What Is A Function
What Is A Function
What Is A Function
3.1
What is a function ?
Introduction
A quantity whose value can change is known as a variable. Functions are used to describe
the rules which define the ways in which such a change can occur. The purpose of this leaflet is
to explain functions and their notation.
In order for a rule to be a function it must produce only a single output for any given input.
The function with the rule ‘double the input’ is shown below.
f
double 8
4 the input
f
x double 2x
the input
Note that with an input of 4 the function would produce an output of 8. With a more general
input, x say, the output will be 2x. It is usual to assign a letter or other symbol to a function
in order to label it. The doubling function pictured in the example above has been given the
symbol f .
A function is a rule which operates on an input and produces a single output from that input.
f (x) = 2x
This indicates that with an input x, the function, f , produces an output of 2x. The input to
the function is placed in the brackets after the function label ‘f ’. f (x) is read as ‘f is a function
of x’, or simply ‘f of x’, meaning that the output from the function depends upon the value of
the input x.
www.mathcentre.ac.uk 3.1.1
c Pearson Education Ltd 2000
Example
State the rule of each of the following functions:
a) f (x) = 7x + 9, b) h(t) = t3 + 2, c) p(x) = x3 + 2.
Solution
a) The rule for f is ‘multiply the input by 7 and then add 9’.
b) The rule for h is ‘cube the input and add 2’.
c) The rule for p is ‘cube the input and add 2’.
Note from parts b) and c) that it is the rule that is important when describing a function and
not the letters being used. Both h(t) and p(x) instruct us to ‘cube the input and add 2’.
The input to a function is called its argument. We can obtain the output from a function if
we are given its argument. For example, given the function f (x) = 3x + 2 we may require the
value of the output when the argument is 5. We write this as f (5). Here, f (5) = 3 × 5 + 2 = 17.
Example
Given the function f (x) = 4x + 3 find a) f (−1), b) f (6)
Solution
a) Here the argument is −1. We find f (−1) = 4 × (−1) + 3 = −1.
b) f (6) = 4(6) + 3 = 27.
Sometimes the argument will be an algebraic expression, as in the following example.
Example
Given the function y(x) = 5x − 3 find
a) y(t), b) y(7t), c) y(z + 2).
Solution
The function rule is multiply the input by 5, and subtract 3. We can apply this rule whatever
the argument.
a) To find y(t) multiply the argument, t, by 5 and subtract 3 to give y(t) = 5t − 3.
b) Now the argument is 7t. So y(7t) = 5(7t) − 3 = 35t − 3.
c) In this case the argument is z + 2. We find y(z + 2) = 5(z + 2) − 3 = 5z + 10 − 3 = 5z + 7.
Exercises
1. Write down a function which can be used to describe the following rules:
a) ‘cube the input and divide the result by 2’, b) ‘divide the input by 5 and then add 7’
2. Given the function f (x) = 7x − 3 find a) f (3), b) f (6), c) f (−2).
3. If g(t) = t2 write down expressions for a) g(x), b) g(3t), c) g(x + 4).
Answers
x3
1. a) f (x) = 2
, b) f (x) = x
5
+ 7. 2. a) 18, b) 39, c) −17
3. a) g(x) = x2 , b) g(3t) = (3t)2 = 9t2 , c) g(x + 4) = (x + 4)2 = x2 + 8x + 16.
www.mathcentre.ac.uk 3.1.2
c Pearson Education Ltd 2000
Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.
Alternative Proxies: