7

Some fundamental types of functions

• linear function: f (x) = mx + b
b = 0: all lines pass through the origin, f (x) = mx. One also says “y = f (x) is proportional
to x” for some nonzero constant m.

m = 0: constant function, f (x) = b

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• power function: f (x) = xa

a = n ∈ N: graphs of f (x) for n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

a = −n , n ∈ N: graphs of f (x) for n = −1, −2

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a ∈ Q: graphs of f (x) for a = 12 , 31 , 23 , 23

• polynomials: p(x) = an xn + an−1 xn−1 + . . . + a1 x + a0 , n ∈ N0

with coefficients a0 , a1 , . . . , an−1 , an ∈ R and domain R
If the leading coefficient an 6= 0 , n > 0, n is called the degree of the polynomial.
examples: Linear functions with m 6= 0 are polynomials of degree 1.
Three polynomial functions and their graphs:
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p(x)
• rational functions: f (x) =
q(x)
with p(x) and q(x) polynomials and domain R \ {x|q(x) = 0} (never divide by zero!)
examples: three rational functions and their graphs

• other classes of functions (to come later):

algebraic functions: any function constructed from polynomials using algebraic operations
(including taking roots)
examples:

trigonometric functions
exponential and logarithmic functions
transcendental functions: any function that is not algebraic
examples: trigonometric or exponential functions
...
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Informally,
• a function is called increasing if the graph of the function “climbs” or “rises” as you
move from left to right.
• a function is called decreasing if the graph of the function “descends” or “falls” as
you move from left to right.
examples:
function where increasing where decreasing
2
y =x 0≤x<∞ −∞ < x ≤ 0
y = 1/x nowhere −∞ < x < 0 and 0 < x < ∞
y = 1/x2 −∞ < x < 0 0<x<∞
y = x2/3 0≤x<∞ −∞ < x ≤ 0

Definition 3 A function y = f (x) is an

even function of x if f (−x) = f (x),
odd function of x if f (−x) = −f (x),
for every x in the function’s domain.
examples:

f (−x) = (−x)2 = x2 = f (x): even function; graph is symmetric about the y-axis

f (−x) = (−x)3 = −x3 = −f (x): odd function; graph is symmetric about the origin
12

1. f (−x) = −x = −f (x): odd function

2. f (−x) = −x + 1 6= f (x) and −f (x) = −x − 1 6= f (−x): neither even nor odd!

Combining functions
If f and g are functions, then for every x ∈ D(f ) ∩ D(g) (that is, for every x that belongs
to the domains of both f and g) we define sums, differences, products and quotients:

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

(f − g)(x) = f (x) − g(x)
(f g)(x) = f (x)g(x)
(f /g)(x) = f (x)/g(x) if g(x) 6= 0
algebraic operation on functions = algebraic operation on function values

Special case - multiplication by a constant c ∈ R: (cf )(x) = c f (x) (take g(x) = c constant
function)
examples: combining functions algebraically

√ √
f (x) = x , g(x) = 1−x

(natural) domains:
D(f ) = [0, ∞) D(g) = (−∞, 1]

intersection of both domains:

D(f ) ∩ D(g) = [0, ∞) ∩ (−∞, 1] = [0, 1]
 13

function formula domain

√ √
f +g (f + g)(x) = x + √1 − x [0, 1] = D(f ) ∩ D(g)
√
f −g (f − g)(x) = √x − 1 − x [0, 1]
√
g−f (g − f )(x) = 1 − x − px [0, 1]
f ·g (f · g)(x) = f (x)g(x) = x(1 − x) [0, 1]
f f (x) p x
f /g g
(x) = g(x)
= [0, 1) (x = 1 excluded)
q 1−x
g g(x)
g/f f
(x) = f (x) = 1−x x
(0, 1] (x = 0 excluded)

Definition 4 (Composition of functions) If f and g are functions, the composite func-

tion f ◦ g (“f composed with g”) is defined by

(f ◦ g)(x) = f (g(x))

The domain of f ◦ g consists of the numbers x in the domain of g for which g(x) lies in the
domain of f , i.e.
D(f ◦ g) = {x|x ∈ D(g) and g(x) ∈ D(f )}
Domain and Range Exercises STUDYSmarter

Question 1

Find the domain and range of each of the following, where y is a function of x.
r
(a) y = 5x + 3 (h) y = −1 + 2x − x2 1
(o) y =
√ x−2
(b) y = −7x − 4 (i) y = x + 9
√ 2
(c) y = 7 (j) y = 3x − 4 (p) y = √
2x − 5
√
(d) y = x2 (k) y = x2 − 4 x
(q) y = √
√ x+1
(e) y = 2x2 + 1 (l) y = 4 − x2
?
√ 1
2 1 (r) y = x−2+
(f ) y = x − 2x + 5 (m) y = x−5
7−x
(g) y = 4 − x2 1
6 (s) y = 1
(n) y = 1 − x−2
x+2

Question 2

For each of the following pairs of functions, find

1. (f # g)(x)
2. (g # f )(x)
3. The domain of (f # g)(x)
4. The range of (f # g)(x)

(a) f (x) = 2x + 4, g(x) = 3x − 5 1 1

(e) f (x) = , g(x) =
x x
(b) f (x) = x2 , g(x) = x − 3 √
(f ) f (x) = x2 + 2, g(x) = x−4
√
(c) f (x) = x + 2, g(x) = 2x − 4 √
1
√ (g)? f (x) = , g(x) = 5−x
(d) f (x) = 3x − 4 , g(x) = x + 2 1−x
√ 3
(h)? f (x) = x − 2, g(x) =
x−9

?
The ranges of (f # g)(x) in (g) and (h) are hard to find because the functions produce
graphs you may not have covered previously. See if you can work them out with some
intelligent guesswork.

1
Domain and Range Exercises STUDYSmarter

Solutions

Question 1

(a) D = R, R = R

(b) D = R, R = R

(c) D = R, R = 7

(d) D = R, R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 0}

(e) D = R, R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 1}

(f ) D = R, R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 4}

(g) D = R, R = {y ∈ R : y ≤ 4}

(h) D = R, R = {y ∈ R : y ≤ 0}

(i) D = {x ∈ R : x ≥ −9}, R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 0}

(j) D = {x ∈ R : x ≥ 4/3}, R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 0}

(k) D = {x ∈ R : x ≤ −2 or x ≥ 2}, R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 0}

(l) D = {x ∈ R : −2 ≤ x ≤ 2}, R = {y ∈ R : 0 ≤ y ≤ 2}

(m) D = {x ∈ R : x 6= 7}, R = {y ∈ R : y 6= 0}

(n) D = {x ∈ R : x 6= −2}, R = {y ∈ R : y 6= 0}

(o) D = {x ∈ R : x > 2}, R = {y ∈ R : y > 0}

(p) D = {x ∈ R : x > 5/2}, R = {y ∈ R : y > 0}

(q) D = {x ∈ R : x > −1}, R = R

(r) D = {x ∈ R : x ≥ 2 and x 6= 5}

(s) D = {x ∈ R : x 6= 2 and x 6= 3}, R = {y ∈ R : y 6= 0 and y 6= 1}

2
Domain and Range Exercises STUDYSmarter

Question 2

(a) (d)

√
1. (f # g)(x) = 6x − 6 1. (f # g)(x) = 3 x + 2 − 4
√
2. (g # f )(x) = 6x + 7 2. (g # f )(x) = 3x − 2

3. D = R 3. D = {x ∈ R : x ≥ −2}

4. R = R 4. R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ −4}

(b) (e)

1. (f # g)(x) = (x − 3)2 1. (f # g)(x) = x

2. (g # f )(x) = x2 − 3 2. (g # f )(x) = x

3. D = R 3. D = {x ∈ R : x 6= 0}

4. R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 0} 4. R = {y ∈ R : y 6= 0}

(c) (f )

√
1. (f # g)(x) = 2x − 2 1. (f # g)(x) = x − 2
√ √
2. (g # f )(x) = 2 x + 2 − 4 2. (g # f )(x) = x2 − 2

3. D = {x ∈ R : x ≥ 1} 3. D = {x ∈ R : x ≥ 4}

4. R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 0} 4. R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 2}

3
Domain and Range Exercises STUDYSmarter

(g)? (h)?

1
r
1. (f # g)(x) = √ 3
1− 5−x 1. (f # g)(x) = −2
x−9
r
1 3
2. (g # f )(x) = 5 − 2. (g # f )(x) = √
1−x x−2−9
21
3. D = {x ∈ R : x ≤ 5 and x 6= 4} 3. D = {x ∈ R : 9 < x ≤ 2
}

4. R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 1 or y < 0} 4. R = {y ∈ R : y ≥ 0}

4
 Even and Odd Functions - Practice Problems

Algebraically determine whether the following functions are Even, Odd, or Neither

1. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 3 − 𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 2
2. 𝑓(𝑥) = −𝑥 2 + 10
3. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 3 + 4𝑥
4. 𝑓(𝑥) = −𝑥 3 + 5𝑥 − 2
5. 𝑓(𝑥) = √𝑥 4 − 𝑥 2 + 4
6. 𝑓(𝑥) = |𝑥 + 4|
7. 𝑓(𝑥) = |𝑥| + 4
8. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 4 − 2𝑥 2 + 4
3
9. 𝑓(𝑥) = √𝑥
10.𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥√𝑥 2 − 1

1. Neither
2. Even
3. Odd
4. Neither
5. Even
6. Neither
7. Even
8. Even
9. Odd
10. Odd