Step 1 :The exponential growth function is given by the formula \(P(t) = P0 * e^{rt}\), where \(P0\) is the initial population, \(r\) is the growth rate, and \(t\) is the time in years.
Step 2 :To find the exponential growth function, we substitute the given values into the formula. The initial population \(P0\) is 6.37 million and the growth rate \(r\) is 2.84% or 0.0284 in decimal form. So, the exponential growth function is \(P(t)=6.37e^{0.0284t}\).
Step 3 :To estimate the population of the city in 2018, we substitute \(t = 6\) (since 2018 is 6 years after 2012) into the exponential growth function. The population of the city in 2018 is approximately 7.6 million.
Step 4 :To find out when the population of the city will be 10 million, we set \(P(t) = 10\) and solve for \(t\). The population of the city will be 10 million in about 15.9 years after 2012.
Step 5 :The doubling time is the time it takes for the population to double. This can be found by setting \(P(t) = 2*P0\) and solving for \(t\). The doubling time is about 24.4 years.
Step 6 :Final Answer: a) The exponential growth function is \(\boxed{P(t)=6.37e^{0.0284t}}\). b) The population of the city in 2018 is \(\boxed{7.6}\) million. c) The population of the city will be 10 million in about \(\boxed{15.9}\) years after 2012. d) The doubling time is about \(\boxed{24.4}\) years.