Final answer:
The student's question relates to finding the average rate of change of a function, which is a mathematics topic covered in high school calculus. It involves calculating the change in y over the change in x (∆y/∆x) or vice versa, as well as the absolute changes in y (∆y) and in x (∆x).
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking how to find the average rate of change of a function over a given interval. This is a concept in mathematics, specifically in calculus. The average rate of change is similar to finding the slope of the secant line between two points on a graph of the function.
To find the average rate of change (∆y/∆x), you would subtract the y-values of the function at the two x-values given and divide by the difference in the x-values. Conversely, ∆x/∆y would involve the inverse of this process, looking at the change in x with respect to the change in y. The absolute changes in y and x (∆y and ∆x) represent the difference in the output and input values of the function, respectively, without dividing.