What's a learning curve and why is steep not hard?

Question

• What exactly is a learning curve?
• And why is it wrong to use the term \"steep learning curve\" for something which has high entry barriers and takes quite som

Answer 1

A "learning curve" originally had total elapsed time [or total cumulative units manufactured/learned] on the X axis and the time required to produce/learn a single unit on the y axis. Your first unit always takes more time than the 100th or 1,000th. The "steepness" of the curve depends on how fast you get good at producing/learning a thing. Learn quickly and you have a "steep" curve; slowly and you have a flat curve.

I agree that the uninformed have morphed the original meaning of the term, but to be accurate steep is easy. People get upset because those of us who paid attention to using language correctly in school rarely get to take part in this type of evolution.