The Roman Ridge School

IGCSE Mathematics

Functions
Aim:
• To explore composite functions and inverse of a
function
Success criteria: I can
• Understand what a function is.
• Substitute values into a function.
• Make a variable the subject.
• Find the inverse of a function
• Substitute a function into another function.
• Find the value of a variable in an equation.
Function notation

A mapping transforms one set of numbers into a different set of numbers.

A function is a special mapping that maps each number of a set to only
one number in another set.

f The function f for this diagram is ‘add 4’.

1 5
2 6 This can be written using function
3 7 notation in two ways:
4 8
5 9 f :x x4 or f (x) x  4

f(1) = 5 means that the function f maps the number 1 to the number 5.
Examples

1 f (x) 2x  1 Find f (5)

a fb( 7)

a f (5) 2 5  1

10  1

9

b f ( 7) 2  7  1

 14  1

 15
Examples

2 f (x) x 2  3x Find f (6)

a fb( 2)

a f (6) 6 2  3 6

36  18

18

b f ( 2) ( 2)2  3  2

4  6

10
Examples

3 f (x) 2x 3  5 Find f (3)

a fb( 1)

a f (3) 2 33  5

2 27  5

59

b f ( 1) 2 ( 1)3  5

2  1 5

 2  5

3
Examples

4 f (x) 2x  7 f (x) 35

Find the value of x for which

2x  7 35 take 7 from both sides

2x 28 divide both sides by 2

x 14

check: 2 14  7 35 ✓

Examples

5 f (x) x 2  3 f (x) 22

Find the values of x for which

x 2  3 22 add 3 from both sides

x 2 25 square root

x 5

check: 5 2  3 25  3 22 and ( 5)2  3 25  3 22

Examples

6 f (x) 4x  1 and g(x) 3x  2

f (x) g(x)
Find the value of x such that

First put the two functions equal to each other.

4x  13x  2 take 3x from both sides

x  1 2 take 1 from both sides

x  3

check: f ( 3) 4  3  1 11 and g( 3) 3  3  2  11

Composite functions

When one function is followed by another function, the

resulting function is called a composite function.
g f

x g(x) fg(x)

fg

fg(x) means the function g acts on x first, then f acts on the result.
Examples

1 f (x) 2x  3 g(x) 5x  2

Find a fg(4) b gf(−5) c fg(x)

a fg(4) g acts on 4 first and g(4) = 5 × 4 − 2 = 18

f (18) f is the function ‘double and add 3’

2 18  3
39

b gf ( 5) f acts on −5 first and f(−5) = 2 × −5 + 3 = −7

g( 7) g is the function ‘times by 5 and take 2’

5  7  2
 37
Examples

1 f (x) 2x  3 g(x) 5x  2

Find a fg(4) b gf(−5) c fg(x)

c fg(x) g acts on x first and g(x) = 5x − 2

f (5x  2) f is the function ‘double and add 3’

2(5x  2)  3
10x  4  3
10x  1
Examples

2 f (x) x 2  2 g(x) 2x  1

Find a fg(5) b gf(−2) c fg(x)

a fg(5) g acts on 5 first and g(5) = 2 × 5 − 1 = 9

f (9) f is the function ‘square and add 2’

9 2  2
83

b gf ( 2) f acts on −2 first and f(−2) = (−2)2 + 2 = 6

g(6) g is the function ‘double and take 1’

2 6  1
11
Examples

2 f (x) x 2  2 g(x) 2x  1

Find a fg(5) b gf(−2) c fg(x)

c fg(x) g acts on x first and g(x) = 2x − 1

f (2x  1) f is the function ‘square and add 2’

 
2
(2x  1)2  2 2x  1 (2x  1)(2x  1) 4x 2  2x  2x  1
4x 2  4x  1 2
4x 2  4x  3
Inverse functions

The inverse of a function f (x) is the function that undoes what f (x) has done.

The inverse of the function f (x) is written as f  1(x)

f (x)
If f (x) x  2 then f  1(x) x  2

x y If f (x) x  3 then f  1(x) x  3

x
If f (x) 3x then f  1(x) 
3
f  1(x)
 3x  1
To find the inverse of the function f (x) 
2
3x  1
Step 1: Write the function as y = y
2

3y  1
Step 2: Interchange the x and y variables x
2

Step 3: Rearrange to make y the subject 2x 3y  1

2x  13y
2x  1
y
3
2x  1
f  1(x) 
3
 3
To find the inverse of the function f (x)  x  1
x 1
3
Step 1: Write the function as y = y
x 1

3
Step 2: Interchange the x and y variables x
y 1

Step 3: Rearrange to make y the subject x(y  1) 3

xy  x 3

xy 3  x
3 x
y
x
3 x
f  1(x) 
x
To find the inverse of the function f (x) (x  2)3

Step 1: Write the function as y = y (x  2)3

Step 2: Interchange the x and y variables x (y  2)3

Step 3: Rearrange to make y the subject 3

x y  2
y 3 x  2

f  1(x)  3 x  2