Tables

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You can use tables to organize ordered pairs, quickly plot points for a particular function, or even run a regression to find a line or curve of best fit.

Click and hold the Color Image of the color icon at the top of a table. icon to open the Options menu. From there, you can adjust the style (dots, connected, or both) or convert the entire table into movable points with just a click. Watch the video for an introduction to tables, and then read on to learn more.

Example of plotting points on a graph using a table and connecting the points. Example of converting a function to a table. GIF

 

Tables in 2D

Add a Table

To add a blank table to the expression list, click Add Item Image of the add item icon located in the top left of the expression list. and then select Table. You can also type Table in an expression line.

Add Item menu with the table option selected. Screenshot.

EBy default, the first two columns of a new table will be plotted (\(x_1\), \(y_1\)). Enter values into the table, and use the arrow keys to move easily from cell to cell.

Click Zoom Fit Image of the zoom fit icon located to the left of the expression list. to adjust the axis settings to fit the data.

Zoom fit option shown to fit the graph to the viewing window. Screenshot.

Scatter Plots

You can also input data from another source directly into Desmos. Copy the tables you want to use from a spreadsheet (such as Excel or Google Sheets) and then paste the data directly into a blank expression line. The calculator will automatically generate a table.

The column header titles will not transfer. You can copy and paste a maximum of 10,000 rows of data into a table. If you paste more than 10,000 values, the calculator will create more than one table.

Scatter plot. Screenshot.

Regressions

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Once your data is in a table, click Add Regression Image of the add regression icon located to the left of the expression list. to create a regression. This will automatically add a linear regression below your table.

animation showing the list of regression options in the regression dropdown menu.

Click Linear Regression to open the dropdown menu and choose the model that best fits your data.

If you have multiple data columns for the same independent variable, a second dropdown will let you select which column to use in your model.

Image showing an regression in an expression line.

You can create a custom regression model by using the tilde symbol (~) instead of the equals sign (=) in a new line. Reference your table's column names to include the data in your model.

For more details on how Desmos performs regressions, check out our Regressions article.

Function Tables

Columns of tables will behave differently depending on their headings. If you put a function of \(x\) in the second header, the values will be calculated using the values in the first column. For example, if you have \(x_1\) and \(sin (x_1)\) as your headings, the calculator will fill the second column based on the values you place in the first.

Image of a table with intervals of pi. Screenshot.

You can write rich math expressions in the cells, including things like \(\frac{\pi}{2}\).

Image of a table with sin (x) and cos(x). Screenshot.

Tables can also help you compare two functions side by side by adding another column and entering another function into the new heading.

Image of a table with Expression line 1:f\left(x\right)=-2x+1 . Expression line 2: a table with f(x_1). Screenshot.

You can define a function in an expression line and use function notation in your table to evaluate based on your input values.

Create a Table from a Function

You can convert expressions, coordinate points, equations, and functions to tables. First click Edit List Image of the edit list icon located at the top of the expression list.. If the expression line contains an usable expression, a Create Table Image of the create table icon, located at the in the expression list once edit list is selected. button will appear. Click it to add a table of values that matches the expression line.

This option isn't available for implicit expressions, parametric, and polar graphs.

Sequence of a linear function with Edit List called out. Then Create Table called out. Then a table made with five values from the function.

 

Lists and Computed Cells

You can define any column in a table externally by referencing any list of values in the column header.

Image of a table where the first column is defined by a separate list 'L'. Screenshot.

If a column header contains a calculation, the column will fill with the computed values.

You can’t edit any cell that contains a computed value, so it will display with a gray background.

For example, you can calculate the dependent column to be twice the values in the \(x_1\) column.

Image showing a computed cell in the dependent column of the table.

 

Tables in 3D

The 3D Graphing Calculator does not automatically plot from a table.

To plot points from a table, first go to a new expression line. Then, type the header values of your table as coordinates, such as \((x_1,y_1,z_1)\).

 

Table values in the 3D tool plotted using (x_1,y_1,z_1) in the second expression line. Screenshot.

 

Learn More

Please write in with any questions or feedback to support@desmos.com.