Ordered Pairs

An ordered pair is a pair of numbers in a specific order. For example, (1, 2) and (- 4, 12) are ordered pairs. The order of the two numbers is important: (1, 2) is not equivalent to (2, 1) -- (1, 2)(2, 1) .

Using Ordered Pairs to Represent Variables

Ordered pairs are often used to represent two variables. When we write (x, y) = (7, - 2) , we mean x = 7 and y = - 2 . The number which corresponds to the value of x is called the x-coordinate and the number which corresponds to the value of y is called the y-coordinate. Example 1. If (x, y) = (- 1, 4) , what is the value of 3x + 2y - 4 ? 3x + 2y - 4 = 3(- 1) + 2(4) - 4 = - 3 + 8 - 4 = 1

Graphing Ordered Pairs

We have graphed values on the number line in pre- algebra and in earlier chapters of algebra. However, we can only graph points of one variable on the number line; thus, we need a 2-dimensional (2 variable) way of representing points -- the xy-graph:

xy-graph The horizontal axis, called the x-axis, represents values of x , and the vertical axis, called the y-axis, represents values of y . From now on, the word "graph" will refer to the xy -graph, unless specified otherwise
Axis: The reference line from which distances are measured. The plural of Axis is Axes, and is pronounced ax-eez

Every pair is a point in a graph.

What is a Function?
A function relates an input to an output.

It is like a machine that has an input and an output. And the output is related somehow to the input.

f(x)

"f(x) = ... " is the classic way of writing a function. And there are other ways, as you will see!

Input, Relationship, Output

I will show you many ways to think about functions, but there will always be three main parts:

The input The relationship The output

Example: "Multiply by 2" is a very simple function.

Here are the three parts:

Input
0 1 7 10 ... For an input of 50, what would be the output?

Relationship
2 2 2 2 ...

Output
0 2 14 20 ...

Some Examples of Functions x2 (squaring) is a function x3+1 is also a function Sine, Cosine and Tangent are functions used in trigonometry and there are lots more!
But we are not going to look at specific functions ... ... instead we will look at the general idea of a function.

Names
First, it is useful to give a function a name. The most common name is "f", but you can have other names like "g" ... or even "marmalade" if you want. But let's use "f":

You would say "f of x equals x squared"

what goes into the function is put inside parentheses () after the name of the function:

So f(x) shows you the function is called "f", and "x" goes in
And you will often see what a function does with the input:

f(x) = x2 shows you that function "f" takes "x" and squares it.

Example: with f(x) = x2:

an input of 4 becomes an output of 16. In fact we can write f(4) = 16.

The "x" is Just a Place-Holder!

Don't get too concerned about "x", it is just there to show you where the input goes and what happens to it. It could be anything! So this function:

f(x) = 1 - x + x2
Would be the same function if I wrote:

f(q) = 1 - q + q2 h(A) = 1 - A + A2 w() = 1 - + 2

It is just there so you know where to put the values:

f(2) = 1 - 2 + 22 = 3

Relating
At the top I said that a function was like a machine. But a function doesn't really have belts or cogs or any moving parts and it doesn't actually destroy what you put into it!

A function relates an input to an output.

Saying "f(4) = 16" is like saying 4 is somehow related to 16. Or 4 16

Example: this tree grows 20 cm every year, so the height of the tree is related to its age using the function h: h(age) = age 20 So, if the age is 10 years, the height is: h(10) = 10 20 = 200 cm Here are some example values:

age
0 1 3.2 15 ...

h(age) = age 20
0 20 64 300 ...

A Function is Special
But a function has special rules:

It must work for every possible input value And you can only have one relationship for each input value

This can be said in one definition:

Formal Definition of a Function

A function relates each element of a set with exactly one element of another set (possibly the same set).

The Two Important Things!

1. "...each element..." means that every element in X is related to some element in Y.
We say that the function covers X (relates every element of it). (But some elements of Y might not be related to at all, which is fine.)

2.

"...exactly one..." means that a function is single valued. It will not give back 2 or more results for the
same input.

So "f(2) = 7 or 9" is not right!

(one-to-many) This is NOT OK in a function

(many-to-one) But this is OK in a function

If a relationship does not follow those two rules then it is not a function ... it would still be a relationship, just not a function.

Example: The relationship x x2

Could also be written as a table:

X: x
3 1 0 4 -4 ...

Y: x2
9 1 0 16 16 ...

It is a function, because:

Every element in X is related to Y No element in X has two or more relationships So it follows the rules. (Notice how both 4 and -4 relate to 16, which is allowed.)

Example: This relationship is not a function:

It is a relationship, but it is not a function, for these reasons:

Value "3" in X has no relation in Y Value "4" in X has no relation in Y Value "5" is related to more than one value in Y (But the fact that "6" in Y is not related to does not matter)

Vertical Line Test

On a graph, the idea of single valued means that no vertical line would ever cross more than one value. If it crosses more than once it is still a valid curve, but it wouldnot be a function.

Domain, Codomain and Range

In our examples above

the set "X" is called the Domain, the set "Y" is called the Codomain, and the set of elements that get pointed to in Y (the actual values produced by the function) is called the Range.

So Many Names!
Functions have been used in mathematics for a very long time, and lots of different names and ways of writing functions have come about. Here are some common terms you should get familiar with:

Ordered Pairs
I said I would show you many ways to think about functions, and here is another way:

You can write the input and output of a function as an "ordered pair", such as (4,16).
They are called ordered pairs because the input always comes first, and the output second:

(input, output)
So it looks like this:

( x, f(x) )
Example: (4,16) means that the function takes in "4" and gives out "16"

Set of Ordered Pairs

A function can then be defined as a set of ordered pairs: Example: {(2,4), (3,5), (7,3)} is a function that says "2 is related to 4", "3 is related to 5" and "7 is related 3". Also, notice that:

the domain is {2,3,7} (the input values) and the range is {4,5,3} (the output values)

A Function Can be in Pieces

You can create functions that behave differently depending on the input value

Example: A function with two pieces:

when x is less than 0, it gives 5, when x is 0 or more it gives x2

Here are some example values:

x
-3 -1 0 2

y
5 5 0 4

4 ...

16 ...

Conclusion a function relates inputs to outputs a function takes elements from a set (the domain) and relates them to elements in a set
(the codomain).

all the outputs (the actual values related to) are together called the range a function is a special type of relation where: every element in the domain is included, and any input produces only one output (not this or that) an input and its matching output are together called an ordered pair so a function can also be seen as a set of ordered pairs

Types of Functions Composite Functions Even and Odd Functions Inverse Functions Linear, Quadratic, and Cubic Functions Monotonic Functions Periodic Functions
Inverse Functions
An inverse function goes in the opposite direction! Let us start with an example: Here we have the function f(x) = 2x+3, written as a flow diagram:

The Inverse Function just goes the other way:

So the inverse of:

2x+3

is:

(y-3)/2

The inverse is usually shown by putting a little "-1" after the function name, like this:

f-1(y)
We say "f inverse of y" So, the inverse of

f(x) = 2x+3 is written: f-1(y) = (y-3)/2

(I also used y instead of x to show that we are using a different value.)

Back to Where We Started

The cool thing about the inverse is that it should give you back the original value:

If the function

Then the inverse function

f turns the apple into a banana, f-1 turns the banana back to the apple

Example:
Using the formulas from above, we can start with We can then use the inverse on the 11:

x=4: f(4) = 24+3 = 11

f-1(11) = (11-3)/2 = 4

And we magically get 4 back again! We can write that in one line:

f-1( f(4) ) = 4
"f inverse of f of 4 equals 4"

So applying a function

f and then its inverse f-1 gives us the original value back again: f-1( f(x) ) = x

We could also have put the functions in the other order and it still works:

f( f-1(x) ) = x

Example:
Start with: And then:

f-1(11) = (11-3)/2 = 4 f(4) = 24+3 = 11

So we can say: "f of

f( f-1(11) ) = 11
f inverse of 11 equals 11"

Using Algebra
You can work out the inverse using Algebra. Put "y" for "f(x)" and solve for x: The function: Put "y" for "f(x)": Subtract 3 from both sides: Divide both sides by 2: Swap sides: f(x) = 2x+3 y = 2x+3 y-3 = 2x (y-3)/2 = x x = (y-3)/2

Solution (put "f-1(y)" for "x") :

f-1(y) = (y-3)/2

This method works well for more difficult inverses.