Mathematics · Ch 2 — Basic Algebra
Graphical Representation of Linear Inequalities
Graphical Representation of Linear Inequalities
A straight line splits the Cartesian plane into two half-planes; a vertical line gives left/right half-planes and a horizontal line gives upper/lower half-planes. Any point NOT on the line lies in exactly one of the two half-planes, and satisfies exactly one of or .
Test-point method. To identify which half-plane an inequality like represents: pick a convenient point not on the line (the origin, when ), and substitute its coordinates into the inequality. If it holds, the required half-plane is the one containing ; if not, it is the one not containing .
Worked pattern. For : the line splits the plane; substituting gives , FALSE, so the shaded region is the side that does NOT contain the origin (points with ), including the boundary line itself since the inequality is non-strict. Similarly for : substituting the origin gives , FALSE, so the solution is the half-plane not containing the origin. …