2 Linear and nonlinear properties (!) of straight lines
Q: When is a straight line not a straight line? A: When it has been bent!
Now we might well be thinking ‘Why would we want to do that as we have already intimated that straight lines are easier to extrapolate or project than curves?’ However, in the case of sequential linear relationships, we don’t have to bend straight lines because they already possess the property that their Cumulative Values always form a Quadratic Function (i.e. a Polynomial of Order 2) – a distinctly curved line. Furthermore, the Quadratic will have coefficients or parameters that are simple functions of the slope and intercept of the straight line.
Before we delve into this perhaps lesser known property, let’s remind ...
Get Best Fit Lines & Curves now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.