# Learning curve?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learning-curve/88178>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 18, 2001, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learning-curve/88178 "2001-10-18T08:09:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learning-curve/88178/1 "2001-10-18T08:09:54Z")

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The term ‘learning curve’ is bandied about ad nauseam in BizSpeak, but is there such a thing as a learning curve and what shape is it.

Is it a plot of the _effort_ that is required to learn a subject against time (in which case it would start out steep and level off somewhat):

```auto

                xx
           x
E x
F x
F x
O x
R x
T x
  x
T I M E [sym]®[/sym]

```

or is it a plot of the amount learned against time, in which case it would be something like this:

```auto

K x
N x
O x
W x
L x
E x
D x
G x
E x
  x
T I M E [sym]®[/sym]

```

or is it just a term that has no real meaning.

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**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learning-curve/88178/2 "2001-10-18T08:24:41Z")

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Perhaps it is the rate of learning done in an average university term, in which case it would look like this:

```auto

                    x
                   x
E x
F x
F x
O x
R x x
T x x x
  x x x x x x
T I M E [sym]®[/sym]

```

Gp

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mekhazzio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Mekhazzio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mekhazzio)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learning-curve/88178/3 "2001-10-18T09:55:57Z")

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hehe, good one grimpixie

Mangetout: You had it in the first one. “Learning Curve” is effort required over time. A topic where you have to learn certain concepts before you can even begin to tackle the real subject would be considered to have a “steep” learning curve, like your first graph.