4 ms·

Can you provide an example of a nonlinear unit?

• moxiemk1 17y ago
  They mean that the conversion is defined by a function rather than a scaling factor. The example that the manual gives is Centigrade to Fahrenheit, which, interestingly enough, is a linear function. http://www.gnu.org/software/units/manual/units.html#Nonlinear-units http://www.gnu.org/software/units/manual/units.html#Nonlinea...
  • lmkg 17y ago
    It depends on your definition of linear. In some algebra contexts you would call it a linear function because it's a line, but in linear algebra you would not consider it a linear transformation because it doesn't pass through the origin[1]. It would be more accurate to call it "affine." [1] More generally, being "linear" means that f(ax+y) = af(x) + f(y) for constant a and variables x, y. From this, it follows that f(0) = 0 for linear transformations.