Connecting Arithmetic Sequences and Linear Functions


Linear functions are discussed in this lesson because there is a connection between linear functions and arithmetic sequences. In fact, all arithmetic sequences , when graphed, will produce discrete linear functions .

The term discrete is used opposite the word continuous. Continuous data has a range of values, whereas discrete data has specific allowable values. An example of continuous data is distance travelled by a vehicle over time. Given any time value, you can determine how far the vehicle has travelled. An example of discrete data is the number of bacteria that are present over time. Only whole numbers of bacteria can be counted, and partial bacteria do not exist.