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What Is A Function

This document defines functions and their domains and ranges through examples. It provides the definitions of a function, domain, and range. It then gives 14 examples of functions and determines the domain and range of each function, stating the sets of values for which the function is defined and the sets of outputs produced. The examples cover various types of functions including rational, radical, polynomial, and piecewise functions.

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Ryan Kristoffer Nuñez
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96 views6 pages

What Is A Function

This document defines functions and their domains and ranges through examples. It provides the definitions of a function, domain, and range. It then gives 14 examples of functions and determines the domain and range of each function, stating the sets of values for which the function is defined and the sets of outputs produced. The examples cover various types of functions including rational, radical, polynomial, and piecewise functions.

Uploaded by

Ryan Kristoffer Nuñez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Section 2.1 What Is a Function?

DEFINITION: A function f is a rule that assigns to each element x in a set A exactly one
element, called f (x), in a set B. The set A is called the domain of f. The range of f is the
set of all possible values of f (x) as x varies throughout the domain.
EXAMPLES:
1. Let f (x) = x +

x. Then
f (0) = 0 +
f (4) = 4 +

0=0
4=6

2. Let f (x) = 3x2 + x 5. Then


f (2) = 3 (2)2 + (2) 5 = 5
f (0) = 3 02 + 0 5 = 5
f (4) = 3 42 + 4 5 = 47
( )
( )2
1
1
1
15
f
=3
+ 5=
2
2
2
4

3. Let f (x) =

x+1
. Then
x

3+1
4
2
f (3) =
=
=
3
3
3

and
f (a 1) =
{

4. Let
f (x) =

and
g(x) =

f (5) =

5+1
6
=
5
5

a1+1
a
=
a1
a1

3x2 + x 5 if x 0

if x > 0
x+ x
3x2 + x 5 if x < 0

if x 0
x+ x

Then
f (2) = 3 (2)2 + (2) 5 = 5
f (0) = 3 02 + 0 5 = 5

f (4) = 4 + 4 = 6
and
g(2) = 3 (2)2 + (2) 5 = 5

g(0) = 0 + 0 = 0

g(4) = 4 + 4 = 6

Four Ways to Represent a Function


There are 4 possible ways to represent a function:
Verbally (in words)
Visually (by a graph)
Numerically (by a table of values)
Algebraically (by an explicit formula)
EXAMPLES:
1. Verbally: s(t) is speed of a car at time t
2. Visually:

x f (x)
1
2
8
3. Numerically: 2
7
-1
10
5
4. Algebraically:
(a) f (x) = 1, g(x) =
(b) f (x) =

(c) f (x) =

x
1
5 sin x 4
, h(x) = x2 , F (x) = , y =
x
x
ln x

1
, x>5
x
{ 2
x
if x 2
x + 1 if x > 2

Domain and Range


EXAMPLES:
1. f (x) = x2
Domain: All real numbers or (, ).
Range: {y | y 0} or [0, ).
2. f (x) =

1
x

Domain: {x | x 6= 0} or (, 0) (0, ), since x 6= 0.


Range: {y | y 6= 0} or (, 0) (0, ).
3. f (x) =

1
, x2
x

Domain: {x | x 2} or [2, ), since x 2.


Range: {y | 0 < y 1/2} or (0, 1/2].
4. f (x) =

1
x+5

Domain: {x | x 6= 5} or (, 5) (5, ), since x + 5 6= 0.


Range: {y | y 6= 0} or (, 0) (0, ).

5. f (x) =

x2
x2 3

3}
or
(,

3)

(
3,
3)

(
3, ), since x2 3 6= 0.
Domain:({x | x 6=

)
] [
1
1
Range: ,
, .
6
2
6. f (x) =

2x

6. f (x) =

2x

Domain: {x | x 2} or (, 2], since 2 x 0.


Range: {y | y 0} or [0, ).

7. f (x) =

1
2x

Domain: {x | x < 2} or (, 2), since 2 x > 0.


Range: {y | y > 0} or (0, ).

8. f (x) =

1
2x x2

8. f (x) =

1
2x x2

Domain: {x | 0 < x < 2} or (0, 2), since 2x x2 = x(2 x) > 0.


Range: {y | y 1} or [1, ).

9. f (x) =

x2

1
+ 3x + 2

Domain: {x | x < 2 or x > 1} or (, 2) (1, ), since x2 +3x + 2 = (x + 1)(x + 2) > 0.


Range: {y | y > 0} or (0, ).
10. f (x) =

x2 + 3x + 2

Domain: {x | x 2 or x 1} or (, 2] [1, ), since x2 + 3x + 2 = (x + 1)(x + 2) 0.


Range: {y | y 0} or [0, ).

11. f (x) =

x2 + 2

11. f (x) =

x2 + 2

2
Domain: All realnumbers,
or (, ), since x + 2 is always > 0.
Range: {y | y 2} or [ 2, ).

12. f (x) =

1x

Domain: {x | 0 x 1} or [0, 1], since x 0 and 1 x 0.


Range: {y | 1 y 1} or [1, 1].
13. f (x) =

x1

Domain: {x | x 1} or [1, ), since x 0 and x 1 0.


Range: {y | 0 < y 1} or (0, 1].

14. f (x) = x6 + x2 + x 1
Domain: (, ).
Range: {y | y 1.2392} or [1.2392, ).

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