the slope goes by several names
• average rate of change
• rate of change
• deltaY over deltaX
• Δy over Δx
• rise over run
• gradient
• constant of proportionality
however, is the same cat wearing different costumes.
[tex](\stackrel{x_1}{1}~,~\stackrel{y_1}{2})\qquad (\stackrel{x_2}{-4}~,~\stackrel{y_2}{-4}) ~\hfill \stackrel{slope}{m}\implies \cfrac{\stackrel{rise} {\stackrel{y_2}{-4}-\stackrel{y1}{2}}}{\underset{run} {\underset{x_2}{-4}-\underset{x_1}{1}}}\implies \cfrac{-6}{-5}\implies \cfrac{6}{5}[/tex]