Business Formulas As Cartesian Curves
Elizabeth Ruppel · Mathematics Teacher Learning and Teaching PK-12 · 1982
In view of recent changes in mathematics curricula emphasizing analytic geometry and applications and the fact that business machine or machine applications courses now teach many of the practical business calculations, it seems inevitable that in a unit on the mathematics of finance, the main objective ought to be the understanding of mathematical concepts such as the relation of the variables in formulas, the graphical representation, and the power of prediction associated with these concepts. Morris Kline (1973) has long been urging high school teachers to motivate students by using physical applications when introducing mathematical ideas. This method can also be helpful in teaching business applications. In a unit I have been teaching in a business mathematics course, I found that students gain much greater insight into routine calculations with business formulas when this work is viewed in the light of graphing concepts.