Understanding Affine Functions: A Beginner's Guide

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An affine function is a type of function defined as a linear transformation followed by a translation, typically expressed in the form f(x) = Ax + b, where A is a matrix and b is a vector. It differs from quadratic functions, which involve squared terms. The confusion may arise from the use of matrices in both contexts, but they are fundamentally distinct. Resources like MathWorld provide detailed explanations and examples to clarify the concept. Understanding the definition and properties of affine functions is essential for grasping their applications in various mathematical fields.
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Hello,

What is an affine function? My professor has been throwing around this term in the lecture videos and I have never heard of it. I looked it up, and is it basically a quadratic function, but used for matrices??
 
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Maylis said:
Hello,

What is an affine function? My professor has been throwing around this term in the lecture videos and I have never heard of it. I looked it up, and is it basically a quadratic function, but used for matrices??

IDK where you got the idea that an affine function is quadratic.

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/AffineFunction.html
 
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