Conclusion

In this chapter, you have used Visual Formula to explore the equations and relations discussed in other chapters. Having at hand a software application like Visual Formula that allows you to easily manipulate graphical representations of solutions of equations enables you to gain an understanding of how predictable patterns characterize the solutions of equations. For example, if a linear equation possesses a positive slope, then it slants upward into quadrant I. If a parabola possesses a negative coefficient, then its vertices open downward. Such basic observations of the patterns that characterize graphs allow you to work more confidently with the solutions of equations because, as you work with an equation, you can anticipate the solutions your work results in.