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1-1 Functions
Topics
Function: a mathematical idea
Definition of function (informal)
Function names and functional notation
Five ways to define a function
A way to think about a function
Graphing functions with a graphing calculator

Function: a mathematical idea

You need to buy a new carpet for your living-room. Your living room floor is a square 25ft. x 25 ft. How
many square feet of carpet do you need to buy?

The area of the square (and the amount of carpet you need) is, of course: · 625 square feet ·

Suppose you re-measure, and find that the dimensions are 30x30? What is the area now?
In fact, for any square, if you know the length of a side (the input to the mathematical problem), you can
compute the area (the output for the mathematical problem):

input output
(length of side in feet) (area in square feet)
30 · 900 ·
35 · 1225 ·
50 · 2500 ·

Believe it or not, when you perform such a "function", you are a function!

A function "computes" a single output value for any valid input value.

Definition of a function (informal)

Really informal definition:

a function is an input/output rule:

such that if you give it an input,

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it will associate with that input exactly one output

Less informal definition of function

A function
is a rule of association
that associates any valid input
with exactly one output

 the set of all possible valid inputs is called the domain of the function
 the set of all possible outputs is called the range of the function

 the domain of our "carpet" function would be all real numbers greater than 0
 the range would be the same
 this would include carpets to cover the head of a pin, and carpets to cover the floor of the universe!

Some additional terminology:

 instead of using the terms input/output

 we sometimes use argument/value
 we also say that we apply a function to an input (or argument) to compute an output (or value)

Q: How do mathematicians specify (define) functions?

A: There are several ways!

 a function is defined by a rule of association that describes how to compute . . .

 starting with any given input
 that input's associated output
 we will examine four ways to specify such a rule of association
 thus four ways to define a function, each useful in its own way

a function can be defined by

a formula
a mapping diagram
an equation
a graph

But before we embark on that journey, we need to review some aspects of the language of mathematics.

Function names and functional notation

Mathematicians like to be able to express their ideas using "mathematical notation". So instead of writing

"The Fahrenheit temperature is computed from the Centigrade temperature by multiplying the Centigrade
temperature by nine and then dividing by twelve, and then adding thirty-two to that result",

the mathematician will write

F = (9/5)C + 32

Which do you like better?

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In a similar vein, the mathematician doesn't like to write:

"If the length of one side of a square room is 20 feet, the area is 400 sq. ft."

Or even:

"If the input to the area function is 20, then the output is 400"

Way too wordy!

Instead, the mathematician will give the carpet-area function a name, maybe area. Having given it a
name he will use a concise, precise, and extremely useful functional notation to make the above kinds of
statements. For example, he will write:

area(10) = 100 (spoken as "area of 10 equals 100")

area(20) = 400 (spoken as "area of 20 equals 400")

In other words, if 10 is the input to the area function, then area(10) stands for the associated output
(namely, 100); if 20 is the input, area(20) stands for the output (400). Of course, since area(10) is the
same as 100, whenever we see the notation "area(10)" we can freely substitute the actual value 100 for it.

Functional notation
name of function left paren input right paren
area ( 10 )
the whole expression in red
stands for the output
Note: this is a special notation, not to be confused with "area x 10" . Here the parens take on a special
"functional notation" role, not their more familiar "grouping role", as in a(b + c). You will be able to
distinguish between the two roles by context.

Five ways to define a function

Defining functions by using...

Finding the domain of a function defined using a formula

A formula square(x) = x2
It's a no-brainer!
A mapping diagram

An equation y = x2 Some equations don't define functions

A graph

Label and scale your graphs!!

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Every function has a graph (but not all graphs are functions)

Defining a function using a formula

Example:
Function name: square
Definition: square(x) = x2 Read: "square of x equals x squared"
Rule of association:

 the "x" on the left-hand side stands for the input

 the "x2" is the formula used to compute the output
 so square associates any input "x" with the output "x2", whatever x is.

Examples of usage:
square(2) = (that is, if 2 is the input, what is the output?) · 4 ·
square( )=· 2 ·
square(y) = · y^2 · ( y^2 is a computer/calculator notation for y2)

Another example:
F(C) = (9/5)C+32
F(30) = · 86 ·
F(a) = · (9/5)a+32 ·

It's a no-brainer!

 for any function defined by a formula,

 computing the output from the input
 is a matter of BRUTE FORCE SUBSTITUTION that is,

it's a no-brainer!
Example: f(x) = x2 + 2x + 3

f(3) = (3)2 +2(3) + 3 = 18

Notice: We substituted 3 for x on the left-hand side, so we did the same everywhere x occurred on the
right-hand side, and then completed the computation. Brute-force, no-brain substitution!

f(x + 2) = (x + 2)2 + 2(x + 2) + 3 = x2 + 4x + 4 + 2x + 4 + 3 = x2 + 6x + 12

Notice: We substituted "x + 2" for x on the left-hand side, so we did the same everywhere x occurred on
the right-hand side and then completed the computation. Brute-force, no-brain substitution!

We can even use functional notation itself within another formula:

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f(x) - f(x + h) = (x2 + 2x + 3) - ((x + h)2 + 2(x+h) + 3) = (x2 + 2x + 3) - (x2 + 2xh + h2 + 2x + 2h + 3)

= -2xh - h2 - 2h

Finding the domain of a function defined using a formula

For a function
defined by functional notation and a formula
the domain is
the set of all real numbers
for which the formula is defined
and evaluates
to a Real Number

f(x) = x2 Domain f = · all real numbers ·

f(x) = Domain f =· all real numbers except x=1 ·

f(x) = Domain f =· all real numbers >= 1 ·

Why? Square root of a number is a real number only if the number is >= 0. So we must have:

x - 1 >= 0 or
x >= 1

Defining a function using a mapping diagram

Example:
Function name: mother
Definition:

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Rule of association:

an input will be at the tail of the arrow

the associated output will be at the head of the arrow

Domain: {Sam, Maria, Jennifer}

Range: {Gertrude, Josephine}
Examples of usage:

 we say: the mother of Sam is Gertrude

 we write: mother(Sam) = Gertrude
 input: Sam output: Gertrude
 argument: Sam value: Gertrude
 we say: mother maps Sam into Gertrude
 we say: mother takes Sam into Gertrude

Defining a function using an equation

Example:
Function name: p
Definition: the function p defined by equation: y = x2
Rule of association:

 such equations will usually have only x's and y's as variables
 we will always use x to stand for an input
 y will stand for an output
 the equation is used to associate an x value with a y value
 the input variable (x) is called the independent variable (it is chosen first)
 the output variable (y) is called the dependent variable (because its value depends on what value
was chosen for x)

Example of usage:

 p(0) =· 0 ·
 p( )= ·2 ·

Note: the function p described here could just as well have been defined as:

p(x) = x2

Nonetheless, it remains common practice to define functions by using equations. Remember the
Centigrade-to-Fahrenheit function? One can write it in two ways:

F(C) = (9/5)C+32

or

the function F (with independent variable C) defined by the equation

F = (9/5)C + 32

Some equations don’t define functions

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Example:

y2 = 1 + x

 for input x = 3
 what is the output, the unique value of y that satisfies the equation?
 well, don't 2 and -2 both work?
 there are two possible outputs (2, -2) for a single input (3)

This is a NO-NO for functions!

Note: by solving for y, we get: y=

or two outputs y for each input x

A way to think about a function

We can think of a function as a machine (a computer) with input and output:

Graphing functions using a graphing calculator

We will be learning how to make a rough sketch of a graph of a function by hand, for various kinds of
functions. You will be required to exhibit those skills. When "by hand" is not required, one way to see
the graph of a function described using functional notation and a formula (or by an equation that has been
solved for y) is to use a graphing calculator:

TI-82 | TI-86

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