Functions: Week 1 Content

WEEK 1 CONTENT
Functions
Notes compiled by R Durandt from Cengage Learning and OpenStax material

Objectives
► Functions All Around Us
► Definition of a Function
► Evaluating a Function
► Domain of a Function
► Four Ways to Represent a Function
► The Vertical Line Test
► Common Equations that define Functions
► One-to-One Functions
► Plotting graphs of functions
Functions All Around Us
In nearly every physical phenomenon we observe that one quantity
depends on another. For example, your height depends on your
age, the temperature depends on the date.
Temperature is a function
Height is a function of age.
of date.
We use the term function to describe this dependence of one
quantity on another. For example:
Height is a function of age.
Temperature is a function of date.
The area of a circle is a function of its radius.
We see that the rule that describes how the area A of a circle
depends on its radius r is given by the formula A =  r2.
Definition of a Function
We usually consider functions for which the sets A and B are

sets of real numbers.
The symbol f(x) is read “f of x” or “f at x” and is called the

value of f at x, or the image of x under f.
The set A is called the domain of the function. The range of f

is the set of all possible values of f (x) as x varies throughout
the domain, that is, range of f = {f (x) | x  A}
Another way to picture a function is by an arrow diagram.
Each arrow connects an element of A to an element of B. The
arrow indicates that f(x) is associated with x, f(a) is
associated with a, and so on.
It is helpful to think of a function as a machine.
If x is in the domain of the function f, then when x enters the

machine, it is accepted as an input and the machine produces
an output f(x) according to the rule of the function.
The symbol that represents an arbitrary number in the
domain of a function f is called an independent variable.
The symbol that represents a number in the range of f is
called a dependent variable. So, if we write y = f (x), then x is
the independent variable and y is the dependent variable.
Example 1
Example 1 - Solution
Values of a Function; Domain and Range
The graph of a function helps us to picture the domain and range
of the function on the x-axis and y-axis, as shown.
The Domain of a Function – Example 2
If the function is given by an algebraic expression and the domain is
not stated explicitly, then by convention the domain of the function is
the domain of the algebraic expression—that is, the set of all real
numbers for which the expression is defined as a real number.
For example, consider the functions
The function f is not defined at x = 4, so its domain is {x|x ≠ 4}.

The function g is not defined for negative x, so its domain is {x|x  0}.
Example 3
Find the domain of each function.
Solution:
(a) A rational expression is not defined when the
denominator is 0. Since
we see that f (x) is not defined when x = 0 or x = 1.

Thus, the domain of f is
{ x | x ≠ 0, x ≠ 1}
The domain may also be written in interval notation as

(- , 0)  (0,1)  (1, )
(b) We can’t take the square root of a negative number, so

we must have 9 – x2  0.
We can solve this inequality to find that –3  x  3.

Thus, the domain of g is
{x | –3  x  3} = [–3, 3]
(c) We can’t take the square root of a negative number,
and we can’t divide by 0, so we must have t + 1 > 0,
that is, t > –1.
So, the domain of h is
{t | t > –1} = (–1, )

Four Ways to Represent a Function
The Vertical Line Test
The graph of a function is a curve in the xy-plane.
But the question arises: Which curves in the xy-plane are graphs of
functions?
This is answered by the following test.

Graph of a Not a graph of

function a function
If each vertical line x = a intersects a curve only once
at (a, b), then exactly one functional value is defined by
f(a) = b.
But if a line x = a intersects the curve twice, at (a, b) and

at (a, c), then the curve cannot represent a function because a
function cannot assign two different values to a.
Example 4
Using the Vertical Line Test, we see that the curves in
parts (b) and (c) represent functions, whereas those in parts (a)
and (d) do not.
(a) (b) (c) (d)

Equations That Define Functions
The following table shows the graphs of some functions that you
will see frequently.
Equations That Define Functions
One-to-One Functions
Let’s compare the functions f and g whose arrow diagrams are
shown.
f is one-to-one g is not one-to-one

Note that f never takes on the same value twice (any two
numbers in A have different images), whereas g does take on the
same value twice (both 2 and 3 have the same image, 4).
In symbols, g (2) = g (3) but f (x1) ≠ f (x2) whenever x1 ≠ x2.
Functions that have this latter property are called
one-to-one.
If a horizontal line intersects the graph of f at more than one point,
then we see that there are numbers x1 ≠ x2 such that f (x1) = f (x2) .
This function is not one-to-

one because f (x1) = f (x2).
Graphing Functions by
Plotting Points
Example 5 – Graphing Functions by Plotting Points
Sketch graphs of the following functions.
(a) f (x) = x2 (b) g (x) = x3 (c) h (x) =
Solution:
We first make a table of values. Then we plot the points
given by the table and join them by a smooth curve to obtain the
graph.
Sketch the graphs
(a) f(x) = x2
(b) g(x) = x3
Example 6 – Finding the Values of a Function from a Graph
The function T graphed gives the temperature between noon and

6:00 P.M. at a certain weather station.
(a) Find T(1), T(3), and T(5).
(b) Which is larger, T(2) or T(4)?
(c) Find the value(s) of x for which T(x) = 25.
(d) Find the value(s) of x for which T (x)  25.
Temperature function
(a) T(1) is the temperature at 1:00 P.M. It is represented by
the height of the graph above the x-axis at x = 1. Thus,
T(1) = 25. Similarly, T(3) = 30 and T(5) = 20.
(b) Since the graph is higher at x = 2 than at x = 4, it follows

that T(2) is larger than T(4).
(c) The height of the graph is 25 when x is 1 and when x is

4. In other words, the temperature is 25 at 1:00 P.M.
and 4:00 P.M.
(d) The graph is higher than 25 for x between 1 and 4. In

other words, the temperature was 25 or greater
between 1:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M.

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WEEK 1 CONTENT

Notes compiled by R Durandt from Cengage Learning and OpenStax material

Height is a function of age.

Temperature is a function of date.

The area of a circle is a function of its radius.

We usually consider functions for which the sets A and B are

The symbol f(x) is read “f of x” or “f at x” and is called the

The set A is called the domain of the function. The range of f

If x is in the domain of the function f, then when x enters the

The function f is not defined at x = 4, so its domain is {x|x ≠ 4}.

we see that f (x) is not defined when x = 0 or x = 1.

The domain may also be written in interval notation as

(b) We can’t take the square root of a negative number, so

We can solve this inequality to find that –3  x  3.

So, the domain of h is

{t | t > –1} = (–1, )

This is answered by the following test.

Graph of a Not a graph of

But if a line x = a intersects the curve twice, at (a, b) and

(a) (b) (c) (d)

f is one-to-one g is not one-to-one

This function is not one-to-

The function T graphed gives the temperature between noon and

(b) Since the graph is higher at x = 2 than at x = 4, it follows

(c) The height of the graph is 25 when x is 1 and when x is

(d) The graph is higher than 25 for x between 1 and 4. In

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