Linear Function Properties
Each apple costs ₹5, so x apples cost y=5x: every extra apple adds exactly ₹5. Add a fixed starting value — a ₹20 taxi base fare plus ₹10 per km gives y=10x+20 — and it is still linear, because the rate stays constant. That constant rate of change is the heart of a linear function.
A linear function models any situation where equal changes in the input produce equal changes in the output.
The Definition
A linear function has the form
f(x)=mx+b,
where m is the slope (how much f changes when x increases by 1) and b is the y-intercept (the value of f at x=0). Taking m=0 gives a constant function, the flat special case.
The Key Properties
1. Constant rate of change. For any two points on the graph,
m=x2−x1f(x2)−f(x1)
is the same whichever pair you choose. This is the defining feature.
2. Proportional changes. Rearranging, f(x2)−f(x1)=m(x2−x1): the output difference is always m times the input difference. In particular f(x+c)=f(x)+mc.
3. Straight-line graph. The graph is a line of slope m through (0,b) — the geometric signature of a constant rate. …