this means y is equal to e to the x1 power and then subtract

this means y is equal to e to the (x-1) power. and then subtracted by 4.

i want to know what means what when it comes to graphing. like is it going up or down? what does the e indicate, what does the -4 mean for the graph,... etc

Solution

y = e^(x-1) -4

So, parent function is y= e^x

Following transformations are applied:

i) shift along x axis to right by 1 unit

ii) Now shift vertically by 4 unit down