{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Rainbow Dash Network","provider_url":"http:\/\/rainbowdash.net\/","type":"link","title":"aaaaaaaaaa (aaaaaaaaa)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Jun-11 16:00:45 UTC","author_name":"aaaaaaaaaa (aaaaaaaaa)","author_url":"http:\/\/rainbowdash.net\/aaaaaaaaa","url":"http:\/\/rainbowdash.net\/notice\/146146","html":"@carcinopony<\/span><\/a><\/span> I'm sorry. I think I may have gone overboard using function notation - I think that's introduced in Grade 11 in most North American schoolboards. Let me try again: You're probably used to seeing linear equations in the "y = mx + b" form. "m" is your slope, or rate of change. In the finance example, the "rate of change" at which your wealth changes is simply your payrate, or $200 per week. The "b," is the y-intercept, or you can also think of it as an "initial value." Since you start with $500 saved, then b = 500. Thus, to determine your wealth in that example, the linear equation should be y = 200x + 500. Is that explanation clearer?"}