Departamento de Matemáticas

IES Gerena

Unit 6: Functions
Background knowledge:

1. Addition of two integers:

a. If they have the same sign, we add the absolute values and keep the same
sign.

b. If they have different signs, we subtract the smaller absolute value from the
largest and keep the same sign of the original integer with the largest
absolute value.

2. Multiplication and division of two integers:

We apply the sign’s rule and multiply or divide the absolute values.

3. Addition of two fractions:

a. If they have the same denominator, we add the numerators and keep the
same denominator.

b. If they have different denominators, we amplify both fractions in order to

obtain the same denominators, and then we add the numerators (if the
numbers involved are too big we can use the LCM to do so).

c. If there are three or more fractions, we can add them in pairs or use the
LCM of all the denominators.

4. Multiplication of two fractions:

We just multiply the numerators and the denominators (it’s very important
to simplify BEFORE multiplying in order to obtain smaller numbers, if you
do not do it this way you can get yourself into serious trouble).

5. Division of two fractions:

We turn upside down the fraction which divides (the divisor) and
multiplies (don’t forget to simplify before multiplying, but after turning the
divisor upside down, and please do not think about “multiply crosswise”
because it only leads to confusions and mistakes).

6. Algebraic expressions: just take a look at the previous unit.

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7. Coordinate system:

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7.1 The concept of a function

If the way the independent variable is transformed into the dependent variable is described
by words, it is said that the function is represented by a statement1.

1
Representación verbal

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7.2 Expressing a function using a table2

7.3 Expressing a function using an equation3

2
Representación por tabla de valores.
3
Representación algebraica.

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7.3 Expressing a function using a graphical representation4

4
Representación gráfica

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7.4 Straight lines (linear function)5

If the graphical representation of a function is a straight line, then it is said that the function is
a linear function.

The straight lines drawn on a coordinate system have two special characteristics:

● They have a slope6: they go up or down (or they do not do so if they are horizontal).

● The way they go up or down can be measured by a number called slope as well: if
this number is positive, the line goes up, if it is negative, it goes down, and if it is zero
the line is horizontal (it goes neither up nor down).

● They necessarily cross the y axis at some place. This place is a point whose first
coordinate is always zero (it is on the y axis), the second coordinate of this point is
called the y-intercept7.

It happens that if 𝑓(𝑥) is a linear function, then its algebraic representation is always like that:
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑛

and, fortunately for us, the 𝑚 is exactly the slope of the straight line and the 𝑛 is the
y-intercept.

This algebraic representation has a name which is related with both functions and geometry:
straight line equation.

7.5 How to obtain the straight line equation from the graphical
representation of a linear function:

The number 𝑚 in the straight line equation represents the slope of the straight line in this
really easy way:

When the value of the independent variable x increases by one unit, then the value of
the dependent variable y increases by m (or decreases if m is negative).

So. if you have the function graphically represented, just count how much it goes up (or
down) vertically when you move horizontally one unit (always to the right) and you will find
the value of the slope 𝑚. Then you only have to look for the second coordinate of the point
where the straight line intercepts the y axis and you will find the value of the y-intercept n.

Finally, you can build up the equation with both values.

5
Funciones lineales (rectas)
6
Pendiente
7
Ordenada en el origen

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7.6 Constant function and vertical line:

Exercises:9

8
alfonsogonzalez.es
9
Estos ejercicios son ejemplos generales, los ejercicios que se planteen en las pruebas escritas no tienen por
qué ser exactamente iguales a estos.

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1. Three of these correspondences are not a function. Please find them and explain why they
are not.
a. The number of chewing gums I am going to buy and their price.
b. The distance between two capitals of Andalusia and the number of people who go
from one to the other during a week.
c. The number of passengers a plane can carry and the number of passengers it
actually carries on each trip.
d. The length of the side of a rectangle and its perimeter.
e. The length of the side of a rectangle and its area.

2. The function 𝑓(𝑥) matches each real number to its double plus one. Answer these questions:

a. Which form of representation is being used to describe 𝑓?

b. Represent 𝑓(𝑥) using a table of values. Use the values -2, -1, 0, 1 y 2 for the
independent variable.
c. Represent graphically 𝑓(𝑥).
d. Represent algebraically 𝑓(𝑥).

3. The function 𝑔(𝑥) matches each independent variable’s value a dependent variable’s value
through the expression 𝑔(𝑥) = 2𝑥 − 1

a. Which form of representation is being used to describe 𝑔?

b. Find a statement representation of 𝑔(𝑥).
c. Represents 𝑔(𝑥) using a table of values. Use the values -2, -1, 0, 1 y 2 for the
independent variable.
d. Represent graphically 𝑔(𝑥).

4. Represent graphically la función 𝑓(𝑥), given by the following table of values. Justify that it is a
linear function and find:
a. its slope,
b. its y-intercept,
c. its algebraic expression (straight line’s equation),

x -3 -1 1 3

y -1 0 1 2

5. Represent graphically la función 𝑔(𝑥), given by the following table of values, and justify that it
is not a linear function. Find out which algebraic expression matches with the function 𝑞(𝑥)
2 2
𝑞(𝑥) = 2𝑥 + 3, 𝑞(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 1 or 𝑞(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 2𝑥 + 1.

x -3 -2 -1 0 1

y -4 1 0 1 4

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