linear equation

noun

: an equation of the first degree in any number of variables

Examples of linear equation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This means that the seed is initially used to calculate the first random number output by the linear equation. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 2026

As for nonlinear operations, these don’t follow the classical linear equations that are critical to solving conventional problems. — John Werner, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

And many math problems, including relatively simple ones like solving linear equations, are thought to lie outside this class. — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024

Simple math, Getz argues, shows that adding a constraint (doing well) to a linear equation (doing good) will never yield as good an outcome as without the constraint. — Bypeter Vanham, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2023

For instance, Motta’s discussion of Algebra 2 concepts, such as linear equations and formulas, are applied to the building of a rocket, which the 14- or 15-year-old student can then test. — Marco Santana, orlandosentinel.com, 19 Aug. 2019

Lemon plus garlic is not a linear equation; the presence of lemon transforms the fundamental tastes and smells that garlic has to offer. — Ali Bouzari, SFChronicle.com, 12 July 2019

Astrophysicists can model the growth of density fluctuations at these early times easily enough using simple linear equations to approximate the relevant gravitational effects. — IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2012

Word History

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for linear equation

• abrasion
• caucasian
• eurasian
• evasion
• invasion
• occasion
• persuasion
• asian
• suasion
• athanasian

Kids Definition

linear equation

noun

: an equation in which each term is either a constant or contains only one variable, in which each variable has an exponent of 1, and which always has a straight line as a graph

y = mx + b is the general form of a linear equation where m and b are any real numbers