Chapter 2

Functions and Graphs

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Chapter Outline
2.1) Functions
2.2) Special Functions
2.3) Combinations of Functions

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2.1 Functions (1 of 5)
• A function assigns each input number to one output
number.
• The set of all input numbers is the domain of the function.
• The set of all output numbers is the range.

To say that two functions f , g : X ® Y are equal, denoted f = g,

is to say that
1. The domain of f is equal to the domain of g.
2. For every x in the domain of f and g, f (x) = g(x).

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2.1 Functions (2 of 5)
Example 1 – Determining Equality of Functions

Determine which of the following functions are equal.

( x  2)( x  1)
a. f ( x) =
( x  1)
b. g ( x) = x  2

c. h( x) = x  2 if x  1
0 if x = 1

d. k ( x) = x  2 if x  1
3 if x = 1
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 2.1 Functions (3 of 5)
Example 1 – Continued

Solution: Observe that the domains of g, h, and k are

equal to each other, but that of f is different. So by
requirement 1 for equality, f  g, f  h and f  k.

By definition, g(x) = h(x) = k(x) for all x  1.

Note that g (1) = 3, h(1) = 0, and k(1) = 3.
We conclude that g = k and g  h (and h  k).

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2.1 Functions (4 of 5)
Example 3 – Finding Domain and Function Values

Let g ( x) = 3x 2  x  5. Note that the domain of g is all real numbers.

a. Find g ( z ).
Solution: g ( z ) = 3 z 2  z  5
b. Find g (r 2 ).
Solution: g (r 2 ) = 3(r 2 ) 2  r 2  5 = 3r 4  r 2  5
c. Find g ( x  h).
Solution: g ( x  h) = 3( x  h) 2  ( x  h)  5
= 3( x 2  2 xh  h 2 )  x  h  5
= 3x 2  6 xh  3h2  x  h  5

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2.1 Functions (5 of 5)
Example 5 – Demand Function

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2.2 Special Functions (1 of 4)
Example 1 – Constant Function

Let h : ( , ) ® (, ) be given by h( x ) = 2. The domain of

h is (, ), the set of all real numbers. All function values
are 2. For example, h(10) = 2, h(387) = 2, h( x  3) = 2.

We call h a constant function. More generally, a function

of the form h( x) = c, where c is a constant , is called a
constant function .

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2.2 Special Functions (2 of 4)
Example 3 – Rational Functions
x2  6 x
a. f ( x) = is a rational function, since the numerator and
x5
denominator are each polynomials.
2x  3
b. g ( x) = 2 x  3 is a rational function, since 2 x  3 = .
1
Example 5 – Absolute-Value Function

The function f ( x) = x is called the absolute-value function.

x =  x if x  0
 x if x  0

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 2.2 Special Functions (3 of 4)

The symbol r !, with r a positive integer, is read "r factorial".

It represents the product of the first r positive integers:
r ! = 1  2  3 r
We also define 0! = 1.

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2.2 Special Functions (4 of 4)
Example 7 – Genetics
Suppose two black guinea pigs are bred and produce exactly
five offspring. Under certain conditions, it can be shown that
the probability P that exactly r of the offspring will be brown
and the others black is a function of r , P = P( r ), where
r 5 r
1 3
5!   
 4 4
P(r ) = r = 0, 1, 2, , 5
r !(5  r )!
Find the probability that exactly three guinea pigs will be brown.
Solution: We want to find P(3). We have
3 2
1 3  1  9 
5!    120   
 4 4  64  16  45
P(3) = = = .
3! 2! 6(2) 512

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2.3 Combinations of Functions (1 of 5)
In general, for any functions f , g : X ® (, ), we define the
sum f  g , the difference f  g , the product fg , and the
f
quotient as follows:
g

( f  g )( x ) = f ( x)  g ( x)
( f  g )( x) = f ( x)  g ( x)
( fg )( x) = f ( x)  g ( x)
f f ( x)
( x) = for g ( x)  0
g g ( x)

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2.3 Combinations of Functions (2 of 5)
Example 1 – Combining Functions

If f ( x) = 3x  1 and g ( x) = x  3x, find a. ( f  g )( x),

2

f
b. ( f  g )( x), c. ( fg )( x), d. ( x), e. ((1 / 2) f )( x )
g
Solution

a. ( f  g )( x ) = f ( x)  g ( x) = (3x  1)  ( x 2  3x) = x 2  6 x  1

b. ( f  g )( x) = f ( x)  g ( x) = (3 x  1)  ( x  3x) = 1  x
2 2

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2.3 Combinations of Functions (3 of 5)
Example 1 – Continued

Solution, continued
c. ( fg )( x) = f ( x) g ( x) = (3 x  1)( x  3x) = 3x  8 x  3x
2 3 2

f f ( x) 3x  1
d. ( x) = = 2
g g ( x) x  3 x
e. ((1 / 2) f )( x) = (1 / 2)( f ( x)) = (1/ 2)(3x  1)

• We can also combine two functions by first applying one

function to an input and then applying the other function to
the output of the first.
• This is called composition.

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2.3 Combinations of Functions (4 of 5)

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2.3 Combinations of Functions (5 of 5)
Example 3 – Composition

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