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PC FUNCTIONS Piecewise Defined

This document discusses piecewise functions and how to graph them. It defines a piecewise function with two pieces, one for values less than 0 and one for values greater than or equal to 0. It then explains how to graph each piece separately and combine them to show the overall graph of the piecewise function, with a discontinuity at the point where the two pieces meet.

Uploaded by

Hector R.
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPS, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
121 views

PC FUNCTIONS Piecewise Defined

This document discusses piecewise functions and how to graph them. It defines a piecewise function with two pieces, one for values less than 0 and one for values greater than or equal to 0. It then explains how to graph each piece separately and combine them to show the overall graph of the piecewise function, with a discontinuity at the point where the two pieces meet.

Uploaded by

Hector R.
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPS, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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These are functions that are

defined differently on different


parts of the domain.

FU
IS
W

NC
TI
ON
S
− x , x < 0 This means for x’s less than
f ( x) =  2 0, put them in f(x) = -x but for

x , x ≥ 0
x’s greater than or equal to
0, put them in f(x) = x2

What
Whatdoesdoesthe thegraph
graph
of
of f(x)
f(x) ==-x
x2 look
look like?
like?

Rememberyy==f(x)
Remember f(x)so
solets
let’s
graphyy==x-2 xwhich
graph whichisisaasquare
line of
slope –1(parabola)
function and y-intercept 0.

Since
Sinceweweare
areonly
only
supposed
supposedto tograph
graphthis
thisfor
for
≥ 0, we’ll only
xx< stop keep
the graph
the This then is the graph
right
at x =
half
0. of the graph. for the piecewise
function given above.
2 x + 5, − 3 ≤ x < 0 For
For
Forxxx>=00the
thefunction
values function
between
 isvalue
–3supposed
andis0supposed
to be
the to
f ( x ) = − 3,
graph
x=0 along
be
line–3
ythe
so
= 2xline
plot ythe
+ 5. = - 5x.
point (0, -3)
− 5 x , x>0

Since you know this the graph
graph is
is aa open dot
piece of a line, you can just plug in since not
"or equal to"
each
0 to see
endwhere
value to to start
get the
the line and
endpoints.
then count af(-3)
– 5 =slope.
-1 and f(0) = 5

So this the graph of solid dot for


the piecewise "or equal to"

function

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