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The document discusses different types of mathematical functions. A function relates the value of one variable to another and can be represented by an equation like Y=f(X). Common functions mentioned include trigonometric functions like sine and cosine, exponential functions, and logarithmic functions. Inverse functions "undo" the operation of another function, like the square root function being the inverse of squaring. Functions appear throughout mathematics, science, and engineering applications like modeling rocket flight forces.

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24 views3 pages

NASA Logo Web Link To NASA - Gov: Missions

The document discusses different types of mathematical functions. A function relates the value of one variable to another and can be represented by an equation like Y=f(X). Common functions mentioned include trigonometric functions like sine and cosine, exponential functions, and logarithmic functions. Inverse functions "undo" the operation of another function, like the square root function being the inverse of squaring. Functions appear throughout mathematics, science, and engineering applications like modeling rocket flight forces.

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karan5singh-12
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11/11/2016

Functions

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Animportantmathematicalconceptistheideaoffunction.Afunctionisamathematicalprocessthatuniquelyrelatesthe
valueofonevariabletothevalueofanothervariableintheproblem.Schematically,wecanthinkofafunctionasa
"processor"thattakesinone(ormore)inputvariablesandproducesanoutputvariable.Wecalltheoutputvariablethe
dependentvariableandtheinputvariableiscalledtheindependentvariable.Changingthevalueofanindependent
variableproducesachangeinthevalueofthedependentvariablethatisalwaysthesame.Onthisslidewewilldenotean
independentvariableasXandthedependentvariableasY.WedenotethatYisafunctionofXbythesymbol:
Y=f(X)
Somefunctionsoccursoofteninmathandsciencethatweassignspecialnamesandsymbolstothem.Atthebottomof
theslidewehavelistedsomeexamplesoffunctionsthatoccurinaerospaceengineering.Thetrigonometricfunctionssine,
cosine,andtangentrelatethevarioussidesandanglesofatriangle.Thevalueofthefunctiondependsonlyontheangle
betweentwosidesofarighttriangle.Sowecanwritethefunctionsas:
Y=sin(X)
W=cos(X)
Z=tan(X)
wherethevalueofXisanangleandthevalueofY,W,andZarenumbers.Sincethevalueofthefunctionisalwaysthe
same,thevaluecanbetabulatedandusedtosolveproblems.Someexamplesofproblemsinvolvingtrianglesandangles
includetheforcesonamodelrocketduringpoweredflight,theapplicationoftorques,andtheresolutionofthecomponents
ofavector.
AnotherfunctionwhichyoumayhaveseenisthefactorialfunctionwiththesymbolX!.Thevalueofthisfunctionisformed
bymultiplyingXtimesX1timesX2,etc.untilyougetto1:
Y=X!
Y=4!=4*3*2*1=24
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11/11/2016

Functions

Thisfunctionoccursinmanyprobabilityandstatisticsproblems.
Therearesomeinterestingpropertiesoffunctions.Functionscanbegroupedtogethertoformotherfunctions.Ontheslide
thepolynomial:
Y=X^3+X^2+5*X+12
ismadebyaddingpowersofX.Thefunctionhereis:
Y=X^n
wherenisanynumber.YisgeneratedbymultiplyingXtimesitselfntimes.
Therearesomespecialfunctions,calledinversefunctions,which"undo"theoperationofsomeotherfunction.The
squarerootfunctionistheinverseofthesquarefunction.Soif
Y=X^2
16=4^2
Then:
Y=sqrt(X)
4=sqrt(16)
Sinceliftanddragdependonthesquareofthevelocity,weoftenusesquarerootstosolvevelocityproblems.This
functionisusedinthedeterminationoftheterminalvelocityofafallingobject.
Thefunctiontan^1(X)onthefigureiscalledthearctangentofX.Thisfunctionistheinverseofthetrigonometrictangent
function.ItreturnstheangleYwhosetangentisX.Thereareinversesforthesineandcosineaswell.
Theexponentialfunction,exp(X)ore^X,isaspecialfunctionthatcomesfromcalculus.Incalculus,weareoftentryingto
determinetherateatwhichsomefunctionchanges.Therateisexpressedasanotherfunctioncalledadifferentialandthe
rateistheslopeofthegraphofthefunction.IfwehaveafunctionY=f(X),thentheslopeofthefunctioniscalledZand
Z=dY/dX
Theexpfunctionisthespecialfunctionwhoseslope(rateofchange)isequaltothevalueofthefunction.
Y=exp(X)=d[exp(X)]/dX=dY/dX
Thisfunctionoftenoccursinnaturewhentherateofchangeofavariableequalstheamountofthevariable.Thechangein
atmosphericpressurewithaltitudeisanexponential.
Theinverseoftheexponentialfunctionisthelogarithmicfunctionwiththesymbolln(X).Thelnfunctionappearsinmany
thermodynamicsproblems,suchascalculatingthechangeintheentropyofagasduringathermodynamicprocess.
Thecosh(X)functionontheslideisthehyperboliccosinefunction.Itisaspecial,tabulatedfunctionthatresultsfrom
solvingacertainformofdifferentialequationandissimilartothetrigonometriccosfunction.Thisfunctionappearsinthe
solutiontotheproblemofalinethatsagsunderitsownweightlikethesupportcablesofabridge.
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https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k12/airplane/function.html

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