A method for displaying ordinate-abscissa value pairs on a display device with discrete display points in the abscissa and ordinate direction, of which the abscissa resolution is reduced by comparison with the abscissa resolution of the ordinate-abscissa value pairs, determines the respective maximum and minimum ordinate value of every ordinate-abscissa value pair, which is disposed within the half spacing distance of the abscissa value relative to the adjacent abscissa value to the right and left of the display points, and replaces all ordinate-abscissa value pairs, which are disposed within the half spacing distance of the respective abscissa value relative to the respective adjacent abscissa value to the right and left of the display points, with an area between the maximum and the minimum ordinate value and the half spacing distance of the abscissa value relative to the adjacent abscissa value to the right and left of the display points.