- #1
Munfred
- 9
- 0
Hi there
For quite some time now, I've been wondering if/how it would be possible to plot 5 or more variables on a single graph. If we have 2 variables we can make a simple 2D graph, if we have 3 variables we can make a 3D graph and if we have 4 variables we can make a 3D graph that changes in time (a video). Now, what if we want to plot 5 variables? As I understand it, each variable requires a whole dimension, and since we only have 4 dimensions at our disposal (3 spatial and one temporal) it looks to me that we can't have 5 variables plotted at once, due to the limitation of the number of dimensions of the universe we live, unless we made infinite animated graphs, each one to illustrate one value of our 5th variable.
So, how do we solve this problem? Or will we have to accept that we can't possibly plot all possible values for 5 variables at once?
Thanks in advance
For quite some time now, I've been wondering if/how it would be possible to plot 5 or more variables on a single graph. If we have 2 variables we can make a simple 2D graph, if we have 3 variables we can make a 3D graph and if we have 4 variables we can make a 3D graph that changes in time (a video). Now, what if we want to plot 5 variables? As I understand it, each variable requires a whole dimension, and since we only have 4 dimensions at our disposal (3 spatial and one temporal) it looks to me that we can't have 5 variables plotted at once, due to the limitation of the number of dimensions of the universe we live, unless we made infinite animated graphs, each one to illustrate one value of our 5th variable.
So, how do we solve this problem? Or will we have to accept that we can't possibly plot all possible values for 5 variables at once?
Thanks in advance