Functions

Definition: A function f , defined from a set A to a set B, is a rule that associates with each
element of the set A one, and only one, element of the set B.
Examples:

a) Graphs: b) Tables:
y
x y

0 50
10 57.50

20 65
30 80
x
40 95
   
50 125
 60 200

c) Words: The cost of a taxicab is $2.00 for the first 1/4 of a mile and $1.00 for each
additional 1/8 of a mile.

d) Symbols: f ( x)  x 2  2

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Definition: The set A of all inputs is called the domain, and the set B of all outputs is called
the range.
y
Example: Example:
 x y
0 50
 10 57.50
20 65
x 30 80
    40 95
50 125
Domain  4  x  4 Range 0  x  4 60 200

Domain
{0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60}
Range
{50, 57.5, 65, 80, 95, 125, 200}
Example: f ( x )  x  2
2

Domain All real x or (   ,  )

Range All real y  2 or [ 2,  )

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Graphs

Definition: The Cartesian (rectangular) coordinate plane consists of ordered pairs of numbers
(x, y), or points, where the value of x indicates the horizontal position of the point
and the y value refers to the vertical position.
y

(a, b)
b

x
a

Coordinate Axes x-axis Points (a, 0)

y-axis Points (0, b)

II I
Quadrants: I All points (a, b) with a > 0 and b > 0.
II All points (a, b) with a < 0 and b > 0.
III All points (a, b) with a < 0 and b < 0. III IV
IV All points (a, b) with a > 0 and b < 0.

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Example:
y (, 4)
(, 4)
(4, 4)
5
4
3
2
(, 0)
1

(3, 2)
x
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
-1
(4, 2)
-2
-3
-4
-5
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Graphs of Functions

Definition: The graph of a function ( or equation) y  f ( x ) is the set of points (x, y) that
satisfy the function (equation).
f (x)
Example: f ( x)  x2

16
x y
-4 16
14
-3.5 12.25
-3 9
12
-2.5 6.25
-2 4
10
-1.5 2.25
-1 1
8
-0.5 .25
0 0
6
0.5 .25
1 1
4
1.5 2.25
2 4
2
2.5 6.25
3 9 x
0
3.5 12.25 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
4 16
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Elementary Functions

Ex: f ( x )  x  1 or f ( x )  2 x  x  x  4
2 3 2
1) Polynomial

x 1 1  x 3  x10
2) Rational Ex: f ( x )  x 3  2 x 2  1 or f ( x )  x 8  4 x 4

x2  x 2  x
3

3) Algebraic Ex: f ( x )  x  2 or f ( x ) 
2
x 1
5

Ex: f ( x )  2 or f ( x )  e
x x
4) Exponential

5) Logarithmic Ex: f ( x )  ln ( x ) or f ( x )  log 2 ( x )

6) Trigonometric Ex: f ( x )  sin x or f ( x )  cos x

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Polynomial Functions

Any function of the form f ( x )  a0  a1 x  a 2 x  a3 x  a 4 x    a n x is

2 3 4 n
Definition:
called a polynomial in x. the constants a0 , a1 , a 2 , a3 , a 4 ,  a n are called the
coefficients of the polynomial. The number n is called the degree of the polynomial.

Examples of Polynomials:

Degree
n  0, f ( x )  a0 (Constant)

n 1, f ( x )  a 0  a1 x (Linear/lines)

n 2, f ( x )  a0  a1 x  a2 x 2 (Quadratic/Parabolas)

n  3, f ( x )  a0  a1 x  a 2 x 2  a3 x 3 (Cubic)

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Constant Functions (Boring!)
y= a0

f ( x )  a0

Linear Functions (Crucial!)

f ( x )  a 0  a1 x more familiarly known as f ( x )  m x  b

Definition: The slope m of the line containing the two points ( x1 , y1 ) and ( x 2 , y 2 ) is
rise y  y1
m  2
run x2  x1
( x1 , y1 )
( x2 , y2 )
y2
rise
y1

x1 x2
run

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Example: Find the slope of the line containing (1, 3) and ( 4, 9) .
93 6 3  9 6
m  2 or m   2.
4 1 3 1  4 3

Example: Find the slope of the line containing (2, 3) and (7, 10) .
10  3 7
m 
7  ( 2) 9

Example: Find the slope of the line containing ( 4, 4) and (3, 4) .

44 0
m  0
3  4 7

Example: Find the slope of the line containing (8, 2) and (8, 6) .
62 4
m  
8  8 0 undefined.

92.131 Lecture 3A 9 of 22
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 m  4 m2

m  1 m 1

1
m
2

1
m
4
y = m x, for several m.
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Example: Graph h ( x )  x .
If x  0 , h ( x )   x . If x  0 , h ( x )  x .
y y

 

 

x x
   
   




Put it together, and we get x .

y 







x
   

92.131 Lecture 3A 11 of 22
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Theorem: The equation of the line of slope m going through the point ( x 0 , y 0 ) is

y  y0  m ( x  x0 ) .

Proof: Consider the picture.

(x, y)

( x0 , y0 )
L

The point ( x , y ) lies on the line L if, and only if, the slope calculated from ( x , y ) and
y  y0
( x 0 , y 0 ) is correct, that is: m. In other words  m , which means y  y 0  m ( x  x 0 ) .
x  x0
(Notice that x and y are the variables, while m, x 0 , and y 0 are just numbers.) This is called the
point-slope form of the equation of a line.

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 All non-vertical lines cross the y-axis. If a line crosses the y-axis at the point (0, b), then b is
called the yintercept. To find the equation of the line of slope m and yintercept b is easy. We use
the pointslope form of the equation of a line, where the slope is m, and the line contains the point
(0,b). Doing so we get y  b  m ( x  0 ) which reduces to

y  m x  b.
This is called the slope-intercept form. You should also memorize this.

Example: Find the slope-intercept form of the equation of the line through the points (1, 2)
and (3, 8).

82 6
First we compute the slope. m    3 . Now we use either of the two
3 1 2
given points in the point-slope form to get

( y  2)  3 ( x  1) .

Solving for y gives y  3 x  1 .

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Example: Find the slope-intercept form of the equation of the line through the points (1, 3)
and (8, 6).

(  6)  3  9
First we compute the slope. m  8  ( 1)  9   1 . Now we use either of the

two given points in the point-slope form to get

( y  3)  ( 1) ( x  1)

Solving for y gives y   x  2 .

Example: Find the slope-intercept form of the equation of the line through the points (0, π)
and (2,  π).

2   
First we compute the slope. m   . Now we use either of the two
20 2
given points in the point-slope form to get

 
(y  )  ( x  0) or y  x  .
2 2

92.131 Lecture 3A 14 of 22
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Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

If line L1 has slope m1 , and line L2 has slope m2 , then, L1 is parallel to L2 if, and only if, m1  m2 ,
1
and L1 is perpendicular to L2 if, and only if, m2   . Consider the following.
m1

Example: Find the equation of the line passing through the point (2, 5) that is parallel to the line
8x  4 y  5 .
First, we determine the slope of the line given by putting it in slope-intercept form.
We solve 8x  4 y  5 for y to get:
5
y  2x  .
4
Comparing this to y  m x  b , we see that the slope of the given line is 2. Since
the point on the line is (2, 5) , we use the point-slope form to get
( y  5)  2 ( x  2) . 

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Example: Find the equation of the line passing through the point (4,  3) that is perpendicular to
the line 6 x  4 y  3 .
First, we determine the slope of the line given by putting it in slope-intercept form.
We solve 6 x  4 y  3 for y to get:
3 3
y  x.
4 2
3
Comparing this to y  m x  b , we see that the slope of the given line is  . So,
2
3 2
the slope of the perpendicular line is the negative reciprocal of  , or . Since the
2 3
point on the line is (4,  3) , we use the point-slope form to get
2 2 17
( y  ( 3))  ( x  4) or y  x  .
3 3 3

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Power Functions
Part A: y  x , with r = 2, 4, 6, etc.
r

y


y  x6


y  x4
x
    

y  x2





Notice that these graphs seem symmetric about the y-axis. It doesn't matter whether we insert x or
x into an even power function; the answer is the same.

(This shows symmetry about the y-axis.)

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Part B: y  x , with r = 3, 5, 7, etc.
r

Symmetry through the origin is exhibited by the odd power functions.

That is, if the point (x , y) is on the graph, then so is (x , y).

y



yx 7

y  x5 x
    

y  x3



92.131 Lecture 3A 18 of 22
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Part C : y  x , with r =
r 1
2
, 14 , 16 , etc., and r = 13 , 15 , 17 , etc.

For y  x 2 and x 4 , the graphs look like that in Figure 5. Since y  x n is equivalent to the
1 1 1

nth root, if n is even x must not be negative.

The other graphs of y  x n for n even are very similar to those shown here. If n is odd  say
1

for example y  x 3 , or y  x 5  then x can be any real number. The graphs of these functions are
1 1

shown below.
y


Defined only for x  0

y x

y
4
x 

 x
92.131   3A
Lecture  19 of 22
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 y


y
3
x 

Defined for all x

x
    
y x
5





The other graphs of y  x n for n odd are very similar to those shown here, with the same ordering
1

situation.

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 Part D: y  x r , with r = 1, 3, etc. , and 2, 4, etc.
What if r is a negative integer? Can you guess that the situation will divide up into two cases, r
1 1
even or odd? Here’s the situation for r odd: , 3 , etc.
x x
y


1
y
x 

x
        
1
y 
x3






For r = 2 and 4, the graph is shown below.

92.131 Lecture 3A 21 of 22
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 y


1
y 
x2


1
y 
x
x4        









92.131 Lecture 3A 22 of 22
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