3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

Art of Problem Solving

Intermediate Algebra (3205)

Carl Yerger
Thursday
Aug 25, 2022 - Feb 23, 2023
7:30 - 9:00 PM ET (4:30 - 6:00 PM PT)

Overview
Week 2 (Sep 1) Class Transcript - Functions Review
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carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:30:14
Hi everyone!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:30:19

Welcome to Week 2!!

RockBlue 2022-09-01 19:30:23

hello!

spottyunderdog 2022-09-01 19:30:23

HI!

bookgirl08 2022-09-01 19:30:23

Hi

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:30:28

Intermediate Algebra
Week 2: Functions Review

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:30:31

Hi everyone, and welcome back!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:30:44

Let's say hi to our new assistant yu-margaret

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:30:55

Margaret Esther Cruz is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in Mathematics at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She
discovered her love for mathematics at the early age of 4 years old and has always shown enthusiasm in solving math problems.
Ever since she was 5 years old, she has been joining local mathematics competitions. She also belonged to a roster of students
from the Philippines who are sent to international mathematics competitions. She has always dreamed of joining a mathematical
olympiad competition, but over the past few years, she has become more fond of mathematical modeling. She really loves learning
and she thinks that being part of AoPS is the best opportunity for her to share her knowledge in Mathematics and at the same time,
learn some new skills. Besides Mathematics, she also loves studying Physics, learning musical instruments, singing, baking, and
watching Spanish shows - which led her to start learning the Spanish language.

yu_margaret 2022-09-01 19:31:01

Hi!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:31:05

Welcome!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:31:13

I'd like to remind you of the homework problems on your class homepage. The writing problems are a great chance for you to
practice writing up good mathematics and to get detailed comments from us on your solutions. Take advantage of this and turn in

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra
your best work.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:31:24

The problems are also really interesting!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:31:28

After teaching several classes online at AoPS, I've noticed that there tend to be some common misconceptions on working on the
homework, so I wanted to clear up a few points.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:31:32

First of all: If you are confused on a problem, you can ask for help! Many of you may choose to work together, meeting in the open
classroom times. If you get help from someone else on a writing problem, make sure to mention it in your write up.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:31:40

The class message board is also a good place to get help. In the upper right corner of each homework problem are a couple speech
bubbles. Clicking on that will bring up all the message board topics linked to that very problem.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:31:47

To the right of the speech bubbles are a paper-and-pencil icon. Clicking on that will bring up an interface for you to create a new
message board topic linked to that problem. This is the preferred way to ask a question as your topic is automatically linked to the
problem. Creating a new topic will also send us an email notifying us of your question. There is a toggle if you wish to post
anonymously.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:31:54

Finally: These Challenge Problems are hard and will require a lot of thought. (That's what makes them interesting!) Give yourself
enough time to do them. Spend some time thinking about the problems --- there are many that you won't be able to do when you
first sit down to try them. You'll be rewarded as your problem-solving skills grow. Even if you don't manage to find a full solution,
you can submit partial work and we'll give you a hint on how to proceed. The problems get so hard that basically no one ever solves
all of them --- that's OK. There's something for everyone to challenge themselves with.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:31:59

That all makes it seem awfully formal --- basically, dive in, do the best you can on the problems, and enjoy the challenge.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:32:02

Ok, boring stuff is out of the way... let's look at some interesting mathematics!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:32:03

Today we're going to continue reviewing functions, inverse functions, and graphing functions.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:32:07

2x − 1
Determine the domain, range, and the x- and y-intercepts of the function f (x) = .
3x − 5

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:32:12

First, what is the domain of f ?

Jellocello 2022-09-01 19:33:07

x != 5/3

Wqter 2022-09-01 19:33:07

all real numbers except 5/3

spottyunderdog 2022-09-01 19:33:07

alll real number except 5/3

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:33:10

5
The denominator of the fraction must be nonzero. That means x cannot be . So the domain is the set of all real numbers except
3
5
.
3

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:33:14

Good, now what about the x-intercepts?

Jellocello 2022-09-01 19:34:03

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra
x=1/2

RockBlue 2022-09-01 19:34:03

1/2

Robotgamer663 2022-09-01 19:34:03

1/2

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:34:09

If the point (x, y) is an x-intercept, then we must have y = 0. And if the point (x, 0) is on the graph of f (x), then f (x) = 0. We
usually call these particular x-values roots. So all we need to do is to solve the equation f (x) = 0. So, we have

2x − 1
= 0
3x − 5

and as a result, we need 2x − 1 . Thus, the only x-intercept occurs at x

1
= 0 = .
2

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:34:14

So there is one x-intercept, at the point (0.5, 0). What about any y-intercepts of the function?

QuantumZ 2022-09-01 19:35:07

(0, 1/5)

mcurri 2022-09-01 19:35:07

1/5

goodskate 2022-09-01 19:35:07

1

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:35:13

The y-intercept is the point of intersection of the graph of the function and the vertical axis. (Because we are talking about a
function, there can only be one y-intercept. Convince yourself of the reason why.) This makes the y-intercept easier to determine
−1
than the x-intercepts, because we just compute f (0) =
−5
= 0.2, and get the point (0, 0.2).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:35:21

Here is what the graph of f (x) looks like:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:35:23

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:35:35

Notice the x- and y-intercepts, in the places we found they would appear.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:35:40

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What does the graph suggest the range of f is?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:35:48

I'm looking for a slightly vague answer here.

MadScienceJack 2022-09-01 19:36:48

all real numbers except one

Stormy22 2022-09-01 19:36:48

anything except for a number that's close to 1?

hdanger 2022-09-01 19:36:48

all reals execpt one number

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:36:58

It sure looks like f (x) can be any real number except possibly some number or numbers between 0 and 1. How can we figure out
what the range is for sure?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:37:00

We do just what we did last time to find the range of a function. We let y = f (x) and we solve for x in terms of y. What do we find
here?

tigerbw 2022-09-01 19:38:13

5y−1

3y−2

goodskate 2022-09-01 19:38:13

5y − 1
x =
3y − 2

RockBlue 2022-09-01 19:38:13

(5y-1)/(3y-2)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:38:16

We start with

2x − 1
y = .
3x − 5

Multiplying both sides by 3x − 5, we get

3xy − 5y = 2x − 1.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:38:19

To isolate x, let's bring all the terms with x to one side and everything else on the other side to get

3xy − 2x = 5y − 1.

Then we can factor out x:

(3y − 2)x = 5y − 1.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:38:21

When y dividing both sides of our equation by 3y − 2 then gives
2
≠ ,
3

5y − 1
x = .
3y − 2

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:38:24

Aha! What does this tell us?

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Robotgamer663 2022-09-01 19:39:17

range is all but 2/3

JayPuzzler 2022-09-01 19:39:17

y cannot equal
2

hdanger 2022-09-01 19:39:17

all reals execpt 2/3 are in the range

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:39:20

For any value of y except y we can produce a value of x such that f (x)
2
= , = y.
3

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:39:24

On the other hand, when y the equation
2
= ,
3

(3y − 2)x = 5y − 1

7 2
would imply that 0 =
3
, which is false, so there can be no x such that f (x) =
3
.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:39:34

Therefore, the range of f is indeed (−∞,
2 2
) ∪ ( , +∞).
3 3

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:39:42

Last time I introduced interval notation. There's another useful notation, called set difference notation, which lets you remove the
2
elements of one set from another. In this case, we want to remove the set { 3 } from the set of all real numbers, R; this can be
2
written R ∖ { }.
3

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:39:46

To get the ∖ symbol in LTEX , type \setminus. So, you can get R ∖ { 3 } by typing $\mathbb{R} \setminus \{ \frac{2}{3} \}$.
2
A

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:39:57

So now we know two different ways we could write the range of the function f in this problem. We see that we can write the range
using set minus notation as

2
R ∖ { }
3

or we could write it using interval notation as

2 2
(−∞, ) ∪ ( , +∞) .
3 3

Those both mean the same thing, namely the set of all real numbers excluding
2
.
3

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:40:11

Operations on Functions

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:40:13

Suppose that f (x) = x + 9 and g(x) = 10 − 3x. We can add, subtract, multiply, and divide these functions. This makes new
functions: (f + g), (f − g), (f ⋅ g), and (f /g).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:40:18

For example,

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

= (x + 9) + (10 − 3x)

= 19 − 2x.

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carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:40:28

The idea is that we're actually building a new function out of the components we have from other functions.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:40:43

Note that f + g, f − g, and f ⋅ g are all defined whenever f and g are both defined. For division we have to be a little more careful:
f /gis defined whenever both f and g are defined and g(x) ≠ 0, or in other words, for values of x such that inputting them into
g(x) does not return a value of 0.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:40:52

Let's just do one detailed problem on this topic.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:40:53

Let f (x) = √x + 1 and g(x) = √x − 1. Find the domain and range of the function h = f /g, and also the x- and y-intercepts.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:41:20

Where might we start with finding the domain and range of h?

ChickenNuggets26 2022-09-01 19:42:33

domain of f and g

Supernova283 2022-09-01 19:42:33

Maybe finding the domain and ranges of the original functions?

tigerbw 2022-09-01 19:42:33

Finding the domain and range for f and g

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:42:39

We should probably first find the domains and ranges for f and g. How do we find the domain of a function like f (x) = √x + 1?

goodskate 2022-09-01 19:43:14

x + 1 ≥ 0

ChickenNuggets26 2022-09-01 19:43:14

what's within the sqrt can't be less than 0

tigerbw 2022-09-01 19:43:14

The square rooted thing has to be nonnegative

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:43:26

So what does that mean the domain of f is?

Wqter 2022-09-01 19:44:24

[-1, inf)

QuantumZ 2022-09-01 19:44:24

[-1, inf)

Unicorn-van-Beethoven 2022-09-01 19:44:24

x is greater than or equal to -1

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:44:32

We must make sure that the expression under the root is non-negative. So x is in the domain of f if x + 1 ≥ 0, because otherwise
the square root is undefined. Solving, we get x ≥ −1, and so the domain is [−1, +∞). Now, what is the domain of g?

ChickenNuggets26 2022-09-01 19:45:27

x ≥ 1

Wqter 2022-09-01 19:45:27

[1, inf)

ryz11 2022-09-01 19:45:27

[1,inf)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:45:33

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra
We again need the inside of the square root to be non-negative, so we require x − 1 ≥ 0. Solving, we get x ≥ 1 and so the domain
is [1, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:45:42

How do we find the range for a function like f ?

jolin123 2022-09-01 19:46:43

we let f(x) = y and solve for x in terms of y

milkteagirl26 2022-09-01 19:46:43

f(x)=y

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:46:48

Given any value of y, we want to determine what value of x we can plug in to achieve that y. So we set y = √x + 1; this tells us
that the range is no larger than [0, +∞) because the square root function is always nonnegative. Now we need to ensure that all of
[0, +∞) can be achieved.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:47:02

We solve for x by squaring both sides to get y 2 = x + 1 and then subtracting 1 to get

2
x = y − 1.

All of our steps are reversible (squaring is reversible if both sides are non-negative), so this value of x will indeed give y as output
and all y in [0, ∞) are achievable.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:47:10

If you don't trust yourself to check if steps are reversible, you can plug in to see if y = f (y
2
− 1). Indeed,

2 2 2
f (y − 1) = √(y − 1) + 1 = √y = y

because y ≥ 0. (But if we didn't assume that y ≥ 0 , we could not say that √y 2 = y !)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:47:13

Now your turn: what is the range of g(x) = √x − 1?

hdanger 2022-09-01 19:48:39

[0, +inf)

goodskate 2022-09-01 19:48:39

[0, ∞)

Wqter 2022-09-01 19:48:39

[0, inf)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:48:43

In the same way, we find that the range of g is [0, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:48:48

Let's sum up where we are. We have

f (x) √x + 1
h(x) = = .
g(x) √x − 1

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:48:52

We also have

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:48:54

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

Function Domain Range

f [−1, +∞) [0, +∞)

g [1, +∞) [0, +∞)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:48:59

f (x)
Now let's think about the domain of h. For h(x) = to be defined, we definitely need both f (x) and g(x) to be defined. When
g(x)

does that happen?

paraya 2022-09-01 19:50:21

[1, inf)

MadScienceJack 2022-09-01 19:50:21

when x is greater than or equal to 1

goodskate 2022-09-01 19:50:21

In the interval [1, +∞)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:50:27

Well, f (x) and g(x) are both defined as long as x is in the intersection of the domains of f and g, which is [1, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:50:42

So is [1, +∞) the domain of h? Or are there still some values x in [1, +∞) that are not valid inputs when we're trying to compute
h(x) ?

Scorpion1562 2022-09-01 19:51:43

WE CAN'T USE 1

RockBlue 2022-09-01 19:51:43

g(x) cannot be 0

tigerbw 2022-09-01 19:51:43

g(x) can't be 0

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:51:49

Right. We have to make sure that the denominator is not zero, so we have to exclude 1 from the domain. Thus the domain of h is
(1, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:52:14

How can we find the range of h?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:52:51

At a first glance it might seem that h can take all positive values. It definitely cannot take any negative values (as it's a quotient of
square roots) and also it cannot be 0, because the numerator is only 0 when x = −1 which is not in the domain of the function. So
at the very least we know that the range will be contained the interval (0, +∞). Unfortunately, we're going to have to get our hands
dirty here. There aren't any shortcuts using the ranges of f and g.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:53:02

I want to introduce a quick bit of notation for us to proceed. The symbol ∈ means "is in." (It's really an oddly written "E," standing for
"element of.") The symbol itself is a stylized lowercase Greek letter epsilon ("ϵ"), the first letter of the word ἐστί, the Greek word for
"is". (Not quite the same as "in", but that's where it comes from originally.)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:53:13

So, for example, x ∈ (1, 2) means 1 < x < 2.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:53:19

In LaTeX, you can type $\in$ to get ∈.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:53:53

Now let's go back to determining the range of h(x). We know that the range of h is contained in the interval (0, +∞). So let's take
y ∈ (0, +∞) and we need to find a corresponding x in the domain (1, +∞) such that f (x) = y. So we have to solve the
following equation with the unknown x in terms of y :

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√x + 1
= y.
√x − 1

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:54:05

How can we get started on solving for x?

tigerbw 2022-09-01 19:54:46

Squaring both sides

jolin123 2022-09-01 19:54:46

square both sides

isago 2022-09-01 19:54:46

we square the whole equation

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:54:52

First we square both sides, giving

x + 1
2
= y .
x − 1

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:54:56

Is this reversible? Why or why not?

BigThoth 2022-09-01 19:55:59

yes, you can also sqrt both sides

QuantumZ 2022-09-01 19:55:59

Since we already found that the domain and range are nonnegative, yes.

MadScienceJack 2022-09-01 19:55:59

yes, because everything being squared is nonnegative

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:56:02

This step we just did is reversible, given our restrictions on x and y. Notice that if we try to reverse it by taking the square root of
both sides, the value on the left will be well defined because x ∈ (1, ∞), and since y is required to be positive, on the right we
have √y 2 = y as needed.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:56:07

What should we do next?

Wqter 2022-09-01 19:57:04

multiply x-1 to both sides

tigerbw 2022-09-01 19:57:04

Multiply both sides by x-1

Unicorn-van-Beethoven 2022-09-01 19:57:04

multiply by (x-1)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:57:11

Cross-multiplication is a good idea, since that would give us

2
x + 1 = y (x − 1)

and we can rearrange that to

2 2
y + 1 = x(y − 1).

What does that give for x?

goodskate 2022-09-01 19:58:14

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2
y + 1
x =
2
y − 1

Scorpion1562 2022-09-01 19:58:14

2
y +1
x = 2
y −1

tigerbw 2022-09-01 19:58:14

2
y +1
x = 2
y −1

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:58:20

That gives us

2
y + 1
x = .
2
y − 1

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:58:35

Since y 2
+ 1 = (y
2
− 1) + 2, we can also rewrite this as

2
2 + (y − 1) 2
x = = + 1,
2 2
y − 1 y − 1

which is a little easier to consider.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 19:58:44

Remember we started by assuming y is positive, since we know any element of the range of h must be positive. Based on our
calculations, which positive values of y appear to be in the range of h?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:00:14

There are some folks who are quite close.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:00:23

As a hint, the answer may have two parts.

Unicorn-van-Beethoven 2022-09-01 20:01:10

(0,1)U(1,inf)?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:01:15

We found an expression telling us what x we would need to plug in to get a desired y. It seems that so long as y 2 ≠ 1, we get out
some x so that h(x) = y. We already saw that we must have y ∈ (0, +∞). Thus, we seem to conclude that the range of h is
(0, 1) ∪ (1, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:01:20

Let's test out our calculations to check that we didn't make a mistake. For instance, one of the values that we found should be in the
range is y = 3. What value do we get for x when y = 3?

paraya 2022-09-01 20:02:06

5/4

Scorpion1562 2022-09-01 20:02:06

5

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:02:06

1.25

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:02:16

By our formula x we get

2
= 2
+ 1,
y −1

2 2 5
x = + 1 = + 1 = .
2
3 − 1 8 4

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5
What is h ( 4 )?

tigerbw 2022-09-01 20:03:07

3

paraya 2022-09-01 20:03:07

3

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:03:07

3

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:03:12

We have

5 9
√ + 1 √
5 4 4 3/2
h( ) = = = = 3.
4 5 1 1/2
√ − 1 √
4 4

It worked!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:03:15

Remember that we think the range of h is (0, 1) ∪ (1, +∞). We tested that 3 really is in the range.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:03:18

To be careful, let's test out a value in the (0, 1) part of the range. How about 1/2? What value do we get for x when y = 1/2?

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:04:37

-5/3

paraya 2022-09-01 20:04:37

-5/3

Scorpion1562 2022-09-01 20:04:37

5
−
3

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:04:45

2
By our formula x = + 1, we get
2
y − 1

2 2 8 5
x = + 1 = + 1 = − + 1 = − .
2
(1/2) − 1 −3/4 3 3

5
What is h (− 3 )?

Jellocello 2022-09-01 20:05:36

undefined

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:05:36

undefined!

BigThoth 2022-09-01 20:05:36

No solution

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:05:43

Well, we have

5 2
√− + 1 √−
5 3 3
h (− ) = = .
3 5 8
√− − 1 √−
3 3

Uh-oh, we can't take square roots of negative numbers! So h (− 5 ) is undefined!

3

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carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:05:46

That's a problem. Since −5/3 isn't in the domain of f and the value of x we found for y = 1/2 doesn't actually work, 1/2 isn't
actually in the range!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:05:51

What's going on here? Is our range actually (0, 1) ∪ (1, ∞)?

RockBlue 2022-09-01 20:06:36

no

PatriciaCastor 2022-09-01 20:06:36

no

tigerbw 2022-09-01 20:06:36

No

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:06:39

No. We just saw that 1/2 is not in the range of h.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:06:49

More generally, the value of x we found will only work if it is a valid input to h. We forgot that in order for y to actually be in the
range of h, we need that

2
x = + 1
2
y − 1

is actually in the domain of h.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:07:04

Our work gives us an x for any legitimate y that we plug in, because all our steps are reversible. But that x is only a valid input to h
if it is an element of (1, +∞), the domain of h. Therefore, we can only allow y values that give us an x value satisfying x > 1.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:07:11

2
Which y values will make x > 1? Remember we found that if y = h(x) , then x =
2
+ 1.
y − 1

tigerbw 2022-09-01 20:08:36

(1, ∞)

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:08:36

(1, ∞)

LeoLionTank 2022-09-01 20:08:36

(1, ∞)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:08:41

2
To get such an x, we need > 0, which means that y 2 > 1. We already know that y must be positive, so that means we
2
y − 1

must have y > 1. Thus, our actual range is (1, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:08:49

We should check this by plugging in

2
h( + 1)
2
y − 1

and seeing that we get just y out. (We do, but only using our assumption that y > 1. )

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:08:52

Thus, the range of h is (1, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:09:04

Oh my word, we're still not done with this problem yet! What about the intercepts? How do we find these?

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isago 2022-09-01 20:10:17

we set either y or x equal to 0

rufty 2022-09-01 20:10:17

let x equal 0 and then y equal 0

LeoLionTank 2022-09-01 20:10:17

find when x = 0 and y = 0

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:10:22

What do we get when we do this?

SofaKing 2022-09-01 20:11:56

it doesn't intersect the intercepts

tigerbw 2022-09-01 20:11:56

They don't exist

QuantumZ 2022-09-01 20:11:56

The domains and ranges avoid either axis.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:12:01

Looking at the range of the function h we realize that it doesn't intersect the x-axis because we cannot have y = 0, so there is no
x-intercept. And since 0 is not in the domain of the function, there are no y-intercepts either. So the whole function is located in

the first quadrant of the Cartesian plane, like in the graph below:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:12:05

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:12:09

Now that we're actually done with this particular problem, what are you still wondering?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:13:11

Composing Functions

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:13:14

The operations we just mentioned with regard to combining functions, multiplication, addition, division, etc., are all pretty familiar
to us, because we use them with numbers.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:13:20

We'll now talk about a special type of operation we perform (only!) with functions, called composition.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:13:22

For the next problem we'll use the machine analogy for a function.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:13:32

You're trying to build a machine, h, that takes x and adds 5, and then squares the result. You happen to have a machine f which
takes x and outputs x2 , and you also have a machine g which takes x and outputs x + 5. How would you build h from f and g?

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masteryoda1 2022-09-01 20:14:27

h = f (g(x))

redbikefox 2022-09-01 20:14:27

put x into g, then put the result into f

Supernova283 2022-09-01 20:14:27

Apply the function g to x, then apply the function f to that result

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:14:32

Well, we can add 5 with g. And we can square with f . What we want is something that does g first and then f ; we want

h(x) = f (g(x)).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:14:36

This new function is called the composition of g and f . It is written as:

f ∘ g,

so that

(f ∘ g)(x) = f (g(x)).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:14:50

We say that this is f composed with g. The order is tricky here: f is written first but is done last!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:14:54

(Doing them in a different order gives a different result; it's the difference between (x + 5)2 and x2 + 5. )

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:15:05

A good way to think about it is that you're working inside-to-outside.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:15:19

The result of the composition is a new function h, such that the domain of h is contained in the domain of g, and the value of h(x)
is f (g(x)). So if g : A → B and f : B → C, then h = f ∘ g : A → C, like in the diagram below.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:15:23

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:15:28

We can think of f (g(x)) as taking the output from g and feeding it into f .

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:15:40

Unlike addition or multiplication, finding the domain of the composition f ∘ g can be a bit tricky. It's not enough to just know the
domains of f and g, since you need the output you get from g to be an allowable input for f .

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:16:01

That is, f (g(x)) is only defined if x is in the domain of g, and also g(x) is in the domain of f .

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:16:14

Let's see an example, so we understand better what's going on.

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carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:16:19

Let f (x) = √x + 3 and g(x) = x .
2
Let h(x) = (f ∘ g ∘ f )(x). Express h(x) in terms of x.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:16:22

Go ahead and just give me a simplified expression for h(x).

Stormy22 2022-09-01 20:18:01

h(x)=sqrt(x+6)

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:18:01

√x + 6

isago 2022-09-01 20:18:01

sqrt(x + 6)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:18:06

We start with g ∘ f :

2
g(f (x)) = g(√x + 3) = (√x + 3) = x + 3.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:18:11

Then

h(x) = f (g(f (x))) = f (x + 3) = √(x + 3) + 3 = √x + 6.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:18:18

Good work!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:18:23

Here's another question.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:18:27

What is h(−5)?

redbikefox 2022-09-01 20:20:14

undefined

JayPuzzler 2022-09-01 20:20:14

undefined, because −5 is not in the range of the initial f .

SofaKing 2022-09-01 20:20:14

undefined?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:20:19

Plugging into the formula above we would get h(−5) = √−5 + 6 = 1. But notice that we did not define h(x) as √x + 6. That
just happens to be a formula we can use to express the output we'd get whenever we feed in a valid input. To figure out which
inputs are valid (which x are in the domain of h), we need to remember we defined h as h(x) = f (g(f (x))).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:20:29

Okay, so let's think through that process. We want to find f (g(f (−5))). How would we do it?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:20:35

We start with f (−5). Uh-oh, f (−5) = √−5 + 3 = √−2 is not defined! So even if f (g(f (x))) = √x + 6, the domain is NOT
[−6, ∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:21:04

What is the actual domain of h?

tigerbw 2022-09-01 20:22:11

[−3, ∞)

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paraya 2022-09-01 20:22:11

[-3, inf) ?

hdanger 2022-09-01 20:22:11

[-3, +inf)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:22:17

That's right: it starts by taking √x + 3, so we need x ≥ −3.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:22:19

Next we square, which we can always do. Then we add 3 and take the square root, which will always be fine since our squaring
gave us a non-negative number.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:22:22

So the only restriction we need is x ≥ −3, and the domain is [−3, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:22:26

Make sense?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:23:03

Let's see a related problem:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:23:06

If f (x) = √x + 3 and g(x) = x ,
2
and h = g ∘ f ∘ f, then what is the domain of h? What is h(1)?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:23:12

Note that we have the same functions, f and g as above, but composed in a different order. How do we start to find the domain of
h?

Scorpion1562 2022-09-01 20:23:53

First find the range of g?

tigerbw 2022-09-01 20:23:53

find the domain of g and f

RockBlue 2022-09-01 20:23:53

find domain of f

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:24:09

Yes, we first need to find the domains and ranges of f and g. Let's start with the ranges. What are the domains and ranges of f and
g?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:24:34

I'll take both the domain and range of both f and g actually.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:24:37

Be clear what is what.

MadScienceJack 2022-09-01 20:25:20

domain of f is [−3, ∞)

LeoLionTank 2022-09-01 20:25:20

f is [−3, ∞) and g is all real numbers

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:25:20

The domain of f is [−3, ∞) and the domain of g is all real numbers

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:25:28

What about the ranges of f and g?

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:26:33

The range of f is [0, ∞) and the range of g is also [0, ∞)

SofaKing 2022-09-01 20:26:33

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range is [0,inf) for f and same for g

MadScienceJack 2022-09-01 20:26:33

The range of f is [0, ∞), and the range of g is the same

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:26:39

For f , as we found earlier, the domain is [−3, +∞) and the range is [0, +∞), while the domain of g is the whole set of real
numbers and the range of g is also [0, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:26:45

What are the domain and range of f (f (x))?

Scorpion1562 2022-09-01 20:28:57

Domain is the same, range is [√3, ∞)

QuantumZ 2022-09-01 20:28:57

Domain: [-3, inf). Range [√3, inf)

tigerbw 2022-09-01 20:28:57

domain = [−3, ∞) range = [√3, ∞)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:29:03

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:29:06

Take a look at the diagram above. Notice that y = f (x) takes numbers greater than or equal to −3 and maps them to nonnegative
values. Then f (f (x)) = f (y) takes only nonnegative values y and maps them to values greater than or equal to √3, so the
domain of f (f (x)) is [−3, +∞) and the range is [√3, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:29:21

For h(x) = g(f (f (x)), let's write p(x) = f (f (x)). We already know that the domain of p is [−3, +∞) and its range is
[√3, +∞). What is the domain of h?

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:29:52

[−3, ∞)

QuantumZ 2022-09-01 20:29:52

[-3, inf)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:29:57

We have g(x) = x ,
2
so the domain of g is R. This means that g(p(x)) makes sense for all x in the domain of p, so the domain of
h(x) = g(p(x)) is the domain of p : [−3, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:30:04

The domain of h is the set of all numbers that don't cause any problems at any point, as it goes through f then f again then g.
Working backwards, what inputs are allowed by g?

Wqter 2022-09-01 20:30:39

all real numbers

aops1222 2022-09-01 20:30:39

any real numbers

LeoLionTank 2022-09-01 20:30:39

all real numbers

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carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:30:43

Right, that is the domain of g, which is the set of all real numbers. Since any real number can be the input to g, this does not place
restrictions on the outputs of f ∘ f .

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:30:47

So what are the allowed inputs to g ∘ f ?

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:31:57

[−3, ∞)

Wqter 2022-09-01 20:31:57

[−3, inf )

JayPuzzler 2022-09-01 20:31:57

x ∈ [−3, +∞)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:32:10

Since we're not restricting the outputs of the middle f , it can accept any number in its domain, which is [−3, ∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:32:15

Does this restrict the output of the f that's all the way to the right?

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:32:47

No

BigThoth 2022-09-01 20:32:47

no

Wqter 2022-09-01 20:32:47

no

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:32:52

The range of f is [0, +∞), which is a subset of the domain of g ∘ f , [−3, +∞). So all of these outputs are acceptable.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:32:54

So what is the domain of h = g ∘ f ∘ f ?

BigThoth 2022-09-01 20:33:33

[−3, inf )

Wqter 2022-09-01 20:33:33

[-3, inf)

QuantumZ 2022-09-01 20:33:33

[-3, inf)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:33:38

Since none of the outputs of the right f would cause problems down the line, the domain of h is the same as the domain of f ,
which is [−3, +∞).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:33:41

Can we compute h(1)? If so, what is it?

JayPuzzler 2022-09-01 20:34:47

yes, it is 5

LeoLionTank 2022-09-01 20:34:47

5

isago 2022-09-01 20:34:47

5

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:34:56

We know that 1 is in the domain of h. This means that we can compute

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h(1) = g(f (f (1))) = g(f (2)) = g(√5) = 5.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:35:04

Inverse Functions

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:35:08

Suppose I have the function f (x) = x + 5. Is there a function g(x) so that f (g(x)) = x and g(f (x)) = x? That is, is there a
function that undoes what f does, that returns me back to x when I compose with f ?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:35:17

Applying g is like undoing f ; it's like hitting ctrl-z. Say that I plug in x = 3 to f (x). I get f (3) = 3 + 5 = 8. But now what if I
forget what I put in originally? I can recover it with g!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:35:31

Since g(f (x)) = x, I know that

g(8) = whatever I had to plug into f to get 8 = 3.

We see that g reverses f , and f reverses g.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:35:46

Well, f just adds 5. To undo it, I should subtract 5. So I set:

g(x) = x − 5.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:35:55

Then since f (x) = x + 5 and g(x) = x − 5 , we have

f (g(x)) = f (x − 5) = (x − 5) + 5 = x

and

g(f (x)) = g(x + 5) = (x + 5) − 5 = x.

Scorpion1562 2022-09-01 20:36:01

−1
f

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:36:03

We call g(x) the inverse function for f (x).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:36:07

The function g is the inverse for the function f if and only if

g(f (x)) = x, for all values of x in the domain of f

and

f (g(x)) = x, for all values of x in the domain of g.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:36:13

We often write the inverse of a function f as f −1 .

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:36:18

1
Be careful with this notation. I often see the mistake that f −1 (x) = , but this is not correct. Keep in mind that f −1 denotes
f (x)

the inverse function, not the reciprocal.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:36:58

If f (x) = 4x + 8, what is f −1 (x)?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:37:04

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We've secretly been doing lots of inverse calculations already, it turns out. Let's see why those work, using the definition of an
inverse.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:37:11

Our inverse function f −1 must satisfy the equations

−1
f (f (x)) = x, for all values of x in the domain of f

and

−1 −1
f (f (x)) = x, for all values of x in the domain of f .

Which equation do you think will be more useful to figure out what f −1 should be?

Unicorn-van-Beethoven 2022-09-01 20:38:30

second?

hdanger 2022-09-01 20:38:30

the second

RockBlue 2022-09-01 20:38:30

second one

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:38:37

Since we already know f , we'll use the second equation. Assuming that f −1 exists, how does f (f −1 (x)) = x expand?

Maddiezhu 2022-09-01 20:39:43

4*(f^-1(x)) + 8 = x

RockBlue 2022-09-01 20:39:43

4 * f^-1(x) +8 = x

tangent2001 2022-09-01 20:39:43

−1
4f (x) + 8 = x

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:39:48

Substituting,

−1
4 ⋅ f (x) + 8 = x.

Now what?

jolin123 2022-09-01 20:40:58

isolate f^-1(x)?

BigThoth 2022-09-01 20:40:58

f^-1(x)=(x-8)/4

RockBlue 2022-09-01 20:40:58

−1
f (x) = (x − 8)/4

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:41:03

We solve for

x − 8
−1
f (x) = .
4

Are we done?

PatriciaCastor 2022-09-01 20:41:36

no

isago 2022-09-01 20:41:36

no

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rufty 2022-09-01 20:41:36

no?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:41:40

No, we're not done! We solved for what f −1 (x) has to be in order to satisfy one of our equations, but we haven't shown that it
always satisfies both equations.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:41:44

To prove that our inverse is correct, we can calculate both f −1 (f (x)) and f (f −1 (x)) and confirm that they both always simplify to
x − 8
x. If f −1 (x) = , we get
4

(4x + 8) − 8
−1 −1
f (f (x)) = f (4x + 8) = = x
4

and

x − 8 x − 8
−1
f (f (x)) = f ( ) = 4( ) + 8 = x − 8 + 8 = x.
4 4

They both work!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:41:47

So we've figured out the inverse function of f .

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:42:06

If f (x) 2
= x , what is f −1 (x)?

SofaKing 2022-09-01 20:43:48

it has no inverse

redbikefox 2022-09-01 20:43:48

there isn't an inverse

JayPuzzler 2022-09-01 20:43:48

It has no inverse.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:43:52

Trick question!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:43:54

The function f has no inverse. To understand why, let's think about graphs in general (not just graphs of functions) for a moment.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:44:00

Here's a graph. Is it the graph of a function?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:44:01

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Supernova283 2022-09-01 20:44:39

no

Vincent-21 2022-09-01 20:44:39

no

Stormy22 2022-09-01 20:44:39

no

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:44:44

No! A function needs to give one output for each value you put in. This graph tries to give three answers at once when you plug in
x = 0.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:44:45

So now consider the graph of f (x) = x
2
:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:44:57

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:45:02

Why can't f (x) = x
2
have an inverse?

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:45:54

Because there are multiple values of x that results in y being 2

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tigerbw 2022-09-01 20:45:54

There are two possible x for each y

calem 2022-09-01 20:45:54

cause -x and x give the same output

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:45:57

Imagine that you tried to compute f −1 (4). Does it give 2 or −2? It needs to give both, but a function can only have one output!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:46:00

This brings up two important tests that you may have heard of.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:46:05

The vertical line test tells you that a graph represents a function if and only if every vertical line through the graph hits at most one
point of the graph.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:46:09

Here is an example of the non-function from before, where a vertical line demonstrates that there is more than one output for the
input 0 :

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:46:10

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:46:15

The horizontal line test tells you that a graph of a function has an inverse if and only if every horizontal line through the graph hits
at most one point.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:46:17

Here is f (x) = x ,
2
where a horizontal line shows you that an inverse "function" would need to output two values at 4 :

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:46:20

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carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:46:24

These tests are an easy way to tell when something is a function (or when it has an inverse function), but you should always think
about why they work: they're testing for multiple outputs!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:46:33

If you have the graph of a function, what does the graph of its inverse function look like?

Jellocello 2022-09-01 20:46:56

reflected across y=x

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:46:56

The graph reflected over the line x = y

tangent2001 2022-09-01 20:46:56

the inverse function swaps the x and y values of each coordinate pair

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:00

It looks like the graph of that function with x and y switched (geometrically, this is a reflection through the line y = x ).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:01

This is because you're essentially changing y to be the input, and x to be the output.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:08

In the example below, the red dashed function is the inverse of the blue solid function.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:09

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:15

Notice how they really are inverses to one another. If you take x = 2 in the first, you get out y = 3. Put x = 3 into the inverse
function and you get out y = 2, back to where you started.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:32

Functional Transformations

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:36

I'd like to finish today off with one more review topic that builds on function composition, asking, essentially, "what happens to the
graph when you change around some parameters of a function?" The main purpose of this is not to memorize rules, but to help
reinforce for you the link between the equations that define a function and the graph of that function.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:39

Let's start with the following rather strange function:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:41

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:48

This is a graph of y = f (x) for some function f (x).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:47:49

What would the graph of y = f (x) + 2 look like?

Jellocello 2022-09-01 20:49:04

shift up 2

Scorpion1562 2022-09-01 20:49:04

The graph is raised by 2 units

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

August_Moon 2022-09-01 20:49:04

The same graph but shifted upwards by 2 units

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:49:11

Indeed, we'll get:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:49:11

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:49:19

The red graph represents the original function. The blue graph represents the function y = f (x) + 2. Notice what we've done: in
y = f (x) + 2, for any value of x, we add 2 to the value of y = f (x); each point moves two units higher.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:49:25

That moves the whole graph up by 2 units.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:49:27

What about y = f (x + 2) instead?

zuwiimama1 2022-09-01 20:50:49

shifts 2 left

Stormy22 2022-09-01 20:50:49

f(x) shifted 2 units left

MadScienceJack 2022-09-01 20:50:49

it's shifted two units to the left

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:51:00

Here's an image:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:51:01

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:51:03

Again, the original function is red. The new graph, y = f (x + 2), is blue.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:51:11

You can see what's going on: for any particular x, f (x + 2) gives the same value you'd get 2 to the right. But think about that
carefully: that means that each point moves 2 to the left!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:51:18

Think of it this way. At x = 1, f (x + 2) = f (3), so the point that used to be at (3, f (3)) is now at (1, f (3)) --- it moved to the
left!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:51:26

Here's a way to remember it; for inputs, + moves left and - moves right, but for outputs, + moves up and - moves down.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:51:37

What if we took y = −f (x)?

Stormy22 2022-09-01 20:52:42

f(x) is flipped over x-axis

Unicorn-van-Beethoven 2022-09-01 20:52:42

flipped over the x axis

goodskate 2022-09-01 20:52:42

The graph would be reflected over the x-axis

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:52:48

For any value of x, however far you were above the x-axis (your y-value), you're now that far below the x-axis.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:52:57

So it reflects the graph over the x-axis:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:52:59

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:53:07

Okay, so you probably know what's coming next: what about y = f (−x)?

isago 2022-09-01 20:54:07

reflected over the y-axis

Snickers5 2022-09-01 20:54:07

graph will flip over y-axis

Robotgamer663 2022-09-01 20:54:07

flip over y-axis

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:54:16

Exactly.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:54:18

Now, for any x, you get the same value you would have gotten at −x with the original function.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:54:23

For example, if you take the point that used to be above x = 2, that point is now above x = −2 instead, which reflects the whole
graph over the y-axis.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:54:24

It looks like:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:54:27

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:54:42

Two more questions for you now.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:54:44

What happens if I graph y = 2f (x)?

zuwiimama1 2022-09-01 20:55:36

verticle stretch by a factor of 2

Robotgamer663 2022-09-01 20:55:36

vertical stretch by 2

jancello 2022-09-01 20:55:36

multiply all y by two

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:55:44

Right: every y-value is doubled, so it goes twice as high (or low).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:55:46

It looks like:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:55:47

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:55:51

The original graph, y = f (x), is red, and the new graph, y = 2f (x), is blue.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:56:07

Notice that it's not really thinner.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:56:14

It kind of looks thinner because it's rising faster, but it goes just as far out. It's just as wide as the original graph.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:56:18

So you know what's coming next. What about y = f (2x)?

zuwiimama1 2022-09-01 20:57:10

horizontal shrink by a factor of 1/2

Unicorn-van-Beethoven 2022-09-01 20:57:10

condenses horizontally by factor of 2

jancello 2022-09-01 20:57:10

divide all x points by two

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:57:13

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

Yeah... it actually squeezes it horizontally. That's because at x you now get the value you had at x moving it all closer
1
= , = 1,
2

in!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:57:14

It'll look like:

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:57:16

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:57:18

Notice how, on the inside, things are generally reversed: f (2x) squeezes instead of stretching; f (x + 2) moves to the left, not the
right.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:57:23

There's an order going on here.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:57:24

How would you stretch the graph horizontally by a factor of 2?

Scorpion1562 2022-09-01 20:57:58

x
f( )
2

tigerbw 2022-09-01 20:57:58

1
f( x)
2

rufty 2022-09-01 20:57:58

f(x/2)?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:58:01

x
That's right. To stretch it, you take y = f (
2
).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:58:03

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:58:09

Now imagine that, with the same graph, you wanted to get the graph of y = f (−x + 2). How would you do so?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:58:12

There are actually two ways.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:58:16

You could start by taking y = f (x) and flipping it over the y-axis, which gives the graph of y = f (−x).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:58:18

Now, which direction do we move that?

Right Left

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:59:00

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

60

50
Percent of Students

40

30

20

10

0
Rig Le
ht ft

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:59:04

We move it to the right. When we do this, we replace x with x − 2, giving us the graph

y = f (−(x − 2)) = f (−x + 2).

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:59:07

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:59:11

Or you could start by taking y = f (x) and moving it to the left by two units, which gives y = f (x + 2). Now flip it over the y-axis,
giving the graph of y = f (−x + 2).

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3/3/23, 10:33 PM 3205 Intermediate Algebra

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:59:15

It turns out that a reflection over the y-axis followed by a translation to the right by 2 units, or a translation to the left followed by
the reflection, are actually the same transformation of the plane. (Surprisingly!)

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:59:22

If you're comfortable with doing these changes, you can often get the graph of a complicated composition just by applying a few
transformations to the function first!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:59:29

Summary

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:59:36

Today, we talked about functions. We reviewed domain and range, and how to calculate them. We talked about getting new
functions from old: adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing functions. We also talked about composing two functions, which
gives a new function that first does one, and then the other. Finally, we talked about finding inverse functions when they exist,
usually by taking the expression and solving for x.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 20:59:46

We finished off the day by looking at functional transformations: understanding how changing a function affects its graph.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 21:00:01

The message board problems for this week are up. Again, while the Challenge Problems help you to think deeply about the material
from class and handle harder problems, the message board problems reinforce what you just learned and gives you a chance to get
more used to it. They're very valuable to do right after class or the day after --- don't wait too long or they won't be able to reinforce
what you've been learning.

carlyerger 2022-09-01 21:00:07

That's all for today. Any questions before we head out?

carlyerger 2022-09-01 21:00:17

Then thank you very much, everyone, and have a great week!

carlyerger 2022-09-01 21:00:19

Bye!

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