Basic Trope: A character's calculations appear on screen as formulas, graphs, etc.
- Straight: Alice has to solve a physics problem. As she quietly works on it, the screen is filled with formulas and trajectory graphs of her calculations.
- Exaggerated: The problem Alice has to solve is very complex, causing the screen to get flooded with so many formulas and graphs that they can't be told apart.
- Downplayed: Alice has to solve a quick math problem. A single formula appears on screen.
- Justified:
- Alice has a fictional condition that causes her to see her calculations.
- Alice has magical powers, and is known for frequently using illusory spells to display her thoughts in physical space around her.
- Inverted: Formulas are constantly shown on screen representing different calculations Alice knows how to do. Whenever she gets to work, the formula she's currently using disappears from screen.
- Subverted:
- While Alice is doing a math exam, lines slowly appear around her as she starts thinking, seemingly about to write out complex mathematical formulas... but the lines instead draw out a sandwich. Turns out Alice wasn't doing math in her head, but actually just hungry.
- A disorganized mass of symbols starts appearing on screen as Alice starts thinking, but before they can combine to form anything coherent, Bob interrupts her with an emergency, causing them to disappear.
- Double Subverted:
- The imaginary sandwich then shouts at her to stay focused. Its outline then unravels and turns into the math equation.
- The emergency turns out to be solved through math, and Alice's calculations for that do get to appear on screen as coherent graphs and formulas.
- Parodied: Alice is The Ditz, and formulas start appearing on screen when all that was asked of her was to add together the cost of everything she has to buy.
- Zig-Zagged: The calculations on screen are intermittent, repeatedly vanishing and reappearing to indicate Alice's difficulty focusing.
- Averted: No formulas, graphs or other abstract elements appear on screen.
- Lampshaded: ???
- Invoked: Alice invents a hi-tech holographic device specifically meant for projecting mathematical graphs and formulas whenever someone thinks very hard, and then proceeds to use it.
- Exploited: Bob forgot a formula he needs to use. He turns around to look at Alice as she works on a similar problem, and reads the formula he needs that is floating next to her.
- Defied: ???
- Discussed: "Please give me some space to work on this one". "Alright, Alice. Am I going to see formulas around you?"
- Conversed: ???
- Implied: Alice does a math exam offscreen in a classroom. A moment later, the student seated next to her exits the classroom while dusting off numbers and symbols from his shoulders. He remarks that the atmosphere in there was getting very thick.
- Deconstructed: ???
- Reconstructed: ???
- Played for Laughs:
- The math equations that appear around Alice are composed of E = MC Hammer, it's a Formula for the Unformulable or a Rebus Bubble.
- Alice's friends are puzzled about what Alice is "seeing" when they ask her a math question.
- Alice's math equations are not just a thought, it is something that actually manifests when Alice is thinking, meaning that her friends are poked by numbers (say, 4's) appearing at proper butt height and her fellow math wizard friend Jim erases a part of the equation and rewrites it when Alice forgets to Carry the One.
- Played for Drama:
- The math equations are a Formula for the Unformulable, a symbol of Alice's frustration as she is Measuring the Marigolds.
- The math equations began as a silly "ha, ha, Alice can only like baseball for the sabermetrics" gag, but it has begun to segue in a reveal about Alice's Sanity Slippage (a homage to a fellow Mad Mathematician, John Nash).
- Played For Horror:
- The mathematics appear whenever Alice is plotting on how to conquer the world or murder someone.
- The mathematics appearing around Alice's head is how it looks in Alice's head. In reality she has a Room Full of Crazy or a Nightmare Fuel Coloring Book.
- The mathematics equations the audience sees are full of statements (initially in Leet speak but that become plain text with red-colored lettering, the background fading away to black and the soundtrack blaring a Last Note Nightmare) like "kill Bob now".
Back to Visual Calculus.
