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Sanghamitra Deb

Content Writer | Updated On - Aug 6, 2025

The IIT Roorkee has announced the GATE Mathematics Syllabus 2026 on its official website for the exam to be held on February 2026. The GATE 2026 exam consists of a total of 65 questions, carrying a total of 100 marks. Out of these, 10 questions will be from the General Aptitude section, while the remaining 55 questions will be based on the topics covered in the GATE 2026 Mathematics syllabus.

GATE 2026 Mathematics Syllabus carries the maximum weightage of 15% in the exam.

  • 1 mark in each will be given for 25 questions.
  • 2 marks in each will be given for 30 questions.
  • All the questions from this section will be Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT).

The official GATE 2026 Mathematics Syllabus is available to download from the link below:

GATE 2026 Mathematics Syllabus Chapter Wise Weightage

Mathematics carries the weightage of 15% in the GATE 2026 exam making it the most scoring subject. Candidates should be aware of the chapter wise weightage of the Mathematics Syllabus in order to maximize the overall score.

Tabulated below is the chapter wise weightage of the GATE 2026 Mathematics Syllabus:

Topics Weightage
Vector Calculus 20%
Probability and Statistics 20%
Numerical Methods 20%
Differential Equation 10%
Calculus 10%
Linear Algebra 10%
Complex Variables 10%
Latest Update:

GATE 2026 Mathematics Syllabus Important Topics

Below listed are few of the most important topics for the GATE 2026 Mathematics Syllabus. These topics carry a significant weightage in the exam and students should pay extra time and effort on them.

GATE 2026 Subject Important Topics
Mathematics
  • Linear Programming
  • Real and Complex Analysis
  • Partial Differential Equation
  • Algebra
  • General Aptitude

GATE 2026 Mathematics Syllabus Preparation Tips

Mathematics carries the weightage of 15% in the GATE 2026 exam. It is one of the most scoring subjects in the exam, so, candidates should be conceptually thorough in order to maximize their score effectively.

Will GATE 2026 be tough?

The difficulty level of GATE 2026 depends on various factors such as:

  • Syllabus
  • Question Paper
  • Competition Level

GATE is considered a challenging exam due to its emphasis on conceptual clarity, analytical skills, and application-oriented questions. However, with the right preparation strategy, it is manageable.

Previous Year Difficulty Analysis

For several years, GATE mathematics was on a cycle of fluctuating levels of difficulty across various papers. In that respect, a rough overview of the trends of changing levels of difficulty has been drawn based on recent years:

Year Difficulty Level Key Observations
2021 Moderate to Difficult Questions focused heavily on concepts and derivations.
2022 Moderate Balanced paper with straightforward and tricky problems.
2023 Difficult Complex numerical problems require advanced problem-solving skills.
2024 Moderate to Difficult Emphasis on core topics like Calculus and Probability.

When should I start preparing for GATE 2026?

Most of the basic technical subjects asked in the examination derive their concepts from the technical subjects that are taught in the third or fourth semester of one's bachelor's degree. This is why the second year of graduation would be the right time to start your GATE 2026 preparation.

Listed below are a few tips to boost your GATE 2026 Mathematics preparation:

Understand the Syllabus: The candidates need to have an understanding of the syllabus in order to have an idea of the important topics, so that they can strategize their time and focus accordingly.

Knowing the Exam Pattern: Having an understanding of the exam pattern helps you in strategizing your time, prioritizing the important topics and problem solving techniques.

Particulars Details
Exam Mode Computer Based Test
Duration 3 hours
Total no. of questions 65 questions
Type of Questions

MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions)

MSQ (Multiple Select Questions)

NAT (Numerical Answer Type)

Marking Scheme
  • MCQ:

+1 for correct answer

-⅓ for incorrect answer

  • MCQ:

+2 for correct answer

-⅔ for incorrect answer

  • No negative marking for MSQs and NATs.

Check: GATE 2026 Exam Pattern

Create a practical time table: Creating a practical time table helps you in managing your time properly and effectively. This helps you cover the syllabus entirely, effectively and without any stress.

Here is an example of the type of time table the candidate can create to optimize their preparation:

Time Focus Areas
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Wake up, freshen up, light exercise & breakfast
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Conceptual Learning: Study a new topic with theory & formulas
9:30 AM – 9:45 AM Short break (refresh, walk, hydration)
9:45 AM – 11:15 AM Problem Solving (New Topic): Practice conceptual questions
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM Break (light snack & relaxation)
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Revision & Formula Memorization: Revise previous topics
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch + Rest
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Mock Test / Previous Year Questions (PYQs): Timed practice
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM Short Break
3:45 PM – 5:15 PM Numerical Answer Type (NAT) & Multiple Select Questions (MSQ)
5:15 PM – 6:00 PM Evening Walk / Relaxation
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM General Aptitude & Engineering Mathematics
7:30 PM – 8:00 PM Dinner & Refreshment
8:00 PM – 9:30 PM Doubt Solving & Group Discussion (if possible)
9:30 PM – 10:30 PM Revision of Formulas & Short Notes
10:30 PM Sleep

Also Check: GATE 2026 Mock Tests

Revision: Revision plays an important role in making effective preparation. Students should revise the studied topics on a regular basis. This is very helpful and extremely important. Through revision, candidates can identify the points that they missed while learning.

Practice PYQs Regularly: In order to maximize your score, make sure you practice previous year question papers regularly. PYQs create an actual exam-like scenario which helps you identify your weaknesses and strengths. PYQs provide you with the best overview of your preparation.

Check: Previous Year Question Papers

GATE 2026 Mathematics Syllabus Important Books

Important Books Authors
MADE EASY Engineering Mathematics MADE EASY Editorial Board
GATE General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics Tishna
Higher Engineering Mathematics B.S. Grewal
Engineering Mathematics for GATE T.K. Mandal and L.K. Chakraborty
GATE Mathematics Arihant Publications
Engineering Mathematics T.K. Mandal and L.K. Chakraborty
GATE Mathematics Solved Papers Made Easy Publications

Is there a calculator in GATE 2026?

Yes, Virtual calculators are available for the candidates during the exam.

Also Check: GATE 2026 Important Books

GATE Mathematics Syllabus 2026

The syllabus for GATE Mathematics along with the important topics are tabulated below:

Chapters Topics
Calculus
  • Functions of two or more variables, continuity, directional derivatives, partial derivatives, total derivative, maxima and minima, saddle point, method of Lagrange’s multipliers
  • Double and Triple integrals and their applications to area, volume and surface area
  • Vector Calculus: gradient, divergence and curl, Line integrals and Surface integrals, Green’s theorem, Stokes’ theorem, and Gauss divergence theorem.
Linear Algebra
  • Finite dimensional vector spaces over real or complex fields
  • Linear transformations and their matrix representations, rank and nullity; systems of linear equations, characteristic polynomial, eigenvalues and eigenvectors diagonalization, minimal polynomial,
  • Cayley-Hamilton Theorem, Finite dimensional inner product spaces, Gram-Schmidt orthonormalization process, symmetric, skew-symmetric
  • Hermitian, skew-Hermitian, normal, orthogonal and unitary matrices; diagonalization by a unitary matrix, Jordan canonical form; bilinear and quadratic forms.
Real Analysis
  • Metric spaces, connectedness, compactness, completeness; Sequences and series of functions, uniform convergence, Ascoli-Arzela theorem
  • Weierstrass approximation theorem; contraction mapping principle, Power series
  • Differentiation of functions of several variables, Inverse and Implicit function theorems
  • Lebesgue measure on the real line, measurable functions; Lebesgue integral
  • Fatou’s lemma, monotone convergence theorem, dominated convergence theorem
Complex Analysis
  • Functions of a complex variable: continuity, differentiability, analytic functions, harmonic functions
  • Complex integration: Cauchy’s integral theorem and formula; Liouville’s theorem, maximum modulus principle, Morera’s theorem
  • Zeros and singularities; Power series, radius of convergence, Taylor’s series and Laurent’s series; Residue theorem and applications for evaluating real integrals
  • Rouche’s theorem, Argument principle, Schwarz lemma; Conformal mappings, Mobius transformations.
Ordinary Differential Equation
  • First order ordinary differential equations, existence and uniqueness theorems for initial value problems, linear ordinary differential equations of higher order with constant coefficients
  • Second order linear ordinary differential equations with variable coefficients
  • CauchyEuler equation, method of Laplace transforms for solving ordinary differential equations, series solutions (power series, Frobenius method)
  • Legendre and Bessel functions and their orthogonal properties; Systems of linear first order ordinary differential equations, Sturm’s oscillation and separation theorems, Sturm-Liouville eigenvalue problems, Planar autonomous systems of ordinary differential equations
  • Stability of stationary points for linear systems with constant coefficients, Linearized stability, Lyapunov functions.
Algebra
  • Groups, subgroups, normal subgroups, quotient groups, homomorphisms, automorphisms
  • Cyclic groups, permutation groups, Group action, Sylow’s theorems and their applications
  • Rings, ideals, prime and maximal ideals, quotient rings, unique factorization domains, Principle ideal domains, Euclidean domains, polynomial rings, Eisenstein’s irreducibility criterion; Fields, finite fields, field extensions, algebraic extensions, algebraically closed fields
Functional Analysis
  • Normed linear spaces, Banach spaces, Hahn-Banach theorem, open mapping and closed graph theorems, principle of uniform boundedness
  • Inner-product spaces, Hilbert spaces, orthonormal bases, projection theorem, Riesz representation theorem, spectral theorem for compact self-adjoint operators.
Numerical Analysis
  • Systems of linear equations: Direct methods (Gaussian elimination, LU decomposition, Cholesky factorization), Iterative methods (Gauss-Seidel and Jacobi) and their convergence for diagonally dominant coefficient matrices;
  • Numerical solutions of nonlinear equations: bisection method, secant method, Newton-Raphson method, fixed point iteration;
  • Interpolation: Lagrange and Newton forms of interpolating polynomial, Error in polynomial interpolation of a function;
  • Numerical differentiation and error, Numerical integration: Trapezoidal and Simpson rules, Newton-Cotes integration formulas, composite rules, mathematical errors involved in numerical integration formulae
  • Numerical solution of initial value problems for ordinary differential equations: Methods of Euler, Runge-Kutta method of order 2.
Partial Differential Equations
  • Method of characteristics for first order linear and quasilinear partial differential equations
  • Second order partial differential equations in two independent variables: classification and canonical forms, method of separation of variables for Laplace equation in Cartesian and polar coordinates, heat and wave equations in one space variable
  • Wave equation: Cauchy problem and d’Alembert formula, domains of dependence and influence, non-homogeneous wave equation; Heat equation: Cauchy problem; Laplace and Fourier transform methods.
Topology
  • Basic concepts of topology, bases, subbases, subspace topology, order topology, product topology, quotient topology, metric topology, connectedness, compactness, countability and separation axioms, Urysohn’s Lemma.
Linear Programming
  • Linear programming models, convex sets, extreme points; Basic feasible solution, graphical method, simplex method, two phase methods, revised simplex method
  • Infeasible and unbounded linear programming models, alternate optima; Duality theory, weak duality and strong duality
  • Balanced and unbalanced transportation problems, Initial basic feasible solution of balanced transportation problems (least cost method, north-west corner rule, Vogel’s approximation method); Optimal solution, modified distribution method
  • Solving assignment problems, Hungarian method.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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