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A linear function is a polynomial function in which the variable x has degree at most one: [2] = +. Such a function is called linear because its graph, the set of all points (, ()) in the Cartesian plane, is a line. The coefficient a is called the slope of the function and of the line (see below).
For example, they are used to form polynomial equations, which encode a wide range of problems, from elementary word problems to complicated scientific problems; they are used to define polynomial functions, which appear in settings ranging from basic chemistry and physics to economics and social science; and they are used in calculus and ...
In mathematics, the term linear is used in two distinct senses for two different properties: . linearity of a function (or mapping);; linearity of a polynomial.; An example of a linear function is the function defined by () = (,) that maps the real line to a line in the Euclidean plane R 2 that passes through the origin.
A constant function is also considered linear in this context, as it is a polynomial of degree zero or is the zero polynomial. Its graph, when there is only one variable, is a horizontal line. In this context, a function that is also a linear map (the other meaning) may be referred to as a homogeneous linear function or a linear form.
If a C 0 function is insufficient, for example if the process that has produced the data points is known to be smoother than C 0, it is common to replace linear interpolation with spline interpolation or, in some cases, polynomial interpolation.
More formally, linear programming is a technique for the optimization of a linear objective function, subject to linear equality and linear inequality constraints. Its feasible region is a convex polytope , which is a set defined as the intersection of finitely many half spaces , each of which is defined by a linear inequality.
The resulting polynomial is not a linear function of the coordinates (its degree can be higher than 1), but it is a linear function of the fitted data values. The determinant, permanent and other immanants of a matrix are homogeneous multilinear polynomials in the elements of the matrix (and also multilinear forms in the rows or columns).
Polynomial interpolation also forms the basis for algorithms in numerical quadrature (Simpson's rule) and numerical ordinary differential equations (multigrid methods). In computer graphics, polynomials can be used to approximate complicated plane curves given a few specified points, for example the shapes of letters in typography.