Generating Interactive Nomograms for xploration of Mathematical Equations

A nomogram is a graphical representation of a mathematical relation in multiple variables, where each variable is represented by a curve and relations between the variables are derived from straight lines intersecting all curves. They were once used in many fields as simple calculating tools before the advent of computers, because they made useful calculations available to laypeople who didn’t know the mathematics behind the equation or didn’t even know what equation was being used. In this paper, we present an modern implementation of nomograms in D3 that allows for interactive exploration of chosen equations. Even though printed nomograms have been rendered obsolete by the computer and calculator, interactive nomograms can still be useful to explore mathematical relationships and visualize equations. With a simple, clear interface to visualize many different equations, the visualization can easily demonstrate the fundamental relationship between multiple variables, giving the user a clearer understanding of the equation involved. As a learning tool in physics, math, and chemistry, a nomogram can be a powerful teaching tool to visualize multivariate equations, an otherwise difficult to visualize concept.