Graph Sketching Questions in LaTeX

Question Mode:  sketch

 

The sketch question type displays introductory text accompanied by a set of axes. The student draws a graph on the axes by clicking points to be used as interpolation nodes.

Use the sketch environment to configure the applet, declaring the ranges of the axes, a sample correct response, and a list of criteria that the student answer must meet. The \begin{sketch} command takes one option and four required arguments, in the following order:

gridlines option - number of horizontal and vertical gridlines in addition to the axes (default is 10)

xMin - minimum x value on the x-axis

xMax - maximum x value on the x-axis

yMin - minimum y value on the y-axis

yMax - maximum y value on the y-axis

 

The following commands must appear in the sketch environment.

goes_through(xcoord, ycoord) - sketched function must pass through the point (xcoord, ycoord)

increasing - sketched function must be increasing

decreasing - sketched function must be decreasing

concave_up - sketched function must be concave up

concave_down - sketched function must be concave down

linear - sketched function must be linear

 

To restrict a criterion to an interval [a,b], use \check[a,b]{criterion}. (This option is ignored for goes_through.)

The criterion can also be a boolean expression; useful statements in this case are:

slope_at(xval) - return the slope of the curve at the x value xval

value(xval) - return the y value for the x value xval

expr1 == expr2 - return true if expr1 is equal to expr2. Otherwise, it returns false.

expr1 < expr2 - return true if expr1 is less than expr2. Otherwise, it returns false.

expr1 > expr2 - return true if expr1 is greater than expr2. Otherwise, it returns false.

true - boolean constant

false - boolean constant

bool1 && bool2 - return true if bool1 and bool2 evaluate to true. Otherwise, it returns false.

bool1 || bool2 - return true if bool1 or bool2 (or both) evaluate to true. Otherwise, it returns false.

 

For example, value(xcoord) == ycoord is equivalent to goes_through(xcoord, ycoord).

More than one \check statement can appear, in which case every criterion must be satisfied. That is,

\check{criterion1}

\check{criterion2}

\check{criterion3}

is equivalent to

\check{criterion1 && criterion2 && criterion3}

 

Example 1

\begin{question}{sketch}

\qutext{Sketch the graph of the function $y=x+1$.}

\begin{sketch}[4]{-2}{2}{-2}{2}

  \example{-2,-1  1,2}

  \check{linear}

  \check{goes_through(0,1)}

\end{sketch}

\end{question}

 

Example 2

This example uses randomized variables.

\begin{question}{sketch}

\code{$a = int(rand(2,6));

      $a2 = int($a*$a);

      $xmax = int(2*$a);

      $x = sqrt(2)*$a;}

\qutext{Sketch the graph of the function $y=x^2/\var{a2}$.}

\begin{sketch}[4]{-\var{xmax}}{\var{xmax}}{-4}{4}

  \example{-\var{x},2  -\var{a},1  0,0  \var{a},1  \var{x},2}

  \check{goes_through(0,0) && goes_through(-\var{a},1)

         && goes_through(\var{a},1)}

  \check{slope_at(0) == 0}

  \check[-\var{x},0]{decreasing}

  \check[0,\var{x}]{increasing}

  \check{concave_up}

\end{sketch}

\end{question}