Week 5: Nonlinear Models

Breaking news! It turns out the world isn't linear. 😬 Linear models are only so common because they are easy to work with, not because all phenomena are actually linear. Lots of phenomena have more interesting behaviour, and for those we need non-linear models. This week we'll reacquaint ourselves with the big three: Quadratic, Exponential/Logarithmic, and Sinusoidal models.

The next four-week section of the course will look at modelling non-linear systems and processes, and in particular at issues of 1) how, and how fast, quantities are changing, 2) finding optimal values, and 3) modelling accumulation in systems.

This week isn't built around a single big question about moose or corporations, it's a preparation week. A review-the-parts-we-need-from-Math-12/Precalc/Math-060 week. But it does lead to a rare skill that will impress your future colleagues: The ability to look at an equation and quickly identify the family it's from and sketch it, **or** to look at a plot (like the one above), and smoothly provide an equation to model it. And we'll use another online tool to help us out called Desmos. 💪

You've seen most the material we'll cover this week before. It reawakens fairly well for most students. Even, to their surprise, for the topics they think they didn't learn at all the first time through (*cough* logarithms *cough*). But there are a ton of (mostly brief!) pencasts online, because for some people Math 12 was a long time ago, or recent and yet not ... memorable. 😉

With so much material it's more important than ever to get an early start and to use your time well. ⏳

There really is no midterm!

One of you asked, and where one student wonders out loud, several are usually wondering quietly, so I thought I'd remind you all. As much as possible the course continues in the same rhythm of Exercises and Assignments the entire semester.

Free tutoring available

The Academic Support Centre at YukonU has tutors offering help with Math 120. Check them out if you want another source of support! https://www.yukonu.ca/current-students/learning-matters/academic-support-centre

Small tweaks

I'm not reminding you about the exercise set due Monday, because by now you know there'll always be one due Mondays. [Ed. Isn't that a reminder? Uh...😏]

That's all for now!

See you soon,
Tim