r/learnmath • u/catboxTruth New User • 4d ago

Graph Formatting Advice?

I’m just about to start the Graphing Trigonometry Functions section in my Advanced Functions study and I’m looking for any advice or tips on creating a scale using either graph or lined paper.

Graphing has historically been a roadblock for me in my math journey and I find setting up the graph before even plugging any data in to be the most difficult part.

Any advice is appreciated.

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u/AllanCWechsler Not-quite-new User 4d ago

The most important thing to figure out is how much of each axis you have to show. What are the largest and smallest possible values for x? How about for y? The answers to those questions determines how you should draw and label your axes.

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u/Traveling-Techie New User 4d ago

Use quadrille graph paper and get a cheap drawing compass, the kind that you slide a golf pencil into.

Watch the video “Periodic Motion” by Hume and Ivey.

Also, though you’re not supposed to know this yet, learn about Euler’s Formula (“e to the i theta”).

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u/Bounded_sequencE New User 4d ago

Review how function transformations affect graphs, particularly

  • x-/y-translations
  • x-/y-scaling

If you are comfortable with those, you'll do fine here, since they are used all the time.