Parametric Curves

One way of producing interesting curves is by using parametric equations. Let x=f(t) and y=g(t) for two functions f and g as the parameter t ranges over an interval [a,b]. Here's an example:

Here 0..2*%pi represents the interval over which the variable t ranges. In the case of parametric curves, Axiom will compile two functions, one for each of the functions f and g. You may also put a title on a graph. The title may be an arbitrary string and is an optional argument to the command 'draw'. For example:

If you plan on plotting x=f(t), y=g(t) as t ranges over several intervals, you may want to define functions f and g, so that they need not be recompiled every time you create a new graph. Here's an example:

These examples show how the curve changes as the range of the parameter t varies.