Function Operations and Composition

Chapter 2.
Function Operations and Composition

Arithmetic Operations on Functions
As mentioned near the end of Section 2.3,

economists frequently use the equation “profit
equals revenue minus cost,” or
P(x) = R(x) – C(x),
where x is the number of items produced and sold.

That is, the profit function is fund by subtracting
the cot function from the revenue function.
Figure 94 shows the situation for a company that
manufactures DVDs.
The two lines are the graphs of the linear
functions for revenue R(x) = 168x
and Cost C(x) = 118x +800
with x, R(x) and C(x) given in thousands
Example 1 Stretching or Shrinking a Graph
y Graph each
function
f  x  x
x x |x|
-2
-1
0
1
2
When 30,000 DVDs are produced and sold, profit
is
P(30) = R(30) – C(30)
= 168(30) – [118(30) + 800]
= 5040 – 4340
= 700
That is the profit from the

sale of 30,000 DVDs is
$700
Example 1 Using Operations on Functions
Let f(x) = x2 + 1 and g(x) = 3x + 5
(a) (f + g)(1)
Let f(x) = x2 + 1 and g(x) = 3x + 5
(b) (f - g)(-3)
Let f(x) = x2 + 1 and g(x) = 3x + 5
(c) (f g)(5)
Let f(x) = x2 + 1 and g(x) = 3x + 5
f
(d )   0
g
Example 2 Using Operations on Functions and Determining Domains
Let f(x)  8x - 9 and g(x)  2x - 1
(a)  f  g  x 
Let f(x)  8x - 9 and g(x)  2x - 1
(b)  f  g  x 
Let f(x)  8x - 9 and g(x)  2x - 1
(c )  fg  x 
Let f(x)  8x - 9 and g(x)  2x - 1
f 
(d )   x 
g
Let f(x)  8x - 9 and g(x)  2x - 1
(e) Give the domains of the functions in parts

(a) – (d).
Example 3 Evaluating Combinations of Functions
If possible, use the given representations of functions f

and g to evaluate
 f  g  4
 f  g   2
 fg 1
f
  0 
g

and g to evaluate
 f  g  4
 f  g   2
 fg 1
f
  0 
g

and g to evaluate
 f  g  4
 f  g   2
 fg 1
f
  0 
g
The Difference Quotient
Suppose the point P lies on the graph of y = f(x),
and h is a positive number.
If we let (x, f(x)) denot the coordinates of P and

(x+h, f(x+h)) denote the coordinates of Q, then the
line joining P and Q has slope
f  x  h  f  x f  x  h  f  x
m  ,h  0
 x  h  x h
This difference is called the difference quotient.
Figure 96 shows the graph of the line PQ (called a

secant line.
As h approaches 0, the slope of this secant line
approaches the slope of the line tangent to the
curve at P. Important applications of this idea are
developed in calculus.
The next example illustrates a three-step process

for finding the difference quotient of a function.
Example 4 finding the Difference Quotient
Let f(x) = 2x2 – 3x. Find the difference quotient

and simplify the expression.
Step 1. Find f(x + h)
Step 2. Find f(x + h) – f(x)
Step 3. Find the difference quotient.

f  x  h  f  x
h
Composition of Functions
The diagram in Figure 97 shows a function f that

assigns to each x in its domain a value f(x).
Then another function g assigns to each f(x) in its
domain a value g[f(x)]. This two step process takes
an element x and produces a corresponding element
g[f(x)].
The function with y - values g[f(x)]
is called the composition of functions
g and f, written g  f.
As a real-life example of function composition,
suppose an oil well off the California coast is
leaking, with a leak spreading iol in a circular
layer over the water’s surface.
At any time t, in minutes, after the beginning of
the leak, the radius of the circular oil slick is
r(t) = 5t feet.
Since A(r)   r gives the area of a
2
circle of radius r, the area can be

expressed as a function of time in by
substituting 5r for r in A(r)   r 2
to get
A r  t      5t   25π t
2 2
Example 5 Evaluating Composite Functions
4
Let f(x)  2x - 1 and g(x)  ,
x 1
Find each composition  f  g  2

4
Let f(x)  2x - 1 and g(x)  ,
x 1
Find each composition  g  f   3

4
Let f(x)  2x - 1 and g(x)  ,
x 1
Find the domain of g  f

Example 6 Finding Composition Functions
Let f(x)  4x  1 and g(x)  2x  5 x 2
Find each composition  g  f  x 

Let f(x)  4x  1 and g(x)  2x  5 x 2
Find each composition  f  g  x 

Let f(x)  4x  1 and g(x)  2x  5 x 2
Find each composition  f  g  x 

Caution
In general, the composition function f  g

is not the same as the product fg.
For example, with f and g defined as

in Example 6
 f  g  (x)  8x 2
 20x  1
But
 fg  (x)   4x  1  2 x 2

 5 x  8x  22 x  5 x
3 2
Example 7 Finding Composite Functions and Their Domains
1
Let f(x)  and g(x)  3 - x
x
Find the composition  f  g  x 
Give the domain of  f  g  x 

Example 7 Finding Composite Functions and Their Domains
1
Let f(x)  and g(x)  3 - x
x
Find the composition  g  f  x 
Give the domain of  g  f  x 

Example 8 Finding Functions That Form a Given Composite
Find functions f and g such that
 f  g  x   ( x 2
 5)  4( x  5)  3
3 2

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Chapter 2.

Function Operations and Composition

As mentioned near the end of Section 2.3,

P(x) = R(x) – C(x),

where x is the number of items produced and sold.

That is the profit from the

Let f(x) = x2 + 1 and g(x) = 3x + 5

Let f(x) = x2 + 1 and g(x) = 3x + 5

Let f(x) = x2 + 1 and g(x) = 3x + 5

Let f(x) = x2 + 1 and g(x) = 3x + 5

Let f(x)  8x - 9 and g(x)  2x - 1

Let f(x)  8x - 9 and g(x)  2x - 1

Let f(x)  8x - 9 and g(x)  2x - 1

Let f(x)  8x - 9 and g(x)  2x - 1

Let f(x)  8x - 9 and g(x)  2x - 1

(e) Give the domains of the functions in parts

If possible, use the given representations of functions f

If possible, use the given representations of functions f

If possible, use the given representations of functions f

If we let (x, f(x)) denot the coordinates of P and

Figure 96 shows the graph of the line PQ (called a

The next example illustrates a three-step process

Let f(x) = 2x2 – 3x. Find the difference quotient

Step 1. Find f(x + h)

Step 2. Find f(x + h) – f(x)

Step 3. Find the difference quotient.

The diagram in Figure 97 shows a function f that

circle of radius r, the area can be

Find each composition  f  g  2

Find each composition  g  f   3

Find the domain of g  f

Let f(x)  4x  1 and g(x)  2x  5 x 2

Find each composition  g  f  x 

Let f(x)  4x  1 and g(x)  2x  5 x 2

Find each composition  f  g  x 

Let f(x)  4x  1 and g(x)  2x  5 x 2

Find each composition  f  g  x 

In general, the composition function f  g

For example, with f and g defined as

Find the composition  f  g  x 

Give the domain of  f  g  x 

Find the composition  g  f  x 

Give the domain of  g  f  x 

Find functions f and g such that

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