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Composite Functions Intro

Composite functions involve combining two functions together. Specifically, one function is placed inside of another function. The order that the functions are combined matters and can result in different outputs. To find the composition of two functions f and g, we rewrite the composition as f(g(x)), replace all x's in the outside function f with the inside function g, and simplify the resulting expression. Examples are provided to demonstrate this process.

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99 views3 pages

Composite Functions Intro

Composite functions involve combining two functions together. Specifically, one function is placed inside of another function. The order that the functions are combined matters and can result in different outputs. To find the composition of two functions f and g, we rewrite the composition as f(g(x)), replace all x's in the outside function f with the inside function g, and simplify the resulting expression. Examples are provided to demonstrate this process.

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kasutbiru
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CompositeFunctions

WhatAreCompositeFunctions?
Compositionoffunctionsiswhenonefunctionisinsideofanotherfunction.Forexample,ifwelookatthe
functionh(x)=(2x 1)2.Wecansaythatthisfunction,h(x),wasformedbythecompositionoftwoother
functions,theinsidefunctionandtheoutsidefunction.Inthecaseofh(x)=(2x 1)2,theinsidefunctionis
2x 1andtheoutsidefunctionisz2,theletterzwasusedjusttorepresentadifferentvariable,wecould
haveusedanyletter thatwewanted.Noticethatifweputtheinsidefunction,2x 1,intotheoutside
function,z2,wewouldgetz2 =(2x 1)2,whichisouroriginalfunctionh(x).
Thenotationusedforthecompositionoffunctionslookslikethis, (f og)(x). Sowhatdoesthismean
(f og)(x),thecompositionofthefunctionfwithgisdefinedasfollows:
(f og)(x)=f(g(x)),noticethatinthecasethefunctiongisinsideofthefunctionf.

Incompositefunctionsitisveryimportantthatwepaycloseattentiontotheorderinwhichthecomposition
ofthefunctionsiswritten.Inmanycases (f og)(x)isnotthesameas (g of )(x). Letslookatwhytheorder
issoimportant:
(f og)(x)=f(g(x)),thegfunctionisinsideoftheffunction
(g of )(x) =g(f(x)),theffunctionisinsideofthegfunction
(f og)(x)and (g of )(x)areoftendifferentbecauseinthecomposite (f og)(x),f(x)istheoutsidefunctionand
g(x)istheinsidefunction.Whereasinthecomposite (g of )(x),g(x)istheoutsidefunctionandf(x)isthe
insidefunction.Thisdifferenceinorderwilloftenbethereasonwhywewillgetdifferentanswersfor
(f og)(x)and (g of )(x). Thismeansweneedtomakesurethatwepaycloseattentiontothewaythe
problemiswrittenwhenwearetryingtofindthecompositionoftwofunctions.
HowDoYouFindtheCompositionofTwoFunctions?
Herearethestepswecanusetofindthecompositionoftwofunctions:
Step1: Rewritethecompositioninadifferentform.Forexample,thecomposition
(f og)(x)needstorewrittenasf(g(x)).
Step2: Replaceeachoccurrenceofxfoundintheoutsidefunctionwiththeinsidefunction.For
example,inthecompositionof (f og)(x)=f(g(x)),weneedtoreplaceeachxfoundin
f(x),theoutsidefunction,withg(x),theinsidefunction.
Step3: Simplifytheanswer.

ExamplesNowletsusethestepsshownabovetoworkthrough someexamples.
Example1:Iff(x)=4x+9andg(x)=2x 7,find (f og)(x).
(f og)(x) = f(g(x))

Rewritethecompositioninadifferentform.

= -4(2x - 7) +9

Replaceeachoccurrenceofxinf(x)with g(x)=2x 7.

= -8x + 28 + 7

Simplifytheanswerbydistributingandcombininglike
terms.

= -8x +37

Thus, (f og)(x)=8x+37.
Example2:Iff(x)=4x+9andg(x)=2x 7,find (g of )(x).
(g of)(x) = g(f(x))

Rewritethecompositioninadifferentform.

= 2( -4x + 9) -7

Replaceeachoccurrenceofxin g(x)withf(x)=4x+9.

= -8x + 18 - 7

Simplifytheanswerbydistributingandcombininglike
terms.

= -8x +11

Thus, (g of )(x)=8x+11.
NoticethatinExamples1and2thefunctionsf(x)=4x+9andg(x)=2x 7werethesame,but
(f og)(x)and (g of )(x)produceddifferentanswers.Thesetwoexamplesshouldhelpusunderstand
whyweneedtobeveryspecificwhenweareaskedtofindeither (f og)(x)or (g of )(x).Thewaywe
writedowntheproblemcanmakeabigdifferenceinouranswer.
Example3:Ifh(x)=3x 5andg(x)=2x2 7x,find (g oh)(x).
(g oh)(x) = g(h(x))

Rewritethecompositioninadifferentform.

= 2(3x - 5) 2 - 7(3x -5)

Replaceeachoccurrenceofxin g(x)with h(x)=3x 5.

= 2(9x 2 - 30x + 25) - 7(3x - 5)

Simplifytheanswerbyfirstdealingwiththeexponentand
squaring(3x 5),thendistributing,andfinallycombining
liketerms.

= 18x 2 - 60x + 50 - 21x + 35


= 18x 2 - 81x + 85

Thus, (g oh)(x)=18x2 81x+85.

AdditionExamples
Ifyouwouldliketoseemoreexamplesofcompositionoffunctions,justclickonthelinkbelow.
AdditionalExamples
PracticeProblems
Nowitisyourturntotryafewpracticeproblemsonyourown.Workoneachoftheproblemsbelowand
thenclickonthelinkattheendtocheckyouranswers.
Problem1:Iff(x)=x2 4x+2andg(x)=3x 7,find (fog)(x).
Problem2:Ifg(x)=6x+5andh(x)=9x 11,find (g oh)(x).
Problem 3:If f(x) = 2x- 5 andg(x)=5x2 3,find (g of)(x).
Problem 4:Iff(x)=2x+9andg(x)=4x2 +5x 3,find (fog)(x).
Problem5:Iff(x)=x 3andg(x)=4x2 3x 9,find (g of)(x).
Problem6:If g(x) =3 x- 4 andh(x)=x3 +4,find (h og)(x).
SolutionstoPracticeProblems

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