To find the exponential growth function for the city's population, you can use the formula:
P(t) = P₀ * e^(rt)
Where:
P(t) = Population at time "t"
P₀ = Initial population (in this case, 5.02 million)
r = Annual growth rate as a decimal (3.58% as 0.0358)
t = Time in years
Now, plug in the values:
P(t) = 5.02 million * e^(0.0358t)
This is the exponential growth function for the city's population in 2012, with an annual growth rate of 3.58%.