When the zombie apocalypse comes, the mathematicians will be the only ones safe, primarily because they, like modern day epidemiologists, understand that the rate of transmission is modeled by a function that is not based on a polynomial. A different type of function models growth and decay of populations: the exponential function. Exponential functions are extremely useful for modeling anything that grows or decays over time:

• populations
• money
• the metabolism of chemicals in your bloodstream
• the list goes on!

Today, we will find out some of the basic characteristics of exponential functions.

Resources:

• Notes

Assignment

• p342 #1-12 C1 C2 *13 *14

Things you should know after today:

• the shape of an exponential growth curve
• the shape of an exponential decay curve
• characteristics of 
  • the y-intercept
  • the equation of any asymptotes
  • restrictions on the variable c
  • what happens if 0 < c < 1
  • what happens if c > 1