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Study Guides > College Algebra CoRequisite Course

Summary: Characteristics of Linear Functions

Key Equations

slope-intercept form of a line [latex]y=mx+b[/latex]
slope [latex]m=\frac{\text{change in output (rise)}}{\text{change in input (run)}}=\frac{\Delta y}{\Delta x}=\frac{{y}_{2}-{y}_{1}}{{x}_{2}-{x}_{1}}[/latex]
point-slope form of a line [latex]y-{y}_{1}=m\left(x-{x}_{1}\right)[/latex]

Key Concepts

  • The ordered pairs given by a linear function represent points on a line.
  • Linear functions can be represented in words, function notation, tabular form and graphical form.
  • The rate of change of a linear function is also known as the slope.
  • An equation in slope-intercept form of a line includes the slope and the initial value of the function.
  • The initial value, or y-intercept, is the output value when the input of a linear function is zero. It is the y-value of the point where the line crosses the y-axis.
  • An increasing linear function results in a graph that slants upward from left to right and has a positive slope.
  • A decreasing linear function results in a graph that slants downward from left to right and has a negative slope.
  • A constant linear function results in a graph that is a horizontal line.
  • Analyzing the slope within the context of a problem indicates whether a linear function is increasing, decreasing, or constant.
  • The slope of a linear function can be calculated by dividing the difference between y-values by the difference in corresponding x-values of any two points on the line.
  • The slope and initial value can be determined given a graph or any two points on the line.
  • One form of a linear function is slope-intercept form.
  • Point-slope form is useful for finding the equation of a linear function when given the slope of a line and one point.
  • Point-slope form is also convenient for finding the equation of a linear function when given two points through which a line passes.
  • The equation for a linear function can be written in slope-intercept form if the slope m and initial value are known.
  • A linear function can be used to solve real-world problems.
  • A linear function can be written from tabular form.

Glossary

decreasing linear function
a function with a negative slope: If [latex]m<0, \text{then }f\left(x\right)=mx+b[/latex] is decreasing.
increasing linear function
a function with a positive slope: If [latex]m>0, \text{then }f\left(x\right)=mx+b[/latex] is increasing.
linear function
a function with a constant rate of change that is a polynomial of degree 1 whosegraph is a straight line
point-slope form
the equation of a linear function of the form [latex]y-{y}_{1}=m\left(x-{x}_{1}\right)[/latex]
slope
the ratio of the change in output values to the change in input values; a measure of the steepness of a line
slope-intercept form
the equation of a linear function of the form [latex]f\left(x\right)=mx+b[/latex]
y-intercept
the value of a function when the input value is zero; also known as initial value

Licenses & Attributions

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  • College Algebra. Provided by: OpenStax Authored by: Abramson, Jay et al.. Located at: https://openstax.org/books/college-algebra/pages/1-introduction-to-prerequisites. License: CC BY: Attribution. License terms: Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/[email protected].