Graphs are the most inefficient means of displaying one's mathematical knowledge.
By this I do not mean that graphs are an inefficient way of conveying information, but the work that it takes to create a graph far exceeds the knowledge one needs to make it. Let me give an example.
Two plus two requires little effort to solve. Heck, you just did it in your head right now. But when you started out learning math you probably had to think about it for a second or two or at least had to see it. Now that your older you can do it easily and quickly, as you should.
If you look at a slightly more difficult problem, say 3x+1=4x, then things can get more tricky. However, any of you who passed algebra could simply subtract 3x from both sides, and some may even be able to do it without writing this equation first. Some may notice right of the bat that x hast o be one because the addition to 4x is x, which is given as one. So the better you are at math, or more experienced rather, the easier and quicker you can do math. Well, most math.
You see, graphs take a lot of time, regardless of how simple the problem is. Even one of the easiest graphs, y=x, takes quite a bit of time for something you can envision almost as fast as 2+2 if exposed to it regularly. You have to draw the x and y axises, then draw the line throught the origin, and put the little arrows on each side. That may not seem like much, but add in slightly more complicated problems and increase the number and you've got a lot of time, as well as space, taken up by something that isn't really difficult enough to warrant said time.
Perhaps I'm just a whiner, but hey, if these are the worst of my problems I'm doing pretty good here, ain't I?
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