Real World Applications of Graphs and Probabilities - Essay Example

Real World Applications of Graphs and Probabilities Parabolas and Hyperbolas Although both parabola and hyperbola belong to a general of conic shapes and after series of transformations equations of parabola and hyperbola can be rewritten in the same general form, their graphs are different. Parabola looks somewhat similar to one of the two branches of hyperbola; however, there is an important difference between them - symmetry. A parabola is symmetrical with regard to symmetry axis that goes through its vertex; a branch of a hyperbola is not necessarily symmetrical.

Graph of a parabola Graph of a hyperbolaSome practical applications of parabolas include:so called parabolic antennas;flashlights and reflectors;path of a projectile and solar furnace (Jones 2005 n/p).Some practical applications hyperbolas include:Optics (lenses for telescopes);Astronomy (trajectories of comets);Navigation.2. Probability applicationsOne area where probabilities are widely used nowadays is earthquake predictions (American Geophysical Union 1995 n/p).

The probabilities of certain geological events that can lead to an earthquake are estimated for a given area and used to formulate important predictions.Another field where applications of probabilities are extremely popular is business. Probabilities are used in financial models (Myerson, R 2001 p.1) as well as in supply chain, logistics, marketing forecasts etc.ReferencesAmerican Geophysical Union. (1995). Use of probabilities for earthquake prediction. Retrieved December 12, 2005, from http://www.agu.org/revgeophys/aki00/node3.

htmlJones, J. (2005). Instructional unit on conic sections. Retrieved December 12, 2005, from http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/emt669/Student.Folders/Jones.June/conics/conics.htmlMyerson, R. (2001). Practical probabilities with spreadsheets. Retrieved December 12, 2005, from http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/myerson/ftp/joint.pdf