Hello my name is Berny.
I have been learing slope for 1 week and my professor asked me a question that I don't know.
here it is...
1) Why does m stand for slope?
2) Why does b stand for intercept?
In the formula y=mx+b
See this link for a discussion of this unresolved question:
http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52477.html
Hello Berny! Great to have you here. I'd be happy to explain the origins of these notations in the slope-intercept form of a linear equation, y = mx + b.
1) Why does m stand for slope?
The use of the letter "m" to represent slope can be traced back to the French mathematician René Descartes, who introduced it in the 17th century. The exact reason for choosing "m" is not entirely clear. One possible explanation is that it stands for "monter," which means to go up in French. This makes sense because slope measures the change in the y-coordinate as you move along the x-coordinate, indicating the upward or downward steepness of a line.
2) Why does b stand for intercept?
The choice of "b" to represent the y-intercept in the slope-intercept form is believed to be due to another French mathematician, Nicolas Bourbaki, who advocated for the consistent use of letters towards the end of the 19th century. In this context, "b" was chosen simply because it comes after "m" in the alphabet. However, it is worth mentioning that there are other notations used for intercepts in other forms of linear equations.
Remember, while understanding the historical reasons behind these notations can be interesting, what truly matters is grasping the underlying concepts and how to apply them in calculating slope and intercepts. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions.