How come #4y + 2x^2 = 20# and #x^2 +y = -9# are not linear functions?

2 Answers
Oct 7, 2016

A linear function can be of the following forms:

#y = mx + b#
#y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)#
#Ax + By - C = 0#

As I'm sure you've noticed, these forms all have a degree of #1#. The degree of a function is the highest exponent of any variable in an expression or function. For example, the degree in #y = 4x^3 + 2x# is #3# since the highest exponent is #3#.

The two relations you are given do not have a degree of #1#.

If you are given a graph with a relation drawn on it, and asked to identify whether or not it's a linear relation, all you have to do is see if the graph is in a straight line. If it isn't, then it isn't a linear relation. If it is, it is a linear relation.

Finally, to prove that the given equations aren't linear relations:

#4y + 2x^2 = 20#

#x^2 + y = -9#

Hopefully this helps!

Oct 7, 2016

Linear functions properties

#color(blue)("Their graphs are straight lines"#

#color(blue)("Linear functions are in the form"# #color(blue)(f(x)=ax+b#

#"Where"# #x# #"is the variable"#

#color(blue)("There is only one variable"#

#color(blue)("The highest power of the variable is 1"#

Now we can check whether these equations are linear equations

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#color(red)(4y+2x^2=20#

graph{4y+2x^2=20}

This is not a linear equation as you can see

#*#It does not show a straight line when graphed

#*#It is not in the form #ax+b#

#*#There are #2# variables instead of #1#

#*#The highest power of the variable is not #1#

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#color(red)(x^2+y=-9#

graph{x^2+y=-9}

This is not a linear equation as you can see

#*#It does not show a straight line when graphed

#*#It is not in the form #ax+b#

#*#There are #2# variables instead of #1#

#*#The highest power of the variable is not #1#

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So,these are not linear functions