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Smith (SHSU) Elementary Functions 2013 1 / 25 Smith (SHSU) Elementary Functions 2013 2 / 25
f (−x) = −f (x).
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Even and odd functions Even and odd functions
So far, we have discussed two types of symmetry for graphs of functions: Definition.
1 Reflection symmetry about the y-axis, in which case f (−x) = f (x). A function f (x) is even if f (−x) = f (x).
2 Rotation symmetry about the origin, in which case f (−x) = −f (x). The function is odd if f (−x) = −f (x).
We note that functions like f (x) = x2
and f (x) = x4 ,
where the exponent
An even function has reflection symmetry about the y-axis.
on x is even will have the property that f (−x) = f (x) since −1 to an
An odd function has rotational symmetry about the origin.
even integer power is equal to 1.
We can decide algebraically if a function is even, odd or neither by
Similarly, functions like f (x) = x, f (x) = x3 and f (x) = x5 , where the
replacing x by −x and computing f (−x).
exponent on x is odd will have the property that f (−x) = −f (x) since −1
to an odd power is equal to −1. This motivates the following definitions. If f (−x) = f (x), the function is even.
If f (−x) = −f (x), the function is odd.
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Examples. The graphs of a variety of functions are given below (on this
page and the next). Consider the symmetries of the graph y = f (x) and
decide, from the graph drawings, if f (x) is odd, even or neither.
Even Odd
Even Odd
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Even and odd functions Even and odd functions
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Even and odd functions Even and odd functions, some examples
Three worked exercises.
1 Graph the function f (x) = x3 − 4x and then decide if the function is
even, odd, or neither. Solution. This function is odd since it is
symmetric about the origin.
Odd Even
x
2 Decide algebraically if the function f (x) = is even, odd, or 2 Decide algebraically if the function f (x) = x5 + 7x2 − 3x + 5 is even,
1 + x2
neither. odd, or neither.
Solution. Solution.
x −x
If f (x) = 2
then f (−x) = . If f (x) = x5 + 7x2 − 3x + 5 then
1+x 1 + (−x)2
Since (−x)2 = x2 we can simplify this to f (−x) = (−x)5 + 7(−x)2 − 3(−x) + 5 = −x5 + 7x2 + 3x + 5.
−x x
f (−x) = 2
=− = −f (x).
1 + (−x) 1 + x2
Since f (−x) = −x5 + 7x2 + 3x + 5 is neither equal to f (x) nor equal to
−f (x) then f (x) is neither even nor odd.
So f (x) is odd.
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Periodic functions Visualizing functions
For example, if we look at the graphs below, we see graphs that appear to
In this lesson we discuss periodic functions and also introduce the greatest represent periodic functions.
integer function.
Some graphs have translation symmetry, that is, we may shift the graph
along the x-axis a certain amount and leave the graph unchanged. In this
case the function is periodic; there is a real number c so that if we shift
the graph to the left by c units, then the graph is unchanged.
Algebraically, we write f (x + c) = f (x).
The smallest positive real number c such that f (x + c) = f (x) is called
the period of the function f .
We will see this phenomenon (periodic functions and translation
symmetry) throughout our study of trigonometry. The graph on the left has period 2π, slightly more than 6.
The graph on the right has period 2.
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Visualizing functions
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