Desmos is an advanced

graphing calculator A graphing calculator (also graphics calculator or graphic display calculator) is a handheld computer that is capable of plotting graphs, solving simultaneous equations, and performing other tasks with variables. Most popular graphing calcu ...

implemented as a

web application A web application (or web app) is application software that is accessed using a web browser. Web applications are delivered on the World Wide Web to users with an active network connection. History In earlier computing models like client-serv ...

and a

mobile application A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on des ...

written in

JavaScript JavaScript (), often abbreviated as JS, is a programming language that is one of the core technologies of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and CSS. As of 2022, 98% of websites use JavaScript on the client side for webpage behavior, of ...

History

It was founded by Eli Luberoff, a math and

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

double major from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, and was launched as a startup at

TechCrunch TechCrunch is an American online newspaper focusing on high tech and startup companies. It was founded in June 2005 by Archimedes Ventures, led by partners Michael Arrington and Keith Teare. In 2010, AOL acquired the company for approximately $ ...

's Disrupt New York conference in 2011. , it had received around 1 million US dollars of funding from Kapor Capital, Learn Capital, Kindler Capital, Elm Street Ventures and

Google Ventures GV is a venture capital investment arm of Alphabet Inc., founded by Bill Maris, that provides seed, venture, and growth stage funding to technology companies. Founded as Google Ventures in 2009, the firm has operated independently of Google, Alph ...

. In May 2022, Amplify acquired the Desmos curriculum and teacher.desmos.com. Some 50 employees joined Amplify. Desmos Studio was spun off as a separate public benefit corporation focused on building calculator products and other math tools. The name ''Desmos'' came from the Greek word which means a bond or a tie.

Features

In addition to graphing both equations and

inequalities Inequality may refer to: Economics * Attention inequality, unequal distribution of attention across users, groups of people, issues in etc. in attention economy * Economic inequality, difference in economic well-being between population groups * ...

, it also features lists, plots, regressions, interactive variables, graph restriction, simultaneous graphing, piece wise function graphing, polar function graphing, two types of graphing grids – among other computational features commonly found in a

programmable calculator Programmable calculators are calculators that can automatically carry out a sequence of operations under control of a stored program. Most are Turing complete, and, as such, are theoretically general-purpose computers. However, their user inter ...

. It can also be used in several languages. In terms of specific functions, within the "functions" tab in the keyboard that has very recently been re-organized by category, the enabling of

derivative In mathematics, the derivative of a function of a real variable measures the sensitivity to change of the function value (output value) with respect to a change in its argument (input value). Derivatives are a fundamental tool of calculus. ...

s and

integrals In mathematics, an integral assigns numbers to functions in a way that describes displacement, area, volume, and other concepts that arise by combining infinitesimal data. The process of finding integrals is called integration. Along with d ...

have allowed for a great deal of calculus operations as well, although direct limits are currently absent. Furthermore, integrations to positive and negative infinity are supported, and series can also be raised to sufficiently high iterations. Aside from the calculus operations, the already present trigonometric and other transcendental functions, plus the hidden utilities like the error function and the factorial, a multitude of statistical operations, including

normal distribution In statistics, a normal distribution or Gaussian distribution is a type of continuous probability distribution for a real-valued random variable. The general form of its probability density function is : f(x) = \frac e^ The parameter \mu ...

, chi-squared, the aforementioned regressions, and the random function, have also been introduced since 2020. Users can create accounts and save the graphs and plots that they have created to them. A

permalink A permalink or permanent link is a URL that is intended to remain unchanged for many years into the future, yielding a hyperlink that is less susceptible to link rot. Permalinks are often rendered simply, that is, as clean URLs, to be easier to ...

can then be generated which allow users to share their graphs and elect to be considered for staff picks. The tool comes pre-programmed with 36 different example graphs for the purpose of teaching new users about the tool and the mathematics involved. Another peculiar use of the calculator involves the creation of graphic arts – which involves an elaborated use of curve modelling through equations and

. Yet another use is to make music, using the calculator's auto trace function. As of April 2017, Desmos also released a browser-based 2D interactive geometry tool, with supporting features including the plotting of points, lines, circles, and polygons. Many intricate projects have been made on Desmos as a results, including 3D via parameterization, and thanks to the aid of the RGB and HSV coloring introduced in late 2020, artwork with personalized coloring expanded far beyond just the conventional 6 colors, as well as the

domain coloring In complex analysis, domain coloring or a color wheel graph is a technique for visualizing complex functions by assigning a color to each point of the complex plane. By assigning points on the complex plane to different colors and brightness, d ...

of complex functions. In addition, the constantly improving computational and rendering capacity has shortened the time needed for graphing heavy projects, as well as allowing for higher amounts of nesting, allowing for intricate fractals like the

Mandelbrot set The Mandelbrot set () is the set of complex numbers c for which the function f_c(z)=z^2+c does not diverge to infinity when iterated from z=0, i.e., for which the sequence f_c(0), f_c(f_c(0)), etc., remains bounded in absolute value. This ...

and the Ducks fractal to be made on Desmos, in many cases easily at or above 100 iterations. Moreover, the simulations and tickers allowed great degrees of freedom in generating dynamic systems like chaotic maps, as well as fully functional interactive games like skiing games and

Tetris ''Tetris'' (russian: link=no, Тетрис) is a puzzle video game created by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984. It has been published by several companies for multiple platforms, most prominently during a dispute over the appro ...

. In some regards, the introductions of color utility, simulation/ticker, and polygons have brought something akin to a minor Cambrian explosion, that may be witnessed in the latest Desmos art contest. It also offers services like Scientific Calculator, Four Function Calculator, Matrix Calculator and Geometry Tool.

Applications

A modified version of the calculator has been used in standardized tests, such as the

State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, commonly referred to as its acronym STAAR ( ), is a series of standardized tests used in Texas public primary and secondary schools to assess a student's achievements and knowledge learned ...

test, the

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Standards of Learning The Standards of Learning (SOL) is a public school standardized testing program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It sets forth learning and achievement expectations for core subjects for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools. The standards repr ...

(SOL), and the

California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), known until February 2014 as the Measurement of Academic Performance and Progress (MAPP), measures the performance of students undergoing primary and secondary education in Ca ...

(CAASPP). Moreover, activity modules for classrooms can be created through a teacher account, which allow instructors to view students' work and response in real-time. Its business model involves premium Desmos Math Curriculum and paid partnerships with publishers, assessment companies, and educational institutions.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.desmos.com

History

Features

Applications

References

External links

See also