Ad
related to: functions linear equation
Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The phrase "linear equation" takes its origin in this correspondence between lines and equations: a linear equation in two variables is an equation whose solutions form a line. If b ≠ 0 , the line is the graph of the function of x that has been defined in the preceding section.
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).
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.
The graph of a degree 1 polynomial (or linear function) f ( x ) = a 0 + a 1 x , where a 1 ≠ 0 , is an oblique line with y -intercept a 0 and slope a 1 .
In three-dimensional Euclidean space, these three planes represent solutions to linear equations, and their intersection represents the set of common solutions: in this case, a unique point. The blue line is the common solution to two of these equations. Linear algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning linear equations such as:
The simplest method for solving a system of linear equations is to repeatedly eliminate variables. This method can be described as follows: In the first equation, solve for one of the variables in terms of the others. Substitute this expression into the remaining equations. This yields a system of equations with one fewer equation and unknown.
Linearity of a homogenous differential equation means that if two functions f and g are solutions of the equation, then any linear combination af + bg is, too. In instrumentation, linearity means that a given change in an input variable gives the same change in the output of the measurement apparatus: this is highly desirable in scientific work.
In mathematics, a linear differential equation is a differential equation that is defined by a linear polynomial in the unknown function and its derivatives, that is an equation of the form + ′ + ″ + () = where a 0 (x), ..., a n (x) and b(x) are arbitrary differentiable functions that do not need to be linear, and y′, ..., y (n) are the successive derivatives of an unknown function y of ...
Ad
related to: functions linear equation