Introduction: Exponential Functions
India is the second most populous country in the world with a population of about billion people in . The population is growing at a rate of about each year.[footnote]http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/. Accessed February .[/footnote] If this rate continues, the population of India will exceed China’s population by the year . When populations grow rapidly, we often say that the growth is "exponential," meaning that something is growing very rapidly. To a mathematician, however, the term exponential growth has a very specific meaning. In this section, we will take a look at exponential functions, which model this kind of rapid growth.The learning objectives for this lesson include:
- Identify and evaluate exponential functions.
- Graph exponential functions
- Use compound interest formulas.
- Evaluate exponential functions with base e.
The learning activities for this lesson include:
- Read: Define and Evaluate Exponential Functions
- Self-Check: Define and Evaluate Exponential Functions
- Read: Exponential Functions with Base e
- Self-Check: Exponential Functions with Base e
- Read: Graph Exponential Functions
- Self-Check: Graph Exponential Functions