Models and Applications
Completion requirements
This article uses algebraic logic to solve very specific problems. Although intelligence analysis can be a bit messier than algebra, the process is essentially the same. We use our information (datasets) and the questions we need to answer (requirements) to define our real-world problem. We use analytic techniques, rather than linear equations, as our roadmaps, and we find solutions (findings) that we communicate in a standardized language, ensuring our decision-maker understands the reliability of our information, our confidence in our analysis, and the degree to which our estimates are likely to be the future outcomes. We go from A to B, but not always in a straight line.
Key Concepts
- A linear equation can be used to solve for an unknown in a number problem.
- Applications can be written as mathematical problems by identifying known quantities and assigning a variable to unknown quantities.
- There are many known formulas that can be used to solve applications. Distance problems, for example, are solved using the \(d =rt\) formula.
- Many geometry problems are solved using the perimeter formula \(P = 2L + 2W\), the area formula \(A = LW\), or the volume formula \(V = LWH\).