The projection provided a solution to a puzzle that had troubled mapmakers since the world was recognized as a sphere: How does one represent the curved surface of the globe on a flat chart?

WSJ: Lost in Our Maps: A History of Cartographic Catastrophes

TSMC's business was actually flat (see chart).

ECONOMIST: Confusionism

For more on the flat base and other bullish chart patterns, visit the Online Courses at Investors.com.

FORBES: Baidu And MercadoLibre Back In The Sweet Spot

The distribution of incomes in America levelled off sharply in the 1930s and remained flat until the late 1980s (see chart).

ECONOMIST: No more than a temporary blip from the Great Recession

In the chart below, you can see that housing continues to be flat, as depicted by the red line.

FORBES: Housing's Stagnation Doesn't Bode Well For Equities

The chart below illustrates the impact of growth beyond the Trefis estimate of flat average fee per subscriber beyond 2011.

FORBES: DirecTV Gets Payoff In Stock Price For Subscriber Revenue Gains