document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1190102>Question 1190102</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> A town’s population has been increasing at a constant rate. In 2010 the population was 46,020. By 2012 the population had increased to 52,070 people. Assume this trend continues and type your answer without any commas.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The population in 2016 will be  </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #821672 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=ikleyn><B>ikleyn(52781)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=ikleyn><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=ikleyn><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=821672\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> .<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A town’s population has been increasing at a constant rate. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "In 2010 the population was 46,020. By 2012 the population had increased to 52,070 people. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Assume this trend continues and type your answer without any commas.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The population in 2016 will be<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The problem does not specify, which the trend is: linear or exponential.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Also, it does not specify, if the rate is linear or exponential.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "With such uncertainty, the problem can not be solved properly.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "It requires making assumptions.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "If the trend and the rate are linear, then there is no need to create interpolation function:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "simply compute the increment from 2010 to 2012 and then add the doubled increment to the population of the year of 2012.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;increment = 52,070 - 46,020 = 6,050\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;population in the year 2016 = 52,070 + 2*6,050 = 64,070.    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<U>ANSWER</U>\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "If the trend is exponential, then the answer will be different.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "It is not the tutors' job to guess what is a correct formulation and what is a hidden meaning of this problem.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Be aware, since the formula in the post by @josgarithmetic is incorrect,\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "and you will get wrong answer, if you try use it . . . \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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