On several occasions I've tried using the popular
inflation schedule graph in my presentations, but quickly realized it's not really readable in front of an audience. I therefore designed my alternative version of it:
Key changes:
- The text is much larger.
- The horizontal axis has tick marks only every 4 years. (There is still a grid line every year though.)
- Instead of a vertical tick mark every 3M coins, the 21M range is divided to 8 segments. I think having round numbers is trumped by having the tick marks aligned with the halving points.
- I added dots in every halving point.
I kept the end year of 2033, it's as good as any other.
I'm throwing it here for feedback and for discussion whether it should replace the previous graph wherever it appears.
According to demand I can revert some of the changes or make new ones.
Mathematica code:
g[n_Integer] := 21 (1 - 2^-n)
g[x_] := g[Floor[x]] + (x - Floor[x]) (g[Floor[x] + 1] - g[Floor[x]])
f[x_] := N[g[(x - 2009)/4]]
Plot[f[x], {x, 2009, endyear},
Ticks -> {Table[a, {a, 2009, endyear, 4}],
Table[{a, PaddedForm[N[a], {4, 2}]}, {a, 21/8, 21, 21/8}]},
PlotRange -> {{2009, endyear + 0.001}, {0, 21}},
AxesOrigin -> {2009, 0}, Mesh -> 5,
GridLines -> {Table[{a, GrayLevel[0.85]}, {a, 2009, endyear, 1}],
Table[{a, GrayLevel[0.85]}, {a, 0, 21, 21/8}]},
MeshStyle -> Directive[PointSize[Large]],
PlotStyle -> Thickness[0.005], Frame -> False,
PlotLabel ->
Style["Total bitcoins in circulation over time (millions)", 24],
TicksStyle -> Large]