Introduction

What is a function?

Linear Functions
CSU/ITU 07104: ADVANCED MATHEMATICS General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
Lecture 5: Evaluating Linear and Quadratic Functions General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

December 19, 2021

What is a function?
Introduction
What is a function?

Functions can be thought of in many different ways: Linear Functions

General Form a Linear
1. A function can be a rule that associates each number ‘a’ in a set called the Function
How to Evaluate a Linear

domain with a value f (a). Symbolically, Function

Quadratic
Functions
a → f (a) General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
The elements f (a) make up a set called the range. Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic

√ Functions

Example: f (x) = x
Domain: all real numbers greater than or equal to zero (usually denoted
R ≥ 0).
Range: all real
√ numbers greater than or equal to zero.
Rule: a → a.
2. A function can be a relation between two variables x and y . Symbolically, Introduction
What is a function?

Linear Functions
y = f (x). General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Example: Let x be the length of a side of a cube and y be the volume. Quadratic
Functions
Then General Form of a

y = x3
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
describes a relation between the two variables. The domain is a set of all Values of Quadratic
Functions

real numbers greater than zero. The range is all real numbers greater than
zero.

Quiz: Think of the relationship between a father (or mother) and children.
Is the relation a function? If yes, what is the domain and range?
 Introduction
What is a function?

3. Functions can be sets of ordered pairs (a, f (a)). Linear Functions

General Form a Linear

Example: The function y = x 2 can be considered a set of ordered pairs

Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function
(a, a2 ), where a is an element of the domain. Quadratic
Functions
4. Functions can be graphs. General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Consider the function y = f (x). The graph of this function consists of sets Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
of points (a, f (a)), where a is an element of the domain. Values of Quadratic
Functions

Example: The graph of the function y = x is the set of all points

(0, 0), (1, 1), (−3, −3), (4, 4), etc. They form a line intersecting the origin.
 Introduction
What is a function?

Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

Figure 1: The graph of the function y = x.

5. Functions can be mappings that assigns each element in the domain to one Introduction
element in the range. What is a function?

Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions
 Introduction
Functions can be identified by the vertical line test (VLT). What is a function?

Linear Functions
Since each element in the domain of a function can only be assigned to one General Form a Linear
Function

element in the range, a vertical line passing through the graph should How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

intersect the graph only once. A relation that fails the vertical line test isn’t Quadratic
Functions
a function. General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions
Linear Function
Introduction
What is a function?

A linear function is a function whose graph makes a straight line. Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Function

Linear functions do not have any exponents on the variables. How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Linear functions can be written in the form Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
y = mx + b, Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

where m is the slope and b is the vertical intercept (the value of y when x = 0)
of the graph.

A graph of y = mx + b can simply be drawn by considering horizontal and

vertical intercepts of the graph.
 Introduction
What is a function?

Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

Figure 2: How to graph a linear function y = x + 1 by using x- and y -intecepts.

How to Evaluate a Linear Function
Introduction
To evaluate a function is to find the value of one of the variables when the value What is a function?

for the other variable is known. Linear Functions

General Form a Linear
Function
1. Substitute the given value in for the variable. How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

2. Complete any multiplication. Quadratic

Functions
3. Complete any addition or subtraction. General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Example: Find the value of y when x = 2 if y = −3x + 8. Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

Solution:

y |x=2 = −3(2) + 8
= −6 + 8
= 2
Quadratic Functions
Introduction
The general form of a quadratic function presents the function in the form What is a function?

Linear Functions

f (x) = ax 2 + bx + c
General Form a Linear
(1) Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

where a, b, and c are real numbers and a 6= 0. Quadratic

Functions
I If a > 0, the parabola (a graph of a quadratic function) opens upward, and General Form of a
Quadratic Function

the vertex (a turning point on the graph) represents the lowest point on the The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
graph, or the minimum value of the quadratic function. Values of Quadratic
Functions

I If a < 0, the parabola opens downward. In this case, the vertex represents
the highest point on the graph, or the maximum value of the quadratic
function.

We can use the general form of a parabola to find the equation for the axis of
symmetry (the line that divides the parabola into two halves).
 Introduction
What is a function?

Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

Figure 3: Parabola showing the x- and y -intercepts, vertex, and axis of symmetry.
The y -intercept is the point at which the parabola crosses the y -axis.

The x-intercepts are the points at which the parabola crosses the x-axis. Introduction
What is a function?

If they exist, the x-intercepts represent the zeros, or roots, of the quadratic Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
function, the values of x at which y = 0. Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

If we use the quadratic formula, Quadratic

Functions
√ General Form of a
−b ± b 2 − 4ac Quadratic Function

x= , The Standard Form of a

2a Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions
to solve
ax 2 + bx + c = 0
for the x-intercepts, or zeros, we find the value of x halfway between them is
always
−b
x= ,
2a
the equation for the axis of symmetry.
 Introduction
What is a function?

Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

Figure 4: Parabola showing the x- and y -intercepts, vertex, and axis of symmetry for the
quadratic function y = x 2 + 4x + 3.
 Introduction
What is a function?

Linear Functions
The standard form of a quadratic function presents the function in the form General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function
2
f (x) = a(x − h) + k (2) Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a

where (h, k) is the vertex. Quadratic Function

The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Because the vertex appears in the standard form of the quadratic function, this Values of Quadratic
Functions

form is also known as the vertex form of a quadratic function.

 Introduction
What is a function?

Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

Figure 5: Parabola showing the x- and y -intercepts, vertex, and axis of symmetry for the
function y = −3(x + 2)2 + 4.
The standard form is useful for determining how the graph is transformed from
the graph of y = x 2 . Introduction
What is a function?

Figure below is the graph of this basic function. Linear Functions

General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

Figure 6: Graph of y = x 2 .
 Introduction
If k > 0, the graph shifts upward, whereas if k < 0, the graph shifts downward. What is a function?

In Figure 5, k > 0, so the graph is shifted 4 units upward. Linear Functions

General Form a Linear
Function

If h > 0, the graph shifts toward the right and if h < 0, the graph shifts to the How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

left. In Figure 5, h < 0, so the graph is shifted 2 units to the left. Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
The magnitude of a indicates the stretch of the graph. If |a| > 1, the point Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
associated with a particular x-value shifts farther from the x-axis, so the graph Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum

appears to become narrower, and there is a vertical stretch. Values of Quadratic

Functions

But if |a| < 1, the point associated with a particular x-value shifts closer to the
x-axis, so the graph appears to become wider, but in fact there is a vertical
compression. In Figure 5, |a| > 1, so the graph becomes narrower.
The standard form and the general form are equivalent methods of describing
the same function.
Introduction
We can see this by expanding out the general form and setting it equal to the What is a function?

standard form. Linear Functions

General Form a Linear
Function
2 2
a(x − h) + k = ax + bx + c How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

ax 2 − 2ahx + (ah2 + k) = ax 2 + bx + c Quadratic

Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
For the linear terms to be equal, the coefficients must be equal. The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
b Values of Quadratic

−2ah = b, so h = − . Functions

2a
This is the axis of symmetry we defined earlier. Setting the constant terms
equal:
b2
ah2 + k = c, so k = c − ah2 = c − .
4a
In practice, though, it is usually easier to remember that k is the output value of
the function when the input is h , so f (h) = k.
 Introduction
Definition (Forms of Quadratic Functions) What is a function?

Linear Functions
A quadratic function is a function of degree two. The graph of a quadratic General Form a Linear
Function

function is a parabola. How to Evaluate a Linear

Function

I The general form of a quadratic function is f (x) = ax 2 + bx + c where a, b, Quadratic

Functions
and c are real numbers and a 6= 0. General Form of a
Quadratic Function

I The standard form of a quadratic function is f (x) = a(x − h)2 + k. The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
I The vertex (h,k) is located at Values of Quadratic
Functions

 
b b
h=− , k = f (h) = f − .
2a 2a
How to write a quadratic function in a general form
Introduction
Given a graph of a quadratic function, write the equation of the function in What is a function?

Linear Functions
general form. General Form a Linear
Function

1. Identify the horizontal shift of the parabola; this value is h. Identify the How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

vertical shift of the parabola; this value is k. Quadratic

Functions
2. Substitute the values of the horizontal and vertical shift for h and k in the General Form of a
Quadratic Function

function f (x) = a(x − h)2 + k. The Standard Form of a

Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
3. Substitute the values of any point, other than the vertex, on the graph of Values of Quadratic
Functions

the parabola for x and f (x).

4. Solve for the stretch factor, |a|.
5. If the parabola opens up, a > 0. If the parabola opens down, a < 0 since
this means the graph was reflected about the x-axis.
6. Expand and simplify to write in general form.
Example: Write an equation for the quadratic function g in Figure below as a
transformation of f (x) = x 2 , and then expand the formula, and simplify terms to
Introduction
write the equation in general form. What is a function?

Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

Figure 7: Parabola with its vertex at (−2, −3).

Solution: We can see the graph of g is the graph of f (x) = x 2 shifted to the
left 2 and down 3, giving a formula in the form g (x) = a(x + 2)2 − 3.
Introduction
Substituting the coordinates of a point on the curve, such as (0, −1), we can What is a function?

solve for the stretch factor. Linear Functions

General Form a Linear
Function

−1 = a(0 + 2)2 − 3 How to Evaluate a Linear

Function

2 = 4a Quadratic
Functions
1
a = General Form of a
Quadratic Function
2 The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function

1 Maximum and Minimum

In standard form, the algebraic model for this graph is g (x) = (x + 2)2 − 3. Values of Quadratic
Functions
2
To write this in general polynomial form, we can expand the formula and
simplify terms. That is
1
g (x) = (x + 2)2 − 3
2
1 2
= x + 2x − 1
2
Quiz
A coordinate grid has been superimposed over the quadratic path of a basketball
Introduction
in Figure below. Find an equation for the path of the ball. Does the shooter What is a function?

make the basket? Linear Functions

General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

Figure 8: Stop motioned picture of a boy throwing a basketball into a hoop to show the
parabolic curve it makes.
 Introduction
What is a function?

Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Solution: The path passes through the origin and has vertex at (−4, 7), so Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

7 Quadratic
f (x) = − (x + 4)2 + 7. Functions
16 General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function

To make the shot, f (−7.5) would need to be about 4 but f (−7.5) ≈ 1.64; he Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions
doesn’t make it.
Maximum and Minimum Values of Quadratic Functions
Introduction
What is a function?

Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
The output of the quadratic function at the vertex is the maximum or minimum General Form of a
Quadratic Function
value of the function, depending on the orientation of the parabola. We can see The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
the maximum and minimum values in Figure below. Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions
 Introduction
What is a function?

Linear Functions
General Form a Linear
Function
How to Evaluate a Linear
Function

Quadratic
Functions
General Form of a
Quadratic Function
The Standard Form of a
Quadratic Function
Maximum and Minimum
Values of Quadratic
Functions

Figure 9: Minimum and maximum of two quadratic functions.