ersor2018
{17Trek Precaleuls - Piecewise Functions
Piecewise Functions
‘Are you alittle apprehensive about piecewise functions? Iso, it may help to read
this introductory article eaed Piecewise Functions The Mystery Revealed
before going through the material on this page.
article; Plecew/se Functions ~The Mystery Revealed
‘This is an incredibly important concept that you need to understand for limits,
‘which are the key to calculus. To understand this topic, you need to know why the
domain of a function is important.
‘Many students think this isa difficult concept but I have had students that come
into my class not understanding this and, after they get it, they look at me and say,
A regular function usually
equation. Incontrast,apie "=" Word habe
you can thinkabout breaki | 9 "me one
equations look like. ee oe _
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“Topics You Need To Understand For This Page
Page Tools, Relate Topics and Links
Piecewise Functions FAQS
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Look at plot 1 tothe right.
divide the xy-plane into tw. meneresorie
we do is consider each side.
function, would it?)
So, ifwe cover up the part ofthe plane from z ~ 1 tothe right (take apiece of paper and \
do that now, if you need to), we have something that looks like part of a parabola, right?
Now, we if cover up the part of the plane from x — 1 tothe lft, we have something that
looks like part of an upside-down parabola right? So this graph could be described by
the equation
eel
2>1
t= { gap ds
(kay, we have seen how an equation might ita graph, But what ifyou are given the
equation and you need to come up with a raph? Iwill show you how 1 do itand se i
this helps you
nel
and plot
Let's start with the same equation above, ie. f(2) {
let's ty to build the graph shown in plot 3.
tpl 7tek.comiprecalculuspiecewise-unetons! umersor2018 {17Trek Precaleuls - Piecewise Functions
‘Start by just graphing both functions on the same set of axes to get the plot 2 below. The red graph is y =
The blue graph is
~(z — 2)? + 3. At this point, we show the complete graphs of both equations without taking into aecount the domains. You can tell
this is not a function, right?
top - search - practice problems - pagelike? 9
? 2 Jo this we notice that y = 2? is defined only for 2 < 1. $0
we ‘erase’ or remove all ofthe red graph that isto the right of 2 = 1, We also notice that < 1 means that x must be less than one
but not equal to one. So we need an open cirele on the red graph to indicate this exclusion of one. The result of these changes is the
plot 3 below.
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plot lots lots (again)
Okay, we are almost done. Now we need to implement the domain of z > 1 on the blue graph. The equation tells us that the blue
raph is defined only for x > 1. So we erase! or remove all ofthe blue graph to the left of =
includes
‘We also notice that this graph
since the greater than or equal sign is used, So we need a closed circle at 2 = 1. The result is plot 1, repeated here.
So, that's one way to do it. This idea can be extended to more than two parts, ie. the graph may be broken at more than just one
point. Just break the domain into the separate sections and deal with as many sections as you have in your equation. The practice
problems contain some examples.
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Piecewise Functions Resources
‘ag: Can sections of precewise functions overlap?
Practice Problems
Instructions
Unless otherwise instructed,
- if the problem gives an equation, graph the function
if the problem shows a graph, write an equation for the graph.
[ Click on the practice problem to reveal/hide the solution. ]
Level A- Basie
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