Section 2.1 What Is a Function?

DEFINITION: A function f is a rule that assigns to each element x in a set A exactly one
element, called f (x), in a set B. The set A is called the domain of f. The range of f is the
set of all possible values of f (x) as x varies throughout the domain.

EXAMPLES:

1. Let f (x) = x + x. Then

f (0) = 0 + 0=0

f (4) = 4 + 4=6

2. Let f (x) = 3x2 + x 5. Then

f (2) = 3 (2)2 + (2) 5 = 5
f (0) = 3 02 + 0 5 = 5
f (4) = 3 42 + 4 5 = 47
( ) ( )2
1 1 1 15
f =3 + 5=
2 2 2 4

x+1
3. Let f (x) = . Then
x

3+1 4 2 5+1 6
f (3) = = = f (5) = =
3 3 3 5 5
and
a1+1 a
f (a 1) = =
a1 a1
4. Let {
3x2 + x 5 if x 0
f (x) =
x+ x if x > 0
and {
3x2 + x 5 if x < 0
g(x) =
x+ x if x 0
Then
f (2) = 3 (2)2 + (2) 5 = 5
f (0) = 3 02 + 0 5 = 5

f (4) = 4 + 4 = 6
and
g(2) = 3 (2)2 + (2) 5 = 5

g(0) = 0 + 0 = 0

g(4) = 4 + 4 = 6

1
 Four Ways to Represent a Function

There are 4 possible ways to represent a function:

Verbally (in words)
Visually (by a graph)
Numerically (by a table of values)
Algebraically (by an explicit formula)

EXAMPLES:
1. Verbally: s(t) is speed of a car at time t
2. Visually:

x f (x)
1 2
3. Numerically: 2 8
7 -1
10 5
4. Algebraically:
x 1 5 sin x 4
(a) f (x) = 1, g(x) = , h(x) = x2 , F (x) = , y =
x x ln x
1
(b) f (x) = , x>5
x
{ 2
x if x 2
(c) f (x) =
x + 1 if x > 2

2
 Domain and Range

EXAMPLES:
1. f (x) = x2
Domain: All real numbers or (, ).
Range: {y | y 0} or [0, ).

1
2. f (x) =
x
Domain: {x | x 6= 0} or (, 0) (0, ), since x 6= 0.
Range: {y | y 6= 0} or (, 0) (0, ).
1
3. f (x) = , x2
x
Domain: {x | x 2} or [2, ), since x 2.
Range: {y | 0 < y 1/2} or (0, 1/2].

1
4. f (x) =
x+5
Domain: {x | x 6= 5} or (, 5) (5, ), since x + 5 6= 0.
Range: {y | y 6= 0} or (, 0) (0, ).

x2
5. f (x) =
x2 3

Domain:({x | x 6=
] [ 3} or
) (, 3) ( 3, 3) ( 3, ), since x2 3 6= 0.
1 1
Range: , , .
6 2

6. f (x) = 2x

3

6. f (x) = 2x
Domain: {x | x 2} or (, 2], since 2 x 0.
Range: {y | y 0} or [0, ).

1
7. f (x) =
2x
Domain: {x | x < 2} or (, 2), since 2 x > 0.
Range: {y | y > 0} or (0, ).

1
8. f (x) =
2x x2

4
 1
8. f (x) =
2x x2
Domain: {x | 0 < x < 2} or (0, 2), since 2x x2 = x(2 x) > 0.
Range: {y | y 1} or [1, ).

1
9. f (x) =
x2 + 3x + 2
Domain: {x | x < 2 or x > 1} or (, 2) (1, ), since x2 +3x + 2 = (x + 1)(x + 2) > 0.
Range: {y | y > 0} or (0, ).

10. f (x) = x2 + 3x + 2
Domain: {x | x 2 or x 1} or (, 2] [1, ), since x2 + 3x + 2 = (x + 1)(x + 2) 0.
Range: {y | y 0} or [0, ).

11. f (x) = x2 + 2

5

11. f (x) = x2 + 2

or (, ), since x + 2 is always > 0.

2
Domain: All realnumbers,
Range: {y | y 2} or [ 2, ).

12. f (x) = x 1x
Domain: {x | 0 x 1} or [0, 1], since x 0 and 1 x 0.
Range: {y | 1 y 1} or [1, 1].

13. f (x) = x x1
Domain: {x | x 1} or [1, ), since x 0 and x 1 0.
Range: {y | 0 < y 1} or (0, 1].

14. f (x) = x6 + x2 + x 1
Domain: (, ).
Range: {y | y 1.2392} or [1.2392, ).