1

FUNCTIONS AND MODELS

FUNCTIONS AND MODELS

1.3
New Functions from Old
Functions
In this section, we will learn:
How to obtain new functions from old functions
and how to combine pairs of functions.
NEW FUNCTIONS FROM OLD FUNCTIONS

In this section, we:

 Start with the basic functions we discussed
in Section 1.2 and obtain new functions by
shifting, stretching, and reflecting their graphs.
 We also show how to combine pairs of functions
by the standard arithmetic operations and by
composition.
TRANSFORMATIONS OF FUNCTIONS

By applying certain transformations

to the graph of a given function,
we can obtain the graphs of certain
related functions.
 This will give us the ability to sketch the graphs
of many functions quickly by hand.
 It will also enable us to write equations for
given graphs.
TRANSLATIONS

Let’s first consider translations.

 If c is a positive number, then the graph of
y = f(x) + c is just the graph of y = f(x) shifted
upward a distance of c units.
 This is because each y-coordinate is increased
by the same number c.
 Similarly, if g(x) = f(x - c) ,where c > 0, then
the value of g at x is the same as the value
of f at x - c (c units to the left of x).
TRANSLATIONS

 Therefore, the graph of y = f(x - c) is

just the graph of y = f(x) shifted c units
to the right.
SHIFTING

Suppose c > 0.
 To obtain the graph
of y = f(x) + c, shift
the graph of y = f(x)
a distance c units
upward.

 To obtain the graph

of y = f(x) - c, shift
the graph of y = f(x)
a distance c units
downward.
SHIFTING

 To obtain the graph of y = f(x - c), shift the graph of

y = f(x) a distance c units to the right.

 To obtain the graph

of y = f(x + c), shift
the graph of y = f(x)
a distance c units to
the left.
STRETCHING AND REFLECTING

Now, let’s consider the stretching and

reflecting transformations.
 If c > 1, then the graph
of y = cf(x) is the graph
of y = f(x) stretched by
a factor of c in the
vertical direction.
 This is because
each y-coordinate is
multiplied by the same
number c.
STRETCHING AND REFLECTING

 The graph of y = -f(x) is the graph

of y = f(x) reflected about the x-axis
because the point (x, y) is replaced by
the point (x, -y).
TRANSFORMATIONS

The results of other stretching,

compressing, and reflecting
transformations are given on the next
few slides.
TRANSFORMATIONS

Suppose c > 1.
 To obtain the graph
of y = cf(x), stretch
the graph of y = f(x)
vertically by a factor
of c.

 To obtain the graph

of y = (1/c)f(x),
compress the graph
of y = f(x) vertically by
a factor of c.
TRANSFORMATIONS

 In order to obtain the graph of y = f(cx),

compress the graph of y = f(x) horizontally
by a factor of c.

 To obtain the graph

of y = f(x/c), stretch
the graph of y = f(x)
horizontally by a factor
of c.
TRANSFORMATIONS

 In order to obtain the graph of y = -f(x),

reflect the graph of y = f(x) about the x-axis.

 To obtain the graph

of y = f(-x), reflect
the graph of y = f(x)
about the y-axis.
TRANSFORMATIONS

The figure illustrates these stretching

transformations when applied to the cosine
function with c = 2.
TRANSFORMATIONS

For instance, in order to get the graph of

y = 2 cos x, we multiply the y-coordinate of
each point on the graph of y = cos x by 2.
TRANSFORMATIONS

This means that the graph of y = cos x

gets stretched vertically by a factor of 2.
TRANSFORMATIONS Example 1

Given the graph of y  x , use

transformations to graph:

a. y  x  2
b. y  x  2
c. y   x
d. y  2 x
e. y   x
TRANSFORMATIONS Example 1

The graph of the square root

function y  x is shown in part (a).
TRANSFORMATIONS Example 1

In the other parts of the figure,

we sketch:
 y x  2 by shifting 2 units downward.
 y  x  2 by shifting 2 units to the right.
 y x by reflecting about the x-axis.
 y2 x by stretching vertically by a factor of 2.
 y  x by reflecting about the y-axis.
TRANSFORMATIONS Example 2

Sketch the graph of the function

f(x) = x2 + 6x + 10.

 Completing the square, we write the equation

of the graph as: y = x2 + 6x + 10 = (x + 3)2 + 1.
TRANSFORMATIONS Example 2

 This means we obtain the desired graph by

starting with the parabola y = x2 and shifting
3 units to the left and then 1 unit upward.
TRANSFORMATIONS Example 3

Sketch the graphs of the following

functions.

a. y  sin 2 x

b. y  1  sin x
TRANSFORMATIONS Example 3 a

We obtain the graph of y = sin 2x from that

of y = sin x by compressing horizontally by
a factor of 2.
 Thus, whereas the period of y = sin x is 2 ,
the period of y = sin 2x is 2 /2 = .
TRANSFORMATIONS Example 3 b

To obtain the graph of y = 1 – sin x ,

we again start with y = sin x.
 We reflect about the x-axis to get the graph of
y = -sin x.
 Then, we shift 1 unit upward to get y = 1 – sin x.
TRANSFORMATIONS

Another transformation of some interest

is taking the absolute value of a function.
 If y = |f(x)|, then, according to the definition
of absolute value, y = f(x) when f(x) ≥ 0 and
y = -f(x) when f(x) < 0.
TRANSFORMATIONS

This tells us how to get the graph

of y = |f(x)| from the graph of y = f(x).
 The part of the graph that lies above the x-axis
remains the same.
 The part that lies below the x-axis is reflected
about the x-axis.
TRANSFORMATIONS Example 5

Sketch the graph of the function

y  x 1 .
2

 First, we graph the parabola

y = x2 - 1 by shifting the
parabola y = x2 downward
1 unit.
 We see the graph lies below
the x-axis when -1 < x < 1.
TRANSFORMATIONS Example 5

 So, we reflect that part of the graph

about the x-axis to obtain the graph
of y = |x2 - 1|.
COMBINATIONS OF FUNCTIONS

Two functions f and g can be combined

f
to form new functions f + g, f - g, fg, and
g
in a manner similar to the way we add,
subtract, multiply, and divide real numbers.
SUM AND DIFFERENCE

The sum and difference functions are

defined by:
(f + g)x = f(x) + g(x) (f – g)x = f(x) – g(x)

 If the domain of f is A and the domain of g is B,

then the domain of f + g is the intersection A  B .
 This is because both f(x) and g(x) have to be defined.
SUM AND DIFFERENCE

For example, the domain of f ( x)  x

is A  [0, ) and the domain of g ( x )  2  x
is B  (, 2] .

So, the domain of ( f  g ) x  x  2  x

is A  B  [0, 2] .
PRODUCT AND QUOTIENT

Similarly, the product and quotient

functions are defined by:
f f ( x)
( fg )( x)  f ( x) g ( x)   ( x) 
g g ( x)
 The domain of fg is A  B .
 However, we can’t divide by 0.
 So, the domain of f/g is  x  A  B | g ( x)  0.
PRODUCT AND QUOTIENT

For instance, if f(x) = x2 and g(x) = x - 1,

then the domain of the rational function
( f / g )( x)  x /( x  1) is  x | x  1 ,
2

or (,1)  (1, ).

COMBINATIONS

There is another way of combining two

functions to obtain a new function.
 For example, suppose that y  f (u)  u
and u  g ( x)  x 2  1.
 Since y is a function of u and u is, in turn,
a function of x, it follows that y is ultimately
a function of x.
 We compute this by substitution:
y  f (u )  f ( g ( x))  f ( x 2  1)  x 2  1
COMBINATIONS

This procedure is called composition—

because the new function is composed
of the two given functions f and g.
COMPOSITION

In general, given any two functions f and g,

we start with a number x in the domain of g
and find its image g(x).

 If this number g(x) is in the domain of f, then

we can calculate the value of f(g(x)).
 The result is a new function h(x) = f(g(x))
obtained by substituting g into f.
 It is called the composition (or composite) of f and g.
 It is denoted by f g (“f circle g”).
COMPOSITION Definition

Given two functions f and g,

the composite function f g
(also called the composition of f and g)
is defined by:

( f g )( x)  f ( g ( x))
COMPOSITION

The domain of f g is the set of all x

in the domain of g such that g(x) is in
the domain of f.
 In other words, ( f g )( x) is defined whenever
both g(x) and f(g(x)) are defined.
COMPOSITION

The figure shows

how to picture f g
in terms of machines.
COMPOSITION Example 6

If f(x) = x2 and g(x) = x - 3, find

the composite functions f g and g f .
 We have:

( f g )( x)  f ( g ( x))  f ( x  3)  ( x  3) 2

( g f )( x)  g ( f ( x))  g ( x 2 )  x 2  3
COMPOSITION Note

You can see from Example 6 that,

in general, f g  g f .
 Remember, the notation f g means that, first,
the function g is applied and, then, f is applied.

 In Example 6, f g is the function that first

subtracts 3 and then squares; g f is the
function that first squares and then subtracts 3.
COMPOSITION Example 7

If f ( x)  x and g ( x )  2  x ,
find each function and its domain.

a. f g
b. g f
c. f f
d. g g
COMPOSITION Example 7 a

(f g )( x)  f ( g ( x))  f ( 2  x)  2 x  4 2 x

 The domain of f g is:

x | 2  x  0  x | x  2  (, 2]
COMPOSITION Example 7 b

(g f )( x)  g ( f ( x))  g ( x )  2  x

 For x to be defined, we must have x  0.

 For 2  x to be defined, we must have 2  x  0 ,
that is, x  2 , or x  4.
 Thus, we have 0  x  4.
 So, the domain of g f is the closed interval [0, 4].
COMPOSITION Example 7 c

(f f )( x)  f ( f ( x))  f ( x )  x  x 4

 The domain of f f is [0, ) .

COMPOSITION Example 7 d

( g g )( x)  g ( g ( x)  g ( 2  x )  2  2  x

 This expression is defined when both 2  x  0 and

2  2  x  0.
 The first inequality means x  2 .
 The second is equivalent to 2  x  2 , or 2  x  4,
or x  2.
 Thus, 2  x  2, so the domain of g g is
the closed interval [-2, 2].
COMPOSITION

It is possible to take the composition

of three or more functions.
 For instance, the composite function f g h
is found by first applying h, then g, and then f
as follows:

( f g h)( x)  f ( g (h( x)))

COMPOSITION Example 8

Find f g h if f ( x)  x /( x  1) ,
g ( x)  x and h( x)  x  3 .
10

( f og oh)(x)  f (g(h(x)))
(x  3) 10
 f (g(x  3))  f ((x  3)10 ) 
(x  3)  1
10
COMPOSITION

So far, we have used composition to build

complicated functions from simpler ones.

However, in calculus, it is often useful

to be able to decompose a complicated
function into simpler ones—as in the
following example.
COMPOSITION Example 9

Given F ( x)  cos ( x  9) , find functions

2

f, g, and h such that F  f g h .

 Since F(x) = [cos(x + 9)]2, the formula for F states:

First add 9, then take the cosine of the result,
and finally square.
 So, we let:
h( x )  x  9
g ( x )  cos x
f ( x)  x 2
COMPOSITION Example 9

 Then,

(f g h)( x)
 f ( g (h( x)))
 f ( g ( x  9))
 f (cos( x  9))
 [cos( x  9)] 2

 F ( x)
THE END…