OPERATIONS ON FUNCTIONS

Functions with overlapping domains can be

added, subtracted, multiplied and
divided. If f(x) and g(x) are two functions,
then for all (x) in the domain of both
functions the sum, difference, product and
quotient are defined as follows.
ADDITION OF FUNCTIONS

(f + g)(x)=f(x)+g(x)
EXAMPLES:
1. Let f(x)=2x+1 and g(x)=x2−4
Find (f + g)(x) =

SOLUTION:
1.(f + g )(x) = f(x) + g(x)
=(2x+1) + (x2 −4)
= x2 +2x−3
THEREFORE:
(f + g )(x) = x2 +2x−3
2. Let f(x)=3x+1 and g(x)=2x−3
Find (f + g)(x) =

SOLUTION:
1.(f + g )(x) = f(x) + g(x)
=(3x+1) + (2x −3)
= 5x−2
THEREFORE:
(f + g )(x) = 5x -2
3. Let f(x) = 2x+3 and g(x) = x2
Find (f + g)(x)

SOLUTION:
1.(f + g )(x) = f(x) + g(x)
=(2x+3) + (x2)
= x2+2x+3
THEREFORE:
(f + g )(x) = x2+2x+3
 SUBTRACTION OF
FUNCTIONS

(f - g)(x)= f(x)- g(x)

EXAMPLES:
1. Let f(x)=2x+1 and g(x)=x2−4
Find (f - g)(x) =
SOLUTION:
1.(f - g )(x) = f(x) - g(x)
=(2x+1) - (x2 −4)
= 2x+1 - x2 +4
= -x2 +2x+5 = x2 -2x−5
THEREFORE:
(f + g )(x) = x2 -2x−5
2. Let f(x)=3x+1 and g(x)=2x−3
Find (f - g)(x) =

SOLUTION:
1.(f - g )(x) = f(x) - g(x)
=(3x+1) - (2x −3)
=x+4
THEREFORE:
(f + g )(x) = x + 4
3. Let f(x) = 2x+3 and g(x) = x2
Find (f - g)(x) =

SOLUTION:
1.(f - g )(x) = f(x) - g(x)
=(2x+3) - (x2)
= -x2+2x+3
= x2 - 2x - 3
THEREFORE:
(f + g )(x) = x2 - 2x - 3
 MULTIPLICATION OF
FUNCTIONS

(fg)(x)= f(x)* g(x)

(f•g)(x)= f(x)* g(x)

EXAMPLES:
1. Let f(x)=2x+1 and g(x)=x2−4
Find (fg)(x) =
SOLUTION:
1.(fg )(x) = f(x) * g(x)
=(2x+1) * (−4)
= 2x3 +x2− 8x− 4

THEREFORE:
(f g )(x) = 2x3 + x2− 8x − 4
2. Let f(x)=3x+1 and g(x)=2x−3
Find (f g)(x) =

SOLUTION:
1.(f + g )(x) = f(x) * g(x)
=(3x+1) * (2x −3)
= 6x2 – 9x + 2x -3
= 6x2 – 7x -3

THEREFORE:
(f g )(x) = 6x2 – 7x -3
3. Let f(x) = 2x+3 and g(x) = x2
Find (f g)(x) =

SOLUTION:
1.(f g )(x) = f(x) * g(x)
=(2x+3) * (x2)
= 2x3+3x2

THEREFORE:
(f g )(x) = 2x3+3x2
DIVISION OF FUNCTIONS

𝑓
(𝑥)= f(x) ÷ g(x)
𝑔
𝑓 𝑓(𝑥)
(𝑥)=
𝑔 𝑔(𝑥)
EXAMPLES:
1. Let f(x)= x2−4x + 4 and g(x)= x−2
𝑓
Find (𝑥)=
𝑔
SOLUTION:
𝑓 𝑓(𝑥)
1. (𝑥)=
𝑔 𝑔(𝑥)

𝑓 x2−4𝑥+4
(𝑥) =
𝑔 x−2
 𝑓 (𝑥 −2)(𝑥−2)
(𝑥) =
𝑔 𝑥−2

THEREFORE:
𝑓
(𝑥) = 𝑥 − 2
𝑔
2. Let f(x)=3x+1 and g(x)=2x−3
𝑓
Find 𝑥 =
𝑔
SOLUTION:
𝑓 𝑓(𝑥)
1. 𝑔
(𝑥) =
𝑔(𝑥)

𝑓 3𝑥+1
(𝑥) =
𝑔 2𝑥−3
3. Let f(x) = x3 - 3x2 -10x +24
and g(x) = x -2

𝑓
Find 𝑥 =
𝑔

SOLUTION:
𝑓 𝑓(𝑥)
1. 𝑥 =
𝑔 𝑔(𝑥)

𝑓 x3 − 3x2 −10x +24

𝑥 =
𝑔 x −2
SOLUTION:
x2 - x -12
x -2 x3 - 3x2 -10x +24
-(x3 - 2x2 )
-x2 -10x +24
-(-x2 +2x)
-12x +24)
-(-12x +24)
𝑓 2
𝑥 = 𝑥 − 𝑥 − 12
𝑔
Composition of Functions
The function whose value at x is f(g(x)) is
called the composite of the
functions f and g . The operation that
combines f and g to produce the composite is
called composition

(f∘g)(x)

f(g(x))
 The domain of f(g(x)) is
the set of all x in the domain
of g such that g(x) is in the
domain of f.

To put it simply the output of

the function inside the composite
function would then become the
input for the function outside
EXAMPLES:
1. Let f(x)= x + 2 and g(x) = x−2 , x = 4
Find f 𝑔(𝑥) =

SOLUTION:
First find the value of g(x) = x−2 , when
x=4
g(x) = x−2 = 4-2
g(x) = 2
Then substitute the value of g(x) into
f(g(x))
f(g(x)) = x+2
f(2) = x+2
f(2) = 2+2
f(2) = 4
2. Let f(x)= x2 + 5 and g(x) = x-3 when x = 5
Find f 𝑔(𝑥) =

SOLUTION:
First find the value of g(x) = x−3 , when
x=3
g(x) = x−3 = 5-3
g(x) = 2
Then substitute the value of g(x) into
f(g(x))
f(g(x)) = x2+5
f(2) = (2)2+5
f(2) = 4+5
f(2) =9
3. Let f(x)= 4x+9 and g(x) = 2x-7
Find f 𝑔(𝑥) =

SOLUTION:
f(g(x)) = 4x+9
f(2x-7) = 4(2x-7)+9
f(2x-7) = 8x-28+9
f(2x-7) = 8x-19
3. Let f(x)= x+2 and g(x) = x2 + 1
Find g 𝑓(𝑥) =

SOLUTION:
g(f(x)) = x2 + 1
g(x+2) = (x+2 )2 + 1
g(x+2) = x2 + 4x +4 +1
g(x+2) = x2 + 4x + 5