P(t) represents the population at time t in this context. It is typically used as an expression for modeling growth or decay over time.
Related terms
Rate of change: The rate at which P(t) changes over time can be thought of as how fast or slow marbles are being added or removed from our jar population analogy.
Exponential growth/decay: If P(t) experiences exponential growth, it means that its rate of change is proportional to P(t) itself. On the other hand, if P(t) undergoes exponential decay, its rate of change is proportional to -P(t).
Logistic growth: Logistic growth describes a situation where the population initially grows rapidly but eventually levels off due to limited resources or carrying capacity.