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Chapter 1

Essential Functions
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We start this book by reviewing some of the functions that you need
to know. Some of these should have been introduced at school (some-
times in generalized formats), but we will introduce a few more.
We’ll also look at some classic examples of these functions in physical
science.

1.1. Polynomial and Rational Functions

Polynomial functions
One of the simplest classes of functions is the polynomial function,
which occurs in a lot of instances in physics and physical sciences.
A classic example is the dependence of the height of object, h, on
time, t, when we throw it up in the air. In this case, we may write h
as a function of t:
g
h = f (t) = h0 + ut − t2 (I.1.1)
2