Today’s topics

(1) Functions: rational functions; domain, range

(2) Operations of functions, composite

Lec 2—Chapters 1 and 2
(3) Inverse function, one-to-one function
Yijun Lou

Jan 21, 2016 (4) Trigonometric functions, inverse

(5) Periodic function, even function, odd function

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Basic concepts of functions

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

A function f : A → B is a rule that assigns a value
to each x ∈ A (in the domain) a uniquely deter-
mined element y ∈ B (in the range). Example: y = x2 − 2x + 1 is a function of x since
• Notation of a rule (the function): y = f (x). 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
• A: domain of the function f , denoted by some x.
Dom(f ).

• The set of all elements in B that can occur as Remark: The graph of a function can only intersect
values of f is called the range of f , denoted with any vertical line at most one point.
by Range(f ). That is, Range (f ) =

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

• x: independent variable of the function.

• y: dependent variable of the function.

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 Rational Functions

The quotient of two polynomials are called a ratio-

2
Example: f (x) = x−3 , this function is not defined nal function
when x − 3 = 0, that is, the function is defined only
when x = 3. Hence, Dom(f ) = {x : x = 3} or pn (x) a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 + . . . + an xn
f (x) = =
qm (x) b0 + b1 x + b2 x2 + . . . + bm xm
Dom(f ) = R\{3}.
.

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

/ A}. • pn (x): numerator with degree n

• qm (x): denominator with degree m

• Proper rational function: n < m, such as

R(x) = x23x−2

• Improper rational function: n ≥ m, such as

2
R(x) = x3x
2 −2

The rational function f is defined for all values of x for

which the denominator qm (x) = 0.

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An improper rational function=a polynomial

(maybe a constant) + a proper ration function
Example: Find the domain of the function
x2 + x − 2 x
f (x) = 2 . Example: Consider the improper rational function f (x) =
x + 5x − 6

Solution: Step 1: Using long division, we have

x5 + 2x3 − x + 1 = (x2 − 3)(x3 + 5x) + (14x + 1)

14x + 1
Step 2: f (x) = (x2 − 3) + .
x3 + 5x

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Operations on Functions 1
Example: Suppose f (x) = and
√ x−3
If f and g are given functions, then their sum, dif- g(x) = x. Then Dom(f ) = R\{3} and
ference, product and quotient are the functions de- Dom(g) = {x ∈ R : x  0}. Find f + g and fg
fined respectively by and their domains.
1 √
(f + g)(x) = f (x) + g(x) Solution: The addition (f + g)(x) = + x and
x−3
(f − g)(x) = f (x) − g(x) its domain Dom(f + g)=Dom(f ) ∩ Dom(g)=
(f g)(x) = f (x)g(x) {x ∈ R : x  0 and x = 3}.
 
f f (x)
(x) =
g g(x) The quotient
f f (x) 1/(x − 3) 1
(x) = = √ = √ .
g g(x) x (x − 3) x
Remark: Domains of f + g, f − g and The domain
f g are all equal to Dom(f ) ∩ Dom(g), ex- Dom( fg ) = {x ∈ Dom(f ) ∩ Dom(g) : g(x) = 0}
f √
cept that the domain of is given by = {x : x ≥ 0 and x = 3 and x = 0}
g = {x : x ≥ 0 and x = 3 and x = 0}
{x ∈ Dom(f ) ∩ Dom(g) : g(x) = 0}.
= {x : x > 0 and x = 3}.

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Composite function

Definition: If f and g are functions with domains √

Dom(f ) and Dom(g), then the composite func- Example: Suppose the functions f (x) = x−1
1
tion g ◦ f is defined by and g(x) = , consider g ◦ f and f ◦ g.
x
(g ◦ f ) (x) = g (f (x))

with the domain

Dom (g ◦ f ) = {x ∈ Dom (f ) : f (x) ∈ Dom (g)}

Remark: Be careful with the notations of composite and

product of two functions: (a) f g is the product of two
functions; (b) f ◦ g is the composite of two functions.

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 Inverse Function
Example: Let f : R → R be the function
which converts degrees Celsius to degrees
9
Definition: Let f : A → R be a function with Fahrenheit, i.e., y = f (x) = x + 32, where
5
Dom(f ) = A and Dom(f ) = [−273.15, ∞). Try to find its inverse.

Range(f ) = {y ∈ R : y = f (x) for some x ∈ A}. Solution: Solving the equation y = f (x) for x, we ob-
tain
Then an inverse function of f is a function g such 5
x = g(y) = (y − 32)
that g : Range(f ) → A and 9
where g is the function converting degrees Fahrenheit to
g(y) = x if and only if f (x) = y degrees Celsius. It is easy to see that

for every y ∈ Range(f ) and every x ∈ Dom(f ). Dom(g) = Range(f ) = [−459.67, ∞).
Notation: Normally, the inverse function of f is denoted
by f −1 .

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Example: Consider the inverse functions for the

One-to-one function
following:

(a) Let f be the function defined by f (x) = x2

Not every function has its inverse. Only one-to-one func- with Dom(f ) = R.
tion has inverse function.
(b) Let f+ be the function defined by
f+ (x) = x2 with Dom(f+ ) = [0, ∞).
Definition: Let f : A → B be a given function. f
is one-to-one if and only if for any x1 and x2 in A (c) Let f− be the function de-
such that x1 = x2 , we have f (x1 ) = f (x2 ). fined by f− (x) = x2 with domain
Dom(f− ) = (−∞, 0].

Solution: f is not one-to-one while f+ and f− are.

There is no inverse for f . The inverse functions for f+
and f− exist.

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 A special type of one-to-one functions: strictly How to find the inverse function?
increasing/decreasing
The inverse function f −1 can be calculated by the
following procedure:
(1) f (x) = x3 defined for any x ∈ R is a strictly
increasing function. (a) check whether y = f (x) is one-to-one
1 (b) solve x in terms of y
(1) g(x) = defined for x ∈ R\{0} is strictly de-
x
creasing on (0, ∞) and (−∞, 0). Example: Consider the inverse of f (x) = x2 + 2x − 3,
These two functions are one-to-one and inverse function with Dom(f ) = [−1, ∞).
exists for each of them. Solution: Step 1: As f is one-to-one, it has an inverse
Remark: g(x) is not strictly increasing/decreasing on function f −1 with Dom(f −1 )=Range(f )=[−4, ∞) and
the whole domain R\{0}. Range(f −1 )=[−1, ∞).
 
Step 2: x = −1 ± y + 4. Since x = −1 − y + 4 ≤ −1
we can only take the positive square root of y + 4. There-
Remark: We will learn methods to determine whether fore,

or not a function is strictly increasing/decreasing later x = f −1 (y) = −1 + y + 4, y ∈ [−4, ∞).

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The Trigonometric Functions Definition:

Definition: Radian measure • Let P (x, y) be a point on the unit circle (the
circle with centre at the origin O of the xy-
• π radian=180◦ (usually omit “radian" in plane with radius equal to 1) such that the
writing) angle between the positive x-axis and the
2π straight line OP is equal to θ. Note that
• 1◦ = ≈ 0.01745329 radian the angle θ is measured from the positive x-
360
360◦ axis to the line OP in the counter-clockwise
• 1 radian = ≈ 57◦ 17 44.8. sense.
2π
π π π
• 2 = 90◦ ; 3 = 60◦ ; 4 = 45◦ , · · · • Define sin θ = y and cos θ = x,
sin θ cos θ
• Furthermore, tan θ = , cot θ = ,
cos θ sin θ
1 1
sec θ = and csc θ =
cos θ sin θ
Set your calculator to Radian mode from now on!!! Some special angles and their trigonometric values:
π π π π
4, 6, 3, 2.

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 Trigonometric identities:

The graphs of the functions sin θ, cos θ, tan θ (Google • sin2 θ + cos2 θ = 1
them)
• cos(θ − φ) = cos θ cos φ + sin θ sin φ

• There are some other identities included

in the Table of trigonometric formulas,
which will be given during the mid-term test
and final exam.

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Basic formulas (n is an integer)

Compound angle formulas
sin(2nπ + A)=sin A, cos(2nπ + A)=cos A
tan(nπ + A)=tan A, cos(−A)=cos(A) sin(A + B)=sin A cos B + cos A sin B
sin(A − B)=sin A cos B − cos A sin B
sin(−A)=− sin A, tan(−A) = − tan A
cos(A + B)=cos A cos B − sin A sin B
π π
cos( − A)=sin A, sin( − A)=cos A
2 2 cos(A − B)=cos A cos B + sin A sin B
π
tan( − A)=cot A, sin2 A + cos2 A=1 tan A + tan B
2 tan(A + B)=
1 − tan A tan B
tan2 A + 1=sec2 A, 1 + cot2 A=csc2 A
tan A − tan B
√ tan(A − B)=
1 + tan A tan B
sin 0=0, sin(π/3)= 3/2

sin(π/2)=1, cos 0=1

cos(π/3) = 1/2, cos(π/2)=0

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 Conversion formulas
Double angle formulas
sin(A + B) + sin(A − B)=2 sin A cos B
sin 2A=2 sin A cos A
2 tan A sin(A + B) − sin(A − B)=2 cos A sin B
tan 2A=
1 − tan2 A
cos(A + B) + cos(A − B)=2 cos A cos B
2 2
cos 2A=cos A − sin A
cos(A + B) − cos(A − B)=−2 sin A sin B
2
cos 2A=1 − 2 sin A
A+B A−B
sin A + sin B=2 sin( ) cos( )
cos 2A=2 cos2 A − 1 2 2
A+B A−B
2 1 + cos 2A sin A − sin B=2 cos( ) sin( )
cos A= 2 2
2
A+B A−B
2 1 − cos 2A cos A + cos B=2 cos( ) cos( )
sin A= 2 2
2
A+B A−B
cos A − cos B=−2 sin( ) sin( )
2 2

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