1.

3 Functions

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Combinations of Functions
Two functions f and g can be combined to form new
functions f + g, f – g, fg, and f/g in a manner similar to the
way we add, subtract, multiply, and divide real numbers.
The sum and difference functions are defined by

If the domain of f is A and the domain of g is B, then the

domain of f + g is the intersection A  B because both f (x)
and g(x) have to be defined.

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Example 1

What are the domains of these functions?

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Combinations of Functions

The domain of f  g is the set of all x in the domain of g

such that g(x) is in the domain of f. In other words,
(f  g)(x) is defined whenever both g(x) and f(g(x)) are
defined.

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Combinations of Functions
Figure shows how to picture f  g in terms of machines.

The f  g machine is composed of the g machine (first) and then the f machine.

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Example 2
If and find each function and its
domain.
(a) f  g (b) g  f (c) f  f (d) g  g

Solution:
(a)

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Example 2 – Solution cont’d

The domain of f  g is

(b)

For to be defined we must have

f  g ≠ g f 7
Example 2 – Solution cont’d

For to be defined we must have

that is, or

Thus we have so the domain of g  f is the

closed interval [0, 4].

(c)

The domain of f  f is
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Example 2 – Solution cont’d

(d)

This expression is defined when both and

The first inequality means and the
second is equivalent to or or

Thus, so the domain of g  g is the closed

interval [ –2, 2].
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Example 3

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Example 3 – solution

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Example 4

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Combinations of Functions
It is possible to take the composition of three or more
functions. For instance, the composite function f  g  h is
found by first applying h, then g, and then f as follows:

(f  g  h)(x) = f(g(h(x)))

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Inverse functions

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Exponential & Logarithmic Functions
The relation between exponential functions and logarithmic
functions:

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Power function/Root function
(i) a = n, where n is a positive integer

(ii) a = 1/n, where n is a positive integer (root function)

The root function denotes the positive root .

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Inverse Functions
Table 1 gives data from an experiment in which a bacteria
culture started with 100 bacteria in a limited nutrient
medium; the size of the bacteria population was recorded
at hourly intervals. The number of bacteria N is a function
of the time t: N = f (t).

Table 1
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Inverse Functions
Suppose, however, that the biologist changes her point of
view and becomes interested in the time required for the
population to reach various levels.

In other words, she is thinking of t as a function of N.

This function is called the inverse function of f, denoted by

f -1, and read as “f inverse.”

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Inverse Functions
Thus t = f -1 (N) is the time required for the population level
to reach N. The values of f -1 can be found by reading Table
1 from right to left or by consulting Table 2.

For instance, f -1 (550) = 6 because f (6) = 550.

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Inverse Functions
Not all functions possess inverses.

Let’s compare the functions f and g whose arrow diagrams

are shown in Figure .

f is one-to-one; g is not.

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One-to-one functions

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One-to-one functions
test: to test if a graph is a function):
Recall the vertical line test(

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One-to-one functions
The horizontal line test ( to test if a function is one-to-one )

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Example 5

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Example 6

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Example 7

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Increasing/Decreasing functions

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Inverse functions
Given a linear function ,where y is considered
as a function of x. This can be rewritten as

x also can be considered as a function of y. The same

process can be applied to any one-to-one functions.

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Inverse functions

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Inverse functions

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Inverse functions

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Inverse Functions
The first cancellation equation says that if we start with x ,
apply f , and then apply f –1 , we arrive back at x , where we
started (see the machine diagram in Figure ).

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Inverse Functions
For example, if f (x) = x3 , then f –1 (x) = x1/3 and so the
cancellation equations become

f –1(f (x)) = (x3) 1/3 = x

f ( f –1 (x)) = (x 1/3)3 = x

Those equations simply say that the cube function and the
cube root function cancel each other when applied in
succession.

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Inverse Functions
Now let’s see how to compute inverse functions. If we have
a function f = (x) and are able to solve this equation for x in
terms of y , then according to Definition we must have
x = f –1 (y). If we want to call the independent variable x, we
then interchange x and y and arrive at the equation
y = f –1 (x).

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Inverse Functions

The inverse function of the identity function:

f (x) = x?

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Example 8
Find the inverse function of f (x) = x3 + 2.

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Example 8 - Solution
Solution:
According to we first write,

Then we solve this equation for x:

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Example 8 - Solution cont’d

Finally, we interchange x and y:

Therefore the inverse function is

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Graphs of Inverse Functions
The principle of interchanging x and y to find the inverse
function also gives us the method for obtaining the graph of
f –1 from the graph of f.

Since f (a) = b if and only if

f –1(b) = a, the point (a, b) is
on the graph of f if and only
if the point (b, a) is on the
graph of f –1. But we get the
point (b, a) from (a, b) by
reflecting about the line
y = x. (See Figure .)

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Example 9

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Graphs of Inverse Functions

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Graphs of Inverse Functions

Therefore, as illustrated by Figure :

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Example 10
Sketch the graphs of and its inverse
function using the same coordinate axes.

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Example 10 – Solution
Solution:
First we sketch the curve (the top half of the parabola
y2 = –1 – x, or x = –y2 – 1) and then we reflect
about the line y = x to get the graph of f –1.(See Figure)

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Example 10 – Solution cont’d

As a check on our graph, notice that the expression for f –1

is f –1(x) = –x2 – 1, x  0.

So the graph of f –1 is the right half of the parabola

y = –x2 – 1 and this seems reasonable from Figure.

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Exponential & Logarithmic Functions

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Exponential Functions
The exponential functions with base a is :

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Logarithmic Functions
The logarithmic functions with base a is :

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Exponential & Logarithmic Functions

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Exponential & Logarithmic Functions
The relation between exponential functions and logarithmic
functions:

Properties:

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Example 11
Figure out the property from the laws of
exponents.

Solution:
Let and Hence we have
Use the multiplication law in exponential functions,
we have

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Euler's number as base
The exponential/logarithmic function with a special base

is called the natural exponential/logarithmic functions.

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Euler's number as base
All exponential functions can be expressed in terms of the
natural exponential function :

For example,

Consequently, any exponential model, i.e., quantities

modeled by the function of the form , can be
expressed in terms of e as

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