Exponential Functions

Learning Objectives

In this section, you will:

  • Evaluate exponential functions.
  • Find the equation of an exponential function.
  • Use compound interest formulas.
  • Evaluate exponential functions with base e

India is the second most populous country in the world with a population of about 1.25 billion people in 2013. The population is growing at a rate of about 1.2\% each year. If this rate continues, the population of India will exceed China's population by the year 2031. 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.

Source: Rice University, https://openstax.org/books/college-algebra/pages/6-1-exponential-functions
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