Lec 1—Chapter 1

Lecturer: Dr. Guofeng Zhang

3 September 2019
 Today’s topics

(1) Go through the course outline (make sure you already

got a copy)

(2) Real numbers and set notation

(3) Basic inequalities

(4) Basic concepts of functions

(5) Operations on functions

(6) Inverse functions

2/23
1.1 Real Numbers and Set Notation
• Set: a collection of elements

• N: the set of all natural numbers (also called

positive integers). N={1, 2, 3, 4, . . .}

• Z: the set of all integers. Z={0, 1, ≠1, 2, ≠2, . . .}

← quotient
• Q: the set of all rational numbers. Rational
p
numbers can be written as ratio or quotient ,
q
where p, q are integers and q ”= 0. For example,
1 11 7
, ,≠
2 5 29
→ real
• R: the set of all real numbers, containing
Ju ,
53
all rational numbers + all irrational numbers
,

In this subject (AMA110), we don’t discuss

complex numbers.

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 How to represent a set?

Method 1: List all elements in the set

ÓÔ Ô Ô
Example: S = 2, 3, fi denotes the set containing
Ô Ô
three elements, which are 2, 3 and fi.

Another example: Suppose there are three students Alice,

Bob and Charlie in the working group G. Represent the
group G.

Solution:
G- -
{Alice ,
Bob ,
Charlie }

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 Method 2: List all elements in the set that satisfies
some properties: {x : p(x)} is the set of all those
x for which the statement p(x) is true.
Ó Ô
Example: S = x : 2x2 ≠ 5x ≠ 3 = 0 is the set of real
numbers x such that 2x2 ≠ 5x ≠ 3 = 0 is true; that is,
S is the set consisting of the real roots of

2x2 ≠ 5x ≠ 3 = 0.
( 2X -1 1) ( X - 37=0
Solving the above equation, we get x1 = 3 and x2 = ≠ 12 .
1
-

Therefore, the solution set is {3, ≠ }.

2
Another example: Suppose there are three students Al-
ice, Bob and Charlie in the working group G. How to
incorporate these students in a set S by specifying the
property of these three students?

Solution: S={Student: student is in the working group

G}

5/23
 Intervals: a piece on the real line

Four types of intervals

• [≠1.5, 5.3]={x : ≠1.5 Æ x Æ 5.3}

≠1.5 0 5.3

• (≠1.5, 5.3]={x : ≠1.5 < x Æ 5.3}

≠1.5 0 5.3

• [≠1.5, 5.3)={x : ≠1.5 Æ x < 5.3}

≠1.5 0 5.3

• (≠1.5, 5.3)={x : ≠1.5 < x < 5.3}

≠1.5 0 5.3

The black solid dot means that the number is included

-

in the set. While the white hollow one means that the
number is NOT included in the set.

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Notation Œ (read as infinity): R = (≠Œ, Œ)

• The real line can also be represented as:

0 Œ

or

≠Œ 0 Œ

• [1.5, Œ) = {x : 1.5 6 x}

0 1.5 Œ

• (≠Œ, 1.5) = {x : x < 1.5}

0 1.5 Œ

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A :{ x :
Xd 1 our X>
-
I }
A = ? xc I
-
Toi
-
X 7
-
1

For x El
1,2 , X can be c l

x E A

X can be 7
, I 3 -
I

X f A

A = IR
 Set relations

x œ S: x is an element of the set S

x ”œ S: x is not an element of the set S

For example: “x œ N" means “x is an element of N (the

set of positive integers), that is, “x is a positive integer".

Another example: Suppose there are three students Alice,

Bob and Charlie in the working group G. Then

G = {Alice, Bob and Charlie}

It is easy to see that:

in
←
• Bob is in the group: Bob œ G
not in
←

• David is not in the group: David ”œ G

8/23
 A is a subset of B if and only if every element of
A is also an element of B, denoted by A µ B. If
a set A is a subset of B and B is not a subset of
A, then A is said to be a proper subset of B.

Example: N µ Z µ Q µ R.

Another example: Suppose there are three students Alice,

Bob and Charlie in the working group A. Then

A = {Alice, Bob and Charlie}

If another group B contains two students Alice and Bob,

that is B={Alice, Bob}, then it is easy to see that:

BµA
B is subset of A
a
proper
.

9/23
 Set intersection

A fl B: The intersection of two sets A and B is a set

that contains all elements in both A and B. That is

A fl B = {x : x œ A and x œ B}.

ÓÔ Ô ÓÔ Ô
Example: If A = 2, fi and B = 2, 1, 0 , then
AflB =
{ II
Venn Diagram for the set intersection

ÿ: empty set (a set with no element).

For example, if A = {1, 2} and B = {3, 4}, then
A fl B = ÿ.

10/23
 Set union

A fi B: The union of two sets A and B is a set that

contains all elements in A or in B. That is

A fi B = {x : x œ A or x œ B}.

Venn Diagram

Example 1.1.5: If A is the set of odd positive inte-

gers and B is the set of even positive integers, then
A fi B = N.

11/23
 Absolute values

Definition: If a œ R, we define |a|, called the abso-

lute value of a, by
I
a, if a > 0 19130
|a| =
≠a, if a < 0

• Real line representation of the absolute value |a|:

the distance between a and 0.
lats a

1-1
. IR
9-1
- a -
- I al

• For instance, |3| = 3, | ≠ 4| = 4, |8 ≠ 17| = | ≠ 9|

= 9.

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 {x : Ixia -
I }= of ( empty set )

Theorem: Suppose b > 0. Then x satisfies the inequal-

ity |x| < b if and only if ≠b < x < b. That is,
it and only if
|x| < b ≈∆ ≠b < x < b ⑦
Example: Solve the inequality |x ≠ 1| < 3 for x œ R.
→ < x- I C 3
o_0
C X I -11 C 3+1
-
Stl - -
z 4

L c Y E C 2,4 )
-
-
C X x

Theorem: Suppose b > 0. Then x satisfies the inequal-

ity |x| > b if and only if x < ≠b or x > b. That is,
he distance between

|x| > b ≈∆ x < ≠b or x > b xa÷ois?

Example: Solve x from the inequality |x ≠ 7| > 9.
739 7 E

9×316
x- or x - -

or z
x e
-

[ 16 s ) U to , -23
,

13/23
 Solve inequalities with quadratics

Two basic methods: (1) Factorization; (2) Graphic ap-

proach

Example: x2 + 2x ≠ 1 > 2.
I-127 I -270 -
,
# 2×-370

(x -
1) cxt -3730

( -0 , 3) Ul ) ,
- -
)
Example: ≠x2 + 5x + 14 > 0.
-5×-14<0
'
x t
y -

( X -12 > Cx -
77 co

( -
2,7 )

Example: x3 ≠ 2x2 ≠ x + 2 Æ 0.
SO
XCX -2 ) - Cx -
2)
+ - t

Ext - l) Cx -
2) EO €2
1) Cx so
*1) Cx -
-
z ,

C- A, IT UCI 23
14/23
-

,
 Xu# 2x -
I 7 2

I -12×-3 30

(X -
l ) ( X t 3770

(Solving

For

J
x C

f- 4
(x

-
-

-
17

D l
.
( x-177=0

-
Take

41-37=1-57
we

x=
get
-
Y
x= -3 ,

.
1

I -1770

For → excl , take X=o

( O - I) -

( O f- 3)
= -1.3=-3 Co

F- V X ? I ,
take x= 2

1 5=570
(2 -
D (2+3) = .

( - o
,
-37 U Cl ,
o )
1.3 Functions

Basic concepts of functions

Definition: A function f : A æ B is a rule that

assigns to each x œ A (in the domain) a unique
element y œ B (in the range).

In high school, we may be familiar with y = x2 , then

this rule (taking the square) assigns to x = ≠1 a y value
y = 1. Now we can rewrite a function as f (x) = x2 and
f (≠1) = 1.

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Definition: A function f : A æ B is a rule that
assigns to each x œ A (in the domain) a uniquely
determined element y œ B (in the range).

• Notation of a rule (the function): y = f (x).

• A: domain of the function f , denoted by

Dom(f ).

• The set of all elements in B that can occur as

values of f is called the range of f , denoted
by Range(f ). That is, Range (f ) =

{y : y œ B and y = f (x) for some x œ A} .

• x: independent variable of the function.

#
• y: dependent variable of the function.

y =
fix -
- xn : IR → IR

Dom H 7=113 .

is a subset of IR
Range H1 = [ o
,
s
)
16/23
Given a function
y = fed = I defined on the

interval C- 2, z ) .
Find Don GD

and raise It?

Dom tf )
= EZ ,
2) .

Ran sects -

-
co ,
y ,
 Graph of a function (for any x, there is a unique y)

Example: y = x2 ≠ 2x + 1 is a function of x since for

each x in the domain, there is a unique y. However,
y 2 = x is not a function of x since more than one y for
some x.
-

×= , 5- ti or

Vertical line test: The graph of a function can only

intersect with any vertical line at most one point.

.#
Example :
5- I

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 Polynomials (polynomial functions)

If a function f : R æ R is of the form

f (x) = a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 + · · · + an xn

where a0 , a1 , · · · , an are real numbers with an ”= 0,

then we call f is a polynomial function with degree n.

Examples of polynomials:

• f (x) = 3x2 + 6x + 7 (degree 2 polynomial)

• f (x) = 9x3 + 7 (degree 3 polynomial)

The polynomials are well defined for all x œ R (The

domain of a polynomial is R).

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 from I,
for gto g x 3
I Its
-
= -

x
-
-
, -

Find the domain and range for functions of the

Numerator Ô
types ( Denominator and )

2
Example: Function f (x) = x≠3 .

Solution: This function is not defined when x ≠ 3 = 0,

that is, the function is defined only when x ”= 3. Hence,
Dom(f ) = {x : x ”= 3} or Dom(f ) = R\{3}.

Note that the range Range(f) ={y : y ”= 0}. ?

-

Remark: set minus \: B\A={x : x œ B but x œ

/ A}.

Example: Find the domain and range of the function

Ô
y = g(x) = 6 ≠ 2x 97,0

Ô
Solution: We need 6 ≠ 2x Ø 0 for the square root “ "
to be defined. Then 6≠2x Ø 0 ≈∆ x Æ 3. So Dom(g)
= (≠Œ, 3].

Note that the range Range(g) =[0, Œ).

, 5=6
2K
970, from 9=9
-

For = =

2×2 6 g~ x=3 94L

19/23
- -
.
Operations on Functions

If f and g are given functions, then their sum,

difference, product and quotient are the functions
defined respectively by

(f + g)(x) = f (x) + g(x)

(f ≠ g)(x) = f (x) ≠ g(x)
(f g)(x) = f (x)g(x)
3 4
f f (x)
(x) =
g g(x) Six # 0

Remark: Domains of f + g, f ≠ g and f g are all

equal to Dom(f ) fl Dom(g).

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 1 Ô
Example: Suppose f (x) = and g(x) = x.
x≠3
Find f + g and its domain.

( ft g ) Efex) -1947
Solution: =
IT ,
1- Tx

Dom H) = fx : x# 31 Dom 197=6 :x3o )

,

Donis )
Dom If -19) =
Dom Lfs D

p
Eo , 3) U 13 ,
-
)
21/23
 Composite function

Definition: If f and g are functions, then the com-

posite function g ¶ f is defined by

(g ¶ f ) (x) = g (f (x))

I Z
g

x
# g-fix, I, 2- = gig)
11

Stfu )
Remark: Be careful with the notations of product and
composite of two functions: (a) f g is the product of two
functions; (b) f ¶ g is the composite of two functions.
( gf) Cx) = glxsfcx,

(go f) ex =
9 (fan)
22/23
 Ô
Example: Suppose the functions f (x) = x ≠ 1 and
1
g(x) = , consider g ¶ f and f ¶ g.
x

Solution: fix F- I
of ) gffcx GIFT )
⑨
= ,

y l
=
I dx I

(
g x →
-

Ei -2¥ ,
) H
( fog ) cxs=fl9cxD= txt k¥1 .

f : x → Txt

( * →
Eh )
fog # got 23/23