Main Points:
Linear functions are straight lines. The slope of that given line is the the rise of the y value over a certain period divided by the change in x value over that same period. The main form for linear functions is y=mx+b. b represents the y intercept. Exponential equations often are used for functions involving growht and decay. They take the form of y=a^x Exponential growth and decay functions are very similar to exponential functions, but the rate of growth is also exponential in these problems. Doubling time, half-life, financial interest compounding, and present and future value functions all use the exponential growth form.
Challenges:
I had trouble with the idea of compounding interest continuously, the whole concept baffled me for a while, but I believe the idea is basically that the bank is just splitting up the interest payment so that they are constantly paying a tiny fraction of the whole, but that whole sum of money is constantly creeping higher.
Reflections:
This reading helped me understand my bank's operations more, which is usefull. Anytime I gain an understanding of why something is or how something works is a good feeling for me, so I appreciated learning that.