ballabh

UPSC Maths Optional Books PDF

As you can see above, there is a big list of recommended Maths books for UPSC. To remember these book names you can either visit this page again and again, or you can simply take a printout of the Maths optional book list. This list would help you to keep track of all the Maths books you need for UPSC preparation. 

>>UPSC Maths Optional Books PDF Free Download

Preparation Strategy to Cover Maths Books for UPSC

Mathematics can be a scoring subject if it is prepared in the right way, and with the right strategy. That’s why we have pointed out some key tips that would help you to cover the Maths books in a more efficient manner, and hence help you to make the most out of your preparation time. You can apply this strategy to other UPSC Books as well. 

• Choose Maths books for UPSC as per your comfort, and level of understanding. Don't get carried away with the recommendations of other candidates’.
• Make sure you grasp the basic concepts and terms such as Linear Algebra, Calculus, Analytic Geometry, and many more. Choose books that would help you to clear the basic concepts first. You can’t score well unless you have a complete understanding of the basic concepts.
• Choose one topic at a time, and one book to cover that particular topic. Choosing multiple books for one topic won’t help you at all.
• At last, make notes of important theorems, and formulas while reading from a book.