Mathematical Model

Pronunciation: /ˌmæθ.əˈmæt.ɪ.kəl ˈmɒd.l/ Explain

A mathematical model is a graph, table or function that approximates either real world data or situations, or illustrates a mathematical principle.

Graphs as Mathematical Models

Figure 1: Graph of exponential growth model that increases slowly at first, then quickly.

A graph can model real life situations. The graph in figure 1 is a model of exponential growth. Exponential growth occurs in natural populations that grow without significant competition or predators.

Tables as Mathematical Models

Year 2003 2004 2005 (est.) 2006 Sales 52 61 84 106 All dollar amounts are in millions of dollars Figure 2: Table as a mathematical model.

Tables can be mathematical models too. In the table in figure 2, sales from the years 2003, 2004, and 2005 were used to estimate the sales for 2006. The characters '(est.)' in the table tell us the 2006 datum is an estimate, and is not actual sales.

Functions as Mathematical Models

Figure 3 - Function as a mathematical model.

A function can also model real world data. The function in figure 3 is an exponential function and is used to model many natural events.

References

1. McAdams, David E.. All Math Words Dictionary, mathematical model. 2nd Classroom edition 20150108-4799968. pg 113. Life is a Story Problem LLC. January 8, 2015. Buy the book

Educator Resources

• Building Rockets (modeling and ratios). NASA Connect. 2/18/2010. http://www.archive.org/details/NasaConnect-Fof-BuildingRockets/index.htm.

Cite this article as:

McAdams, David E. Mathematical Model. 12/21/2018. All Math Words Encyclopedia. Life is a Story Problem LLC. http://www.allmathwords.org/en/m/mathmodel.html.

Image Credits

• All images and manipulatives are by David McAdams unless otherwise stated. All images by David McAdams are Copyright © Life is a Story Problem LLC and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Revision History

12/21/2018: Reviewed and corrected IPA pronunication. (McAdams, David E.)
9/2/2018: Removed broken links, updated license, implemented new markup. (McAdams, David E.)
8/7/2018: Changed vocabulary links to WORDLINK format. (McAdams, David E.)
12/30/2008: Added vocabulary link to approximate. (McAdams, David E.)
6/7/2008: Corrected spelling. (McAdams, David E.)
7/12/2007: Initial version. (McAdams, David E.)