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Lines

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    221081
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    Lines

     

    1. Lines (definitions)

      Everyone knows what a line is, but providing a rigorous definition proves to be a challenge.

       

                              Definition  

      line with slope m through a point P = (a,b) is the set of all points (x,y) such that 

                (y - b)/(x - a) = k.


       

    2. The Slope Intercept Form of the equation of a Line

      Given a point (x1,y1) and a slope m, the equation of the line is

       

          Slope Intercept Equation of a Line

                y - y1 = m(x - x1)  

       

       

    3.  Piecewise Linear Functions

      A function is piecewise linear if it is made up of parts of lines

      Example

       

      (x) =  {  
      x + 4 x < -2
      2x - 1 -2 < x < 1
      -2x <  x

       

            Graph of a piecewise function. On the right of x = -2 is a line from the left to (-2,0).  In the middle is a line segment from (-2,-5) to (1,1).  On the right is a line from (1,-2) going down.

       

      We graph this line by sketching the appropriate parts of each line on the same graph.

       

    4. Applications

      Example


      Suppose you own a hotel that has 150 rooms.  At $80 per room, you have 140 rooms occupied and for every $5 increase in price you expect to have two additional vacancies.  Come up with an equation that gives rooms occupied as a function of price.

      Solution

      Let x be the price of a room and y be the number of rooms occupied.  Then we have an equation of a line that passes through the point (80,140) and has slope -1/5.  Hence the equation is:

              y - 140 = -1/5 (x - 80)

      or 

              y   = -1/5 x + 16 + 140

      or 

              y = -1/5 x + 156

       


      Exercises

      1. What should you do if your two year old daughter has a 40 degree C temperature?  

        Hint:  We have the two points:  (0,32) and (100,212)

      2. Suppose that your company earned $30,000 five years ago and $35,000 three years ago.  Assuming a linear growth model, how much will it earn this year?

      3. My rental was bought for $204,000 three years ago.  Depreciation is set so that the house depreciates linearly to zero in twenty years from the purchase of the house.  If I plan to sell the house in twelve years for $250,000 and capital gains taxes are 28% of the difference between the purchase price and the depreciated value, what will my taxes be?

      4. Wasabi restaurant must pay either a flat rate of $400 for rent or 5% of the revenue, whichever is larger.  Come up with the equation of the function that relates rent as a function of revenue.



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