In 2008, Harvard Stem Cell Institute principal faculty member Kevin Eggan first raised the possibility of using ALS patient-derived stem cells to better understand the disease and identify therapeutic targets for new drugs.
If f(x) is linear, the graph of y = f(x) is a straight line. The parameter m in the first two formulas is the slope of this line. In the general form, the slope is -A/B if B 0 and infinite if B = 0. In the slope-intercept form, the parameter b is the y-intercept. In the point-slope form, the point (x0, y0) is a point on the line y = f(x). Any point (x0, y0) on the line will lead to an equivalent equation. We will frequently have to perform the following calculations with linear equations:
Linear functions are functions that have x as the input variable, and x has an exponent of only 1. Such functions look like the ones in the graphic to the left. Notice that x has an exponent of 1 in each equation. Functions such as these yield graphs that are straight lines, and, thus, the name linear. Linear functions come in three main forms. An explanation and animation are available for each by clicking the links below. A very common way to express a linear function is named the 'slope-intercept form' of a linear function.