Relation Linear Function

Linear Functions and Their Graphs

Linear Functions
Any function of the form f (x) = m x + b, where m is not equal to 0 is called a linear function. The domain of this
function is the set of all real numbers. The range of f is the set of all real numbers. The graph of f is a line with
slope m and y intercept b.
Note: A function f (x) = b, where b is a constant real number is called a constant function. Its graph is a
horizontal line at y = b.
Example 1
Graph the linear function f given by
f (x) = 2 x + 4
Solution to Example 1

You need only two points to graph a linear function. These points may be chosen as the x and y intercepts of
the graph for example.
Determine the x intercept, set f(x) = 0 and solve for x.

2x+4=0
x=-2

Determine the y intercept, set x = 0 to find f(0).

f(0) = 4
The graph of the above function is a line passing through the points (- 2 , 0) and (0 , 4) as shown below

Matched Problem
Graph the linear function f given by
f (x) = x + 3
Example 2
Graph the linear function f given by
f (x) = - (1 / 3) x - 1 / 2
Solution to Example 2
Determine the x intercept, set f(x) = 0 and solve for x.

-(1 / 3) x - 1 / 2 = 0
x=-3/2
Determine the y intercept, set x = 0 to find f(0).
f(0) = -1 / 2

The graph of the above function is a line passing through the points (-3 / 2 , 0) and (0 , -1 / 2) as shown.
Example 3
Find the slope of the line passing through (−3, −5) and (2, 1).

Solution:

Given (−3, −5) and (2, 1), calculate the difference of the y-values divided by the difference of the x-values. Take
care to be consistent when subtracting the coordinates:

It does not matter which point you consider to be the first and second. However, because subtraction is not
commutative, you must take care to subtract the coordinates of the first point from the coordinates of the
second point in the same order. For example, we obtain the same result if we apply the slope formula with the
points switched:

Example 2
Find the y-value for which the slope of the line passing through (6,−3) and (−9,y) is −23.
Solution:
Substitute the given information into the slope formula.
Domain and Range of a Function

Domain and Range of Rational Functions

The domain of a function f(x)fx is the set of all values for which the function is defined, and
the range of the function is the set of all values that ff takes.
A rational function is a function of the form f(x)=p(x)q(x)fx=pxqx , where p(x)px and q(x)qx are
polynomials and q(x)≠0qx≠0 .
The domain of a rational function consists of all the real numbers xx except those for which the
denominator is 00 . To find these xx values to be excluded from the domain of a rational function,
equate the denominator to zero and solve for xx .
For example, the domain of the parent function f(x)=1xfx=1x is the set of all real numbers
except x=0x=0 . Or the domain of the function f(x)=1x−4fx=1x−4 is the set of all real numbers
except x=4x=4 .
Now, consider the function f(x)=(x+1)(x−2)(x−2)fx=x+1x−2x−2 . On simplification, when x≠2x≠2 it
becomes a linear function f(x)=x+1fx=x+1 . But the original function is not defined at x=2x=2 . This
leaves the graph with a hole when x=2x=2 .

One way of finding the range of a rational function is by finding the domain of the inverse function.

Another way is to sketch the graph and identify the range.

Let us again consider the parent function f(x)=1xfx=1x . We know that the function is not defined
when x=0x=0 .
As x→0x→0 from either side of zero, f(x)→∞fx→∞ . Similarly, as x→±∞,f(x)→0x→±∞,fx→0 .
The graph approaches xx -axis as xx tends to positive or negative infinity, but never touches the xx -
axis. That is, the function can take all the real values except 00 .
So, the range of the function is the set of real numbers except 00 .
Example 1:

Find the domain and range of the function y=1x+3−5y=1x+3−5 .

To find the excluded value in the domain of the function, equate the denominator to zero and solve
for xx .
x+3=0⇒x=−3x+3=0⇒x=−3
So, the domain of the function is set of real numbers except −3−3 .
The range of the function is same as the domain of the inverse function. So, to find the range define
the inverse of the function.

Interchange the xx and yy .

x=1y+3−5x=1y+3−5
Solving for yy you get,
x+5=1y+3⇒y+3=1x+5                          ⇒y=1x+5−3x+5=1y+3⇒y+3=1x+5                          ⇒y=1x+5−3
So, the inverse function is f−1(x)=1x+5−3f−1x=1x+5−3 .
The excluded value in the domain of the inverse function can be determined byequating the
denominator to zero and solving for xx .
x+5=0⇒x=−5x+5=0⇒x=−5
So, the domain of the inverse function is the set of real numbers except −5−5 . That is, the range of
given function is the set of real numbers except −5−5 .
Therefore, the domain of the given function is {x∈R  |  x≠−3}{x∈ℝ  |  x≠−3} and the range
is {y∈R  |  y≠−5}{y∈ℝ  |  y≠−5} .
Example 2:

Find the domain and range of the function y=x2−3x−4x+1y=x2−3x−4x+1 .

Use a graphing calculator to graph the function.

When you factor the numerator and cancel the non-zero common factors, the function gets reduced
to a linear function as shown.

y=(x+1)(x−4)(x+1)    =(x+1)(x−4)(x+1)    =x−4y=x+1x−4x+1    =x+1x−4x+1    =x−4
So, the graph is a linear one with a hole at x=−1x=−1 .

Use the graph to identify the domain and the range.

The function is not defined for x=−1x=−1 . So, the domain

is {x∈R  |  x≠−1}{x∈ℝ  |  x≠−1} or (−∞,−1)∪(−1,∞)−∞,−1∪−1,∞ .
The range of the function is {y∈R  |  y≠k where y(−1)=k}{y∈ℝ  |  y≠k where y−1=k} .
For x≠−1x≠−1 , the function simplifies to y=x−4y=x−4 . The function is not defined at x=−1x=−1 or
the function does not take the value −1−4=−5−1−4=−5 . That is, k=−5k=−5 .
Therefore, the range of the function
is {y∈R  |  y≠−5}{y∈ℝ  |  y≠−5} or (−∞,−5)∪(−5,∞)−∞,−5∪−5,∞ .

Asymptotes of a rational function:

An asymptote is a line that the graph of a function approaches, but never touches. In the parent
function f(x)=1xfx=1x , both the xx - and yy -axes are asymptotes. The graph of the parent function
will get closer and closer to but never touches the asymptotes.
To find the vertical asymptote of a rational function, equate the denominator to zero and solve for xx .
If the degree of the polynomial in the numerator is less than that of the denominator, then the
horizontal asymptote is the xx -axis or y=0y=0 .
The function f(x)=ax,a≠0fx=ax,a≠0 has the same domain, range and asymptotes as f(x)=1xfx=1x .
Now, the graph of the function f(x)=ax−b+c,a≠0fx=ax−b+c,a≠0 is a hyperbola, symmetric about the
point (b,c)b,c . The vertical asymptote of the function is x=bx=b and the horizontal asymptote
is y=cy=c .
Considering a more general form, the function f(x)=ax+bcx+dfx=ax+bcx+d has the vertical asymptote
at x=−dcx=−dc and the horizontal asymptote at y=acy=ac . More generally, if both the numerator and
the denominator have the same degree, then horizontal asymptote would be y=ky=k where kk is the
ratio of the leading coefficient of the numerator to that of the denominator.
If the degree of the denominator is one less than that of the numerator, then the function has a
slanting asymptote.

Example 3:

Find the vertical and horizontal asymptotes of the function f(x)=5x−1fx=5x−1 .

To find the vertical asymptote, equate the denominator to zero and solve for xx .
x−1=0⇒x=1x−1=0⇒x=1
So, the vertical asymptote is x=1x=1
Since the degree of the polynomial in the numerator is less than that of the denominator, the
horizontal asymptote is y=0y=0 .
Representation of Relations and Functions
Learning Objective(s)
 Define, compare, and recognize relations and functions.
 Represent relations and functions with graphs, tables, and sets of ordered pairs.

Introduction

Algebra is a potent tool for describing and exploring relationships.

Imagine tossing a ball straight up into the air, watching it rise, stop, and fall back down into your hand. As time
passed, the height of the ball changed, creating a relationship between the amount of time the ball was in the
air and its height.

In mathematics, a relationship between variables that change together (such as time and height) is called
a relation.

Functions Defined

There are many kinds of relations. Among the most important algebraic relations are functions. A function is a
relation in which one variable specifies a single value of another variable. For example, when you toss a ball,
each second that passes has one and only one corresponding height. Time only goes forward, and never
repeats itself. The height of the ball depends on how much time has passed since it left your hand. This is a
one way relationship—although each moment of time is unique, it is possible for the ball to be at a particular
height more than once as it goes up and then down. Knowing the time will tell you the height, but knowing the
height won’t give you an exact time.

The parts of a function are called inputs and outputs. An input is the independent, non-repeating quantity.
The output quantity is the dependent quantity. The value of the output depends on the value of the input. For
each input, there is a single output. In the case of tossing a ball in the air, time is the input and height is the
output.

Let’s look at a few more examples to get comfortable recognizing what is a function and what is
not. Remember the last time you were in a parking lot? You won’t be surprised to know that there’s a relation
between the number of cars and the number of tires in a lot—the number of cars and the number of tires are
linked. Is this relation a function? Can you use the number of cars to correctly figure out the number of tires?

Yes, you can. Every single car has 4 tires, so the number of tires depends on how many cars are in the parking
lot. Every input of cars specifies a single possible output of tires. (In this example, the relation of tires to cars is
also a function—the number of tires also specifies the number of cars.)

Now consider a different relation, between houses and the people who live in them. If an address is the input,
and the output is the occupants, is this relation also a function? Think of your own house or apartment—are the
people staying there always the same?

Nope. That time you went to camp, the occupancy changed. Every time you had a friend stay over, it changed
again. Because a single address can produce more than one set of occupants, the relation is not a function.

Here’s a good rule of thumb to use to recognize functions: If you put the input in more than once, are you
guaranteed to always get the same output? With the cars and wheels, the answer is yes. For an input of 25
cars we always get an output of 100 tires, no matter which 25 cars drive into that parking lot or when they
arrive. The relation is a function.

With the houses and occupants, the input of an address is not guaranteed to always produce the same output,
because a house stays put while people come and go. The relation is not a function.

Which of the following situations describes a function?

A) Your age and your weight on your birthday each year.
B) The name of a course and the number of students enrolled in that course.
C) The diameter of a cookie and the number of chocolate chips in it.

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Graphing Functions

When both the independent quantity (input) and the dependent quantity (output) are real numbers, a function
can be represented by a coordinate graph. The independent value is plotted on the x-axis and the dependent
value is plotted on the y-axis. The fact that each input value has exactly one output value means graphs of
functions have certain characteristics. For each input (x-coordinate) on the graph, there will be exactly one
output (y-coordinate).

For example, the graph of this function, drawn in blue, looks like a semi-circle. We know that y is a function
of x because for each x-coordinate there is exactly one y-coordinate.

If we draw a vertical line across the plot of the function, it only intersects the function once for each value of x.
That is true no matter where the line is drawn. Placing or sliding such a line across a graph is a good way to
determine if it shows a function.

Compare that graph with this one, which looks like a blue circle. This relationship cannot be a function,
because each x-coordinate has two corresponding y-coordinates.
When a vertical line is placed across the plot of this relation, it intersects the graph more than once for some
values of x. If a graph shows two or more intersections with a vertical line, then an input (x-coordinate) can
have more than one output (y-coordinate), and y is not a function of x.

Is the relation plotted on the graph below a function?

Show/Hide Answer

Functions in Table Form

Tables can also be used to describe functions. Let’s compare tables of functions with tables of non-functions.

This table represents a function. None of the independent values (x) are repeated and each has only one
corresponding dependent value (y).

x y
-1 3
-2 5
-3 3
-5 -3

The next table does not represent a function. The x column has two values that are 3, and they correspond to
two different values for y. Remember, when a single input can produce multiple outputs, the relation is not a
function.

x y
3 -1
 5 -2
3 -3
-3 -5

Which of the following tables represents a function?

A)

B)

C)

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Functions as Sets of Ordered Pairs

Functions can also be represented by sets of ordered pairs of x and y values, inputs and outputs. We can pull
pairs from tables or graphs, and use parentheses to keep them together.

Let’s go back to this table of a function:

x y
-1 3
-2 5
-3 3
-5 -3

Each row in the table describes an ordered pair, like this: an x of -1 corresponds to a y of 3, so that’s the
ordered pair (-1, 3). An x of -2 corresponds to a y of 5, so that’s the ordered pair (-2, 5). The whole table gives
us a set of ordered pairs:

{(-1, 3), (-2, 5), (-3, 3), (-5, -3)}

To show that the four ordered pairs belong together in a set, we list them with commas in between each and
brackets around the group. As with other methods of representing relations, we can check the characteristics
of a set of ordered pairs to determine if it is a function. Since the first value in each pair is the input and the
second is the output, we can scan the set to see if each input is associated with a single, consistent output. If it
is, the set is a function.

Or we can plot the points on a coordinate grid, for a visual check. Here, we can see that in the set of pairs we
just listed, every x/input/independent value has one and only one y/output/dependent value:

In another set of ordered pairs: {(3,-1),(5,-2),(3,-3),(-3,5)} one of the inputs, 3, can produce two different
outputs, -1 and -3. You know what that means—this set of ordered pairs is not a function. A plot confirms this:
Notice that a vertical line passes through two plotted points. One x-coordinate has multiple y-coordinates. That
too means that this relation is not a function.

Which of the following is a set of ordered pairs representing a function?

A) {2, 4, 4, 8, 8,16, 16, 32}

B) {(0, 0), (1, 1), (1, -1), (2, 2), (2, -2)}
C) (4, 2), (5, 1), (6, 0), (7, -1), (8, -2)
D) {(-2, 2), (-1, 1), (0, 0), (1, 1), (2, 2)}

Show/Hide Answer

Horizontal and Vertical Lines—Functions or Not?

Two special types of relations are those of horizontal and vertical lines. Are they functions?

Let’s begin with a horizontal line. A line on the coordinate plane is horizontal when every x-coordinate has the
same y-coordinate. No x-coordinates have more than one y-coordinate, and each input always produces the
same output. Therefore, all horizontal lines represent a function.

Now consider a vertical line. In this situation, every y-coordinate has the same x-coordinate. The input never
changes, but the output changes constantly. Since the same value for x has many values for y, a vertical line
cannot represent a function.
Axiomatic of Mathematical System Define and Undefined term postulate of theoremes

The Axiomatic System

What exactly is an axiomatic system? I know it sounds like a big word for a complicated system, but it's actually not
all that complicated. Defined, an axiomatic system is a set of axioms used to derive theorems. What this means is
that for every theorem in math, there exists an axiomatic system that contains all the axioms needed to prove that
theorem. An axiom is a statement that is considered true and does not require a proof. It is considered the starting
point of reasoning. Axioms are used to prove other statements. They are basic truths. For example, the statement
that all right angles are equal to each other is an axiom and does not require a proof. We know that all right angles
are equal to each other and we do not argue that point. Instead, we use this information to prove other things. A
collection of these basic, true statements forms an axiomatic system.
The subject that you are studying right now, geometry, is actually based on an axiomatic system known as
Euclidean geometry. This system has only five axioms or basic truths that form the basis for all the theorems that
you are learning. Everything can be traced back to these five axioms. What are they? Let me tell you.
1. A straight line can be drawn from any one point to any other point.
2. A line segment can be extended infinitely in both directions.
3. A circle can be described with a center and radius.
4. All right angles are equal to each other.
5. If a line intersecting two lines forms interior angles less than 90 degrees, then the two lines will intersect on the
same side as the angles that are less than 90 degrees. The fifth axiom is also known as the parallel postulate.

Angle Properties, Postulates, and Theorems

In order to study geometry in a logical way, it will be important to understand key mathematical properties and to
know how to apply useful postulates and theorems. A postulate is a proposition that has not been proven true, but
is considered to be true on the basis for mathematical reasoning. Theorems, on the other hand, are statements
that have been proven to be true with the use of other theorems or statements. While some postulates and
theorems have been introduced in the previous sections, others are new to our study of geometry. We will apply
these properties, postulates, and theorems to help drive our mathematical proofs in a very logical, reason-based
way.

Before we begin, we must introduce the concept of congruency. Angles are congruent if their measures, in
degrees, are equal. Note: "congruent" does not mean "equal." While they seem quite similar, congruent angles do
not have to point in the same direction. The only way to get equal angles is by piling two angles of equal measure
on top of each other.

Properties
We will utilize the following properties to help us reason through several geometric proofs.

Reflexive Property
A quantity is equal to itself.

Symmetric Property
If A = B, then B = A.
Transitive Property
If A = B and B = C, then A = C.

Addition Property of Equality

If A = B, then A + C = B + C.

Angle Postulates
Angle Addition Postulate
If a point lies on the interior of an angle, that angle is the sum of two smaller angles with legs that go through the
given point.

Consider the figure below in which point T lies on the interior of ?QRS. By this postulate, we have that ?QRS =
?QRT + ?TRS. We have actually applied this postulate when we practiced finding the complements and
supplements of angles in the previous section.

Corresponding Angles Postulate

If a transversal intersects two parallel lines, the pairs of corresponding angles are congruent.

Converse also true: If a transversal intersects two lines and the corresponding angles are congruent, then the lines
are parallel.
 The figure above yields four pairs of corresponding angles.

Parallel Postulate
Given a line and a point not on that line, there exists a unique line through the point parallel to the given line.

The parallel postulate is what sets Euclidean geometry apart from non-Euclidean geometry.
 There are an infinite number of lines that pass through point E, but only the red line runs parallel to line CD. Any
other line through E will eventually intersect line CD.

Angle Theorems
Alternate Exterior Angles Theorem
If a transversal intersects two parallel lines, then the alternate exterior angles are congruent.

Converse also true: If a transversal intersects two lines and the alternate exterior angles are congruent, then the
lines are parallel.

The alternate exterior angles have the same degree measures because the lines are parallel to each other.

Alternate Interior Angles Theorem

If a transversal intersects two parallel lines, then the alternate interior angles are congruent.

Converse also true: If a transversal intersects two lines and the alternate interior angles are congruent, then the
lines are parallel.
 The alternate interior angles have the same degree measures because the lines are parallel to each other.

Congruent Complements Theorem

If two angles are complements of the same angle (or of congruent angles), then the two angles are congruent.

Congruent Supplements Theorem

If two angles are supplements of the same angle (or of congruent angles), then the two angles are congruent.

Right Angles Theorem

All right angles are congruent.