NOTES

October 2021
CHAPTER23 : Functions and graphs
Grade: 8 Subject: Mathematics

Linear functions

Linear functions are those whose graph is a straight line. A linear function has
the following form. y = f(x) = a + bx. A linear function has one independent
variable and one dependent variable. The independent variable is x and the
dependent variable is y.

Equation of a line : y = mx + c

m: gradient (slope) of line

c: y – intercept
𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒔
gradient :
𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒛𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒔

Example : y = 3x + 2

MATHEMATICS/NOTES/OCTOBER2021 1
Gradient(m) = 3 and y intercept = 2

Inverse functions: A function describes the relationship between two variables.

It describes how the value of an output variable depends on the value of the
input variable.

Example : y = 2x – 1

f(x) = 2x – 1
𝒙+𝟏
f-1(x) =
𝟐

Note :

 A line sloping this way has a positive gradient.

 A line sloping this way has a negative gradient.

MATHEMATICS/NOTES/OCTOBER2021 2
Inverse functions :

A function describes the relationship between two variables. It describes

how the value of an output variable depends on the value of the input
variable.

Eg. y = 2x – 1

In the above equation , the variable y is dependent on the value of the

variable x. we can write this relationship as a function. The input variable is x.
Using function notation:

f(x) = 2x – 1

the inverse of a function is its reverse, that is, it is a function that ‘undoes’
the effect of the original function.

In function notation the inverse of a function f(x) is written as f-1(x).

y=f(x) = 2x - 1

y = 2x – 1

x= 2y -1

x + 1 = 2y
𝒙+𝟏
y=
𝟐

𝒙+𝟏
so f-1(x) =
𝟐

MATHEMATICS/NOTES/OCTOBER2021 3