GATE 2024 Syllabus of Engineering Sciences

Section 1: Linear Algebra
Algebra of real matrices: Determinant, inverse and rank of a matrix; System of linear equations (conditions for unique solution, no solution and infinite number of solutions); Eigenvalues and eigenvectors of matrices; Properties of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of symmetric matrices, diagonalization of matrices; Cayley-Hamilton Theorem.

Section 2: Calculus
Functions of Single Variable: Limit, indeterminate forms and L’Hospital’s rule; Continuity and differentiability; Mean value theorems; Maxima and minima; Taylor’s theorem; Fundamental theorem and mean value theorem of integral calculus; Evaluation of definite and improper integrals; Applications of definite integrals to evaluate areas and volumes (rotation of a curve about an axis). Functions of Two Variables: Limit, continuity and partial derivatives; Directional derivative; Total derivative; Maxima, minima and saddle points; Method of Lagrange multipliers; Double integrals and their applications.
Sequences and Series: Convergence of sequences and series; Tests of convergence of series with non-negative terms (ratio, root and integral tests); Power series; Taylor’s series; Fourier Series of functions of period 2π.

Section 3: Vector Calculus
Gradient, divergence and curl; Line integrals and Green’s theorem.

Section 4: Complex Variables
Complex numbers, Argand plane and polar representation of complex numbers; De Moivre’s theorem; Analytic functions; Cauchy-Riemann equations.

Section 5: Ordinary Differential Equations
First order equations (linear and nonlinear); Second order linear differential equations with constant coefficients; Cauchy-Euler equation; Second order linear differential equations with variable coefficients; Wronskian; Method of variation of parameters; Eigenvalue problem for second order equations with constant coefficients; Power series solutions for ordinary points.

Section 6: Partial Differential Equations
Classification of second order linear partial differential equations; Method of separation of variables: One dimensional heat equation and two dimensional Laplace equation.

Section 7: Probability and Statistics
Axioms of probability; Conditional probability; Bayes’ Theorem; Mean, variance and standard deviation of random variables; Binomial, Poisson and Normal distributions; Correlation and linear regression.

Section 8: Numerical Methods
Solution of systems of linear equations using LU decomposition, Gauss elimination method; Lagrange and Newton’s interpolations; Solution of polynomial and transcendental equations by Newton Raphson method; Numerical integration by trapezoidal rule and Simpson’s rule; Numerical solutions of first order differential equations by explicit Euler’s method.

SECTION 1: Flow and Fluid Properties
Fluid Properties: Density, viscosity, surface tension, relationship between stress and strain-rate for Newtonian fluids. Classification of Flows: Viscous versus inviscid flows, incompressible versus compressible flows, internal versus external flows, steady versus unsteady flows, laminar versus turbulent flows, 1-D, 2-D and 3-D flows, Newtonian versus non-Newtonian fluid flow. Hydrostatics: Buoyancy, manometry, forces on submerged bodies and its stability.

SECTION 2: Kinematics of Fluid Motion
Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions of fluid motion. Concept of local, convective and material derivatives. Streamline, streakline, pathline and timeline.

SECTION 3: Integral Analysis for a Control Volume
Reynolds Transport Theorem (RTT) for conservation of mass, linear and angular momentum.

SECTION 4: Differential Analysis
Differential equations of mass and momentum for incompressible flows. Inviscid flows – Euler equations and viscous flows – Navier-Stokes equations. Concept of fluid rotation, vorticity, stream function and circulation. Exact solutions of Navier-Stokes equations for Couette flow and Poiseuille flow, thin film flow.

SECTION 5: Dimensional Analysis
Concept of geometric, kinematic and dynamic similarity. Buckingham Pi theorem and its applications. Non-dimensional parameters and their physical significance – Reynolds number, Froude number and Mach number.

SECTION 6: Internal Flows
Fully developed pipe flow. Empirical relations for laminar and turbulent flows: friction factor, Darcy-Weisbach relation and Moody’s chart. Major and minor losses.

SECTION 7: Bernoulli’s Equation and its Applications Potential Flows Bernoulli’s Equation: Assumptions and applications. Flow measurements – Venturi meter, Pitot-static tube and orifice meter. Elementary Potential Flows: Velocity potential function. Uniform flow, source, sink and vortex, and their superposition for flow past simple geometries.

SECTION 8: External Flows
Prandtl Boundary Layer Equations: Concept and assumptions. Boundary Layer Characteristics: Boundary layer thickness, displacement thickness and momentum thickness. Qualitative idea of boundary layer separation, streamlined and bluff bodies, and drag and lift forces.

1: Classification and Structure of Materials
Classification of Materials: metals, ceramics, polymers and composites. Nature of Bonding in Materials: metallic, ionic, covalent and mixed bonding; structure of materials: fundamentals of crystallography, symmetry operations, crystal systems, Bravais lattices, unit cells, primitive cells, crystallographic planes and directions; structures of metals, ceramics, polymers, amorphous materials and glasses. Defects in Crystalline Materials: 0-D, 1-D and 2-D defects; vacancies, interstitials, solid solutions in metals and ceramics, Frenkel and Schottky defects; dislocations; grain boundaries, twins, stacking faults; surfaces and interfaces.
2: Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Phase Transformations
Extensive and intensive thermodynamic properties, laws of thermodynamics, phase equilibria, phase rule, phase diagrams (unary and binary), basic electrochemistry. Reaction kinetics, fundamentals of diffusion, Fick’s laws, their solutions and applications. Solidification of pure metals and alloys, nucleation and growth, diffusional solid-state phase transformations (precipitation and eutectoid), martensitic transformation.
3: Properties and Applications of Materials
Mechanical properties of metals, ceramics, polymers and composites at room temperature; stress strain response (elastic, anelastic and plastic deformation). Electronic Properties: free electron theory, Fermi energy, density of states, elements of band theory, semiconductors, Hall effect, dielectric behaviour, piezo- and ferro-electric behaviour. Magnetic Properties: Origin of magnetism in materials, para-, dia-, ferro- and ferri-magnetism. Thermal Properties: Specific heat, heat conduction, thermal diffusivity, thermal expansion, and thermoelectricity. Optical Properties: Refractive index, absorption and transmission of electromagnetic radiation. Examples of materials exhibiting the above properties, and their typical/common applications.
4: Characterization and Measurements of Properties
X-ray diffraction; spectroscopic techniques such as UV-Vis, IR and Raman; optical microscopy, electron microscopy, composition analysis in electron microscopes.Tensile test, hardness measurement. Electrical conductivity, carrier mobility and concentrations. Thermal analysis techniques: thermogravimetry and calorimetry.
5: Processing of Materials
Heat treatment of ferrous and aluminium alloys; preparation of ceramic powders, sintering; thin film deposition: evaporation and sputtering techniques, and chemical vapour deposition, thin film growth phenomena.
6: Degradation of Materials
Corrosion and its prevention; embrittlement of metals; polymer degradation.

Section 1: Mechanics of Rigid Bodies
Equivalent force systems; free-body diagrams; equilibrium equations; analysis of determinate trusses and frames; friction; principle of minimum potential energy; particle kinematics and dynamics; dynamics of rigid bodies under planar motion; law of conservation of energy; law of conservation of momentum.
Section 2: Mechanics of Deformable Bodies
Stresses and strains; transformation of stresses and strains, principal stresses and strains; Mohr’s circle for plane stress and plane strain; generalized Hooke’s Law; elastic constants; thermal stresses; theories of failure. Axial force, shear force and bending moment diagrams; axial, shear and bending stresses; combined stresses; deflection (for symmetric bending); torsion in circular shafts; thin walled pressure vessels; energy methods (Castigliano’s Theorems); Euler buckling.
Section 3: Vibrations
Free vibration of undamped single degree of freedom systems.

Section 1: Basic Concepts
Continuum and macroscopic approach; thermodynamic systems (closed and open); thermodynamic properties and equilibrium; state of a system, state postulate for simple compressible substances, state diagrams, paths and processes on state diagrams; concepts of heat and work, different modes of work; zeroth law of thermodynamics; concept of temperature.
Section 2: First Law of Thermodynamics
Concept of energy and various forms of energy; internal energy, enthalpy; specific heats; first law applied to elementary processes, closed systems and control volumes, steady and unsteady flow analysis.
Section 3: Second Law of Thermodynamics
Limitations of the first law of thermodynamics, concepts of heat engines and heat pumps/refrigerators, Kelvin-Planck and Clausius statements and their equivalence; reversible and irreversible processes; Carnot cycle and Carnot principles/theorems; thermodynamic temperature scale; Clausius inequality and concept of entropy; microscopic interpretation of entropy, the principle of increase of entropy, T-s diagrams; second law analysis of control volume; availability and irreversibility; third law of thermodynamics.
Section 4: Properties of Pure Substances
Thermodynamic properties of pure substances in solid, liquid and vapor phases; P-v-T behaviour of simple compressible substances, phase rule, thermodynamic property tables and charts, ideal and real gases, ideal gas equation of state and van der Waals equation of state; law of corresponding states, compressibility factor and generalized compressibility chart.
Section 5: Thermodynamic Relations
T-ds relations, Helmholtz and Gibbs functions, Gibbs relations, Maxwell relations, Joule-Thomson coefficient, coefficient of volume expansion, adiabatic and isothermal compressibilities, Clapeyron and Clapeyron-Clausius equations.
Section 6: Thermodynamic Cycles
Carnot vapor cycle, ideal Rankine cycle, Rankine reheat cycle, air-standard Otto cycle, air-standard Diesel cycle, air-standard Brayton cycle, vapor-compression refrigeration cycle.
Section 7: Ideal Gas Mixtures
Dalton’s and Amagat’s laws, properties of ideal gas mixtures, air-water vapor mixtures and simple thermodynamic processes involving them; specific and relative humidities, dew point and wet bulb temperature, adiabatic saturation temperature, psychrometric chart.

Section 1: Chemistry of High Polymers
Monomers, functionality, degree of polymerizations, classification of polymers, glass transition, melting transition, criteria for rubberiness, polymerization methods: addition and condensation; their kinetics, metallocene polymers and other newer methods of polymerization, copolymerization, monomer reactivity ratios and its significance, kinetics, different copolymers, random, alternating, azeotropic copolymerization, block and graft copolymers, techniques for polymerization-bulk, solution, suspension, emulsion. Concept of intermolecular order (morphology) – amorphous, crystalline, orientation states. Factor affecting crystallinity. Crystalline transition. Effect of morphology on polymer properties.
Section 2: Polymer Characterization
Solubility and swelling, Concept of molecular weight distribution and its significance, concept of average molecular weight, determination of number average, weight average, viscosity average and Z-average molecular weights, polymer crystallinity, analysis of polymers using IR, XRD, thermal (DSC, DMTA, TGA), microscopic (optical and electronic) techniques, Molecular wt. distribution: Broad and Narrow, GPC, mooney viscosity.
Section 3: Synthesis, Manufacturing and Properties
Commodity and general purpose thermoplastics: PE, PP, PS, PVC, Polyesters, Acrylic, PU polymers. Engineering Plastics: Nylon, PC, PBT, PSU, PPO, ABS, Fluoropolymers Thermosetting polymers: Polyurethane, PF, MF, UF, Epoxy, Unsaturated polyester, Alkyds. Natural and synthetic rubbers: Recovery of NR hydrocarbon from latex; SBR, Nitrile, CR, CSM, EPDM, IIR, BR, Silicone, TPE, Speciality plastics: PEK, PEEK, PPS, PSU, PES etc. Biopolymers such as PLA, PHA/PHB.
Section 4: Polymer Blends and Composites
Difference between blends and composites, their significance, choice of polymers for blending, blend miscibility-miscible and immiscible blends, thermodynamics, phase morphology, polymer alloys, polymer eutectics, plastic-plastic, rubber-plastic and rubber-rubber blends, FRP, particulate, long and short fibre reinforced composites. Polymer reinforcement, reinforcing fibres – natural and synthetic, base polymer for reinforcement (unsaturated polyester), ingredients / recipes for reinforced polymer composite.
Section 5: Polymer Technology
Polymer compounding-need and significance, different compounding ingredients for rubber and plastics (Antioxidants, Light stabilizers, UV stabilizers, Lubricants, Processing aids, Impact modifiers, Flame retardant, antistatic agents. PVC stabilizers and Plasticizers) and their function, use of carbonblack, polymer mixing equipments, cross-linking and vulcanization, vulcanization kinetics.
Section 6: Polymer Rheology
Flow of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, different flow equations, dependence of shear modulus on temperature, molecular/segmental deformations at different zones and transitions. Measurements of rheological parameters by capillary rotating, parallel plate, cone-plate rheometer. Visco-elasticity creep and stress relaxations, mechanical models, control of rheological characteristics through compounding, rubber curing in parallel plate viscometer, ODR and MDR.
Section 7: Polymer Processing
Compression molding, transfer molding, injection molding, blow molding, reaction injection molding, filament winding, SMC, BMC, DMC, extrusion, pultrusion, calendaring, rotational molding, thermoforming, powder coating, rubber processing in two-roll mill, internal mixer, Twin screw extruder.
Section 8: Polymer Testing
Mechanical-static and dynamic tensile, flexural, compressive, abrasion, endurance, fatigue, hardness, tear, resilience, impact, toughness. Conductivity-thermal and electrical, dielectric constant, dissipation factor, power factor, electric resistance, surface resistivity, volume resistivity, swelling, ageing resistance, environmental stress cracking resistance, limiting oxygen index. Heat deflection temperature –Vicat softening temperature, Brittleness temperature, Glass transition temperature, Coefficient of thermal expansion, Shrinkage, Flammability, dielectric constant, dissipation factor, power factor, Optical Properties – Refractive Index, Luminous Transmittance and Haze, Melt flow index
Section 9: Polymer Recycling and Waste Management
Polymer waste, and its impact on environment, Sources, Identification and Separation techniques, recycling classification, recycling of thermoplastics, thermosets and rubbers, applications of recycled materials. Life cycle assessment of polymer products (case studies like PET bottles, packaging bags)