BACHELOR OF BUSINESS COMPUTING

BUC1114: COMPUTING MATHEMATICS

Topic 4: Functions
Topic Objectives
The objectives of this topic include:

1. Understand the concept of functions and their properties.

2. Explore the concepts of domain and range and their significance.
3. Differentiate between one-to-one and onto functions.
4. Introduce the concept of function inverses and composition.
5. Explore the concept of one-to-one correspondence and cardinality of
sets.
6. Describe applications of functions in Computing
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this lecture, students should be able to:

1. Define a function, domain and range, inverse of a function, one-to-one

and onto functions one-to-one correspondence
2. Identify the domain and range of a function and restrictions on domain.
3. Recognize various types of functions.
4. Understand the conditions for a function to have an inverse.
5. Explore composition of functions.
6. Understand the concept of cardinality.
7. Describe applications of functions in computing

Topic Outline:

i. Functions;
ii. Domain and Range
iii. One-to-One and Onto Functions
iv. Inverses and Composition of functions
v. One-to-One Correspondence and Cardinality
vi. Applications of Functions in Computing

Timings:

Total hours: 4 hours

i. Lectures: 2 hours
ii. Tutorials: 2 hours

Private Study: 3 hours

Functions:
A function is a relation between a set of inputs (called the domain) and a set
of possible outputs (called the codomain) with the property that each input is
related to exactly one output. In other words, a function assigns each
element of the domain to exactly one element of the codomain.
Example: Consider a function f:R→R defined by f(x)=2x+1. Here, the domain
is all real numbers, and the codomain is also all real numbers. For any real
number x, the function assigns the value 2x+1.
Domain and Range:
 Domain: The set of all possible input values for which a function is
defined. It is often denoted as dom(f).
Example: For f(x)=√ x, the domain is dom(f)=[0,∞) because the square root
of a negative number is not defined in real numbers.
 Range: The set of all possible output values that a function can
produce. It is often denoted as range(f).
Example: For f(x)=x2, the range is range(f)=[0,∞) because any real number
squared is non-negative.
One-to-One (Injective) and Onto (Surjective):
 One-to-One (Injective): A function where each distinct element in
the domain maps to a distinct element in the codomain. No two
different inputs produce the same output.
Example: The function f(x)=3x is injective because if f(x1)=f(x2), then x1=x2.
 Onto (Surjective): A function where every element in the codomain
is mapped to by at least one element in the domain. The range is equal
to the codomain.
Example: The function g(x)=ex is surjective because every positive real
number is obtained as g(x) for some x.
Inverses and Composition:
 Inverse Function: If a function f:A→B is one-to-one, it has an inverse
function f−1:B→A, such that f(f−1(x))=x for all x in the range of f and
f−1(f(x))=x for all x in the domain of f−1.
Example: If f(x)=2x, then f−1(x)=x/2.
  Composition of Functions: Given two functions f:A→B and g:B→C,
the composition of g and f, denoted by g∘f, is a new function from A to
C defined by (g∘f)(x)=g(f(x)).
Example: If f(x)=2x and g(x)=x2, then (g∘f)(x)=g(f(x))=(2x)2=4x2.
One-to-One Correspondence and Cardinality:
 One-to-One Correspondence: Two sets have a one-to-one
correspondence if there exists a bijective function between them. In
other words, each element in one set corresponds to exactly one
element in the other set.
Example: The set of natural numbers has a one-to-one correspondence with
the set of even natural numbers via the function f(x)=2x.
 Cardinality of a Set: The cardinality of a set is the measure of the
"number of elements" in the set. If two sets have the same cardinality,
they are said to be equipollent.
Example: The sets A={1,2,3} and B={a,b,c} have the same cardinality (3),
and there exists a one-to-one correspondence between them (e.g.,
f(1)=a,f(2)=b,f(3)=c).
Applications of Functions in Computing
1. Input Validation:
 Functions are commonly used to validate input data. For example, a
function can check whether a user-provided email address is in the
correct format or if a password meets the required complexity criteria.
 Example: A function validateEmail(email) might return true if the
email is valid and false otherwise.
2. Data Transformation and Processing:
 Functions are used to transform and process data. They take input
data, perform operations, and produce output data.
 Example: A function encryptData(data, key) might take some data
and a cryptographic key, perform encryption, and return the encrypted
data.
3. Signal Processing:
 In audio and image processing, functions are used to manipulate
signals. Operations like filtering, compression, and enhancement are
often implemented using functions.
  Example: A function applyFilter(signal, filter) might apply a specific
filter to an audio signal.
4. Graphics and Visualization:
 Functions play a crucial role in computer graphics and visualization.
They are used to represent shapes, colors, and transformations.
 Example: A function drawCircle(center, radius) might be used to
draw a circle on a computer screen.
5. Sorting and Searching:
 Functions are employed in algorithms for sorting and searching data.
Sorting functions arrange data in a specified order, and searching
functions find specific elements efficiently.
 Example: The quicksort algorithm utilizes a partitioning function to sort
an array.
6. Mathematical Modeling:
 Functions are used to model real-world phenomena in computational
simulations. They help represent relationships between different
variables.
 Example: A function simulatePopulationGrowth(time) might model
the growth of a population over time based on certain parameters.
7. User Interface Interactions:
 Functions handle user interactions in graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
When a button is clicked or a key is pressed, a function is often called
to respond to the event.
 Example: A function handleButtonClick(event) might be triggered
when a user clicks a button on a website.
8. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence:
 Functions are central to machine learning models. In training, a
function (the model) learns to map input data to output predictions.
 Example: In a neural network, each layer involves a function that
transforms input data into a more abstract representation.
9. Networking and Communication:
 Functions are used in networking protocols for tasks such as data
encoding, decoding, and error checking.
  Example: A function encodeData(data) might be used to encode
information before transmitting it over a network.
10. Algorithm Design: - Functionality: Functions are fundamental in algorithm
design. Algorithms are often expressed as a series of functions that perform
specific tasks. - Example: A searching algorithm might involve a function
binarySearch(array, target) to efficiently locate a target element in a
sorted array

Exercises:
1. If g(x)=x2 and h(x)=√ x, find
a. Inverse of g(x) and h(x)
b. g∘h and h∘g
2. Given f(x)=2x+3, find the domain of f for x={-3, -2, 0,1, 2, 3, 5}.
Explain if f(x) is one-to-one or onto.