Learning Guide Learning Guide

4.1 Graphing in Two Dimensions • 99Parametric PlotsYou cannot specify some graphs explicitly. In other words, you cannotwrite the dependent variable as a function, y = f(x). For example, on acircle most x values correspond to two y values. One solution is to makeboth the x-coordinate and the y-coordinate functions of some parameter,for example, t. The graph generated from these functions is called aparametric plot. Use this syntax to specify parametric plots.plot( [ x-expr, y-expr, parameter=range ] )That is, you plot a list containing the x-expr, the y-expr, and the nameand range of the parameter. For example> plot( [ t^2, t^3, t=-1..1 ] );10.500.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1–0.5–1The points (cos t, sin t) lie on a circle.> plot( [ cos(t), sin(t), t=0..2*Pi ] );10.5–1 –0.5 0.5 1–0.5–1Rather than looking like a circle, the above plot resembles an ellipsebecause Maple, by default, scales the plot to fit the window. Here isthe same plot again but with scaling=constrained.You can change thescaling by using the menus or the scaling option.