Functions

Lecture 1

MAT 137: Mathematical Analysis 1

Information Systems

January 19, 2025

What is a Function?

A function is a relation that assigns exactly one output value for

each input value from its domain.
Definition
A function f : A → B assigns to each element x ∈ A a unique
element f (x) ∈ B.
▶ Domain: Set A (input values).
▶ Codomain: Set B (possible output values).
▶ Image (Range): The actual set of outputs produced by the
function.
Example:
f (x) = x 2 , for x ∈ R.
Domain: R, Range: [0, ∞).
Domain and Range of Functions

The domain of a function is the set of all valid input values and
the range is the set of all possible output values.
Example: √
f (x) = x, for x ≥ 0.
The domain is [0, ∞), and the range is also [0, ∞).
Example 2:
1
f (x) = , for x ̸= 0.
x
The domain is R \ {0}, and the range is also R \ {0}.
For more complex functions, analyzing the domain and range often
requires consideration of factors like:
▶ Excluded values (e.g., division by zero).
▶ The square root of negative numbers (requires complex
numbers).
Odd and Even Functions
A function is:
▶ an even function if f (−x) = f (x)
▶ an odd function if f (−x) = −f (x)
for every function in the function domain.
The only function that is even and odd is f (x) = 0
Adding :
▶ The sum of two even functions is even
▶ The sum of two odd functions is odd
▶ The sum of an even and odd function is neither even nor odd
(unless one function is zero).
Multiplying :
▶ The product of two even functions is an even function.
▶ The product of two odd functions is an even function.
▶ The product of an even function and an odd function is an
odd function.
Graph
The graph of any even function has reflectional symmetry with
respect to the y-axis.
The graph of any odd function has rotational symmetry of order 2
about the origin.
Increasing and Decreasing Functions

For any two values x1 and x2 in an interval,

▶ f (x) is increasing if f (x1 ) < f (x2 ) if x1 < x2
▶ f (x) is decreasing if f (x1 ) > f (x2 ) if x1 > x2 .
Derivatives can be used to determine whether a function is
increasing, decreasing or constant on an interval:
▶ f (x) is increasing if derivative f (x) > 0
▶ f (x) is decreasing if derivative f (x) < 0
▶ f (x) is constant if derivative f (x) = 0
A critical number, c, is one where f (c) = 0 or f (c) does not exist;
a critical point is (c, f (c)).
Graph of a Function

The graph of a function is a visual representation of its behavior.

▶ It shows the relationship between the input x and the output
f (x).
▶ For each x in the domain, there is a corresponding point
(x, f (x)) on the graph.
Example: The graph of f (x) = x 2 is a parabola.
The graph opens upward and its vertex is at (0, 0).
Function Notation and Example

A function notation f (x) represents the output when the input is x.

Definition
The function f maps an element x from the domain to an element
f (x) in the co-domain.
Example: For the function f (x) = 2x + 3, the output is determined
as follows:

f (1) = 2(1) + 3 = 5, f (2) = 2(2) + 3 = 7.

Graphically, the function f (x) = 2x + 3 is a straight line:

Graphs
Graphs
Graphs
Trigonometric Functions
Types of Functions

Functions can be categorized into different types according to their

properties.
▶ Injective (One-to-One): Each element of the domain maps
to a distinct element of the co-domain.
▶ Surjective (Onto): Every element of the co-domain is
mapped by at least one element of the domain.
▶ Bijective: A function that is both injective and surjective.
Injective Example:

f (x) = 2x for x ∈ R.

The function is injective because no two different x values map to

the same f (x).
Surjective Example:

f (x) = x 2 for x ∈ R, onto the set [0, ∞).

Here, every value in the range [0, ∞) has at least one preimage.
Bijective Example:

f (x) = 2x + 1 for x ∈ R.

This function is both injective and surjective, so it is bijective.

Composition of Functions

The composition of two functions f and g is defined by:

(f ◦ g )(x) = f (g (x)).

Composition of functions allows the creation of new functions by

combining existing ones.
Example: Let f (x) = 3x + 1 and g (x) = x 2 . Then,

(f ◦ g )(x) = f (g (x)) = f (x 2 ) = 3x 2 + 1.

Properties of Composition:
▶ Composition is not commutative: f ◦ g ̸= g ◦ f .
▶ The composition f ◦ g is only defined if the range of g is a
subset of the domain of f .
Inverse Functions

A function f has an inverse f −1 if and only if it is bijective.

Inverse Function Property

f −1 (f (x)) = x and f (f −1 (x)) = x

Example:
x −3
f (x) = 2x + 3 ⇒ f −1 (x) = .
2
Graphical Interpretation: The graph of the inverse function is
the reflection of the original function’s graph over the line y = x.
Example and Graph
Practical tasks
1. Determine the domain and range of the following function:
√
f (x) = x − 2.
2. Check if the following function is injective, surjective, or
bijective:
f (x) = 3x − 7, x ∈ R.
3. Find the inverse of the function:
x +4
f (x) = .
2
4. Graph the function:
f (x) = x 2 − 3x + 2.
5. Solve for x if:
f (x) = 2x + 1, and f (x) = 7.
6. Determine if the following is a function:
y 2 = x.
1. Find the composition of the functions:

f (x) = 2x + 3, g (x) = x 2 − 1.

Compute (f ◦ g )(x) and (g ◦ f )(x).

2. Determine the value of f (3) for the function:

f (x) = x 3 − 4x 2 + x.

3. Check whether the function f (x) = |x| is injective.

4. Graph the piecewise function:
(
x + 2, if x ≤ 0,
f (x) =
x 2, if x > 0.

5. Find the zeros of the function:

f (x) = x 2 − 5x + 6.

6. Prove that f (x) = sin(x) is not injective.

1. Determine the asymptotes of the function:
1
f (x) = .
x
2. Find the maximum and minimum values of the function:

f (x) = −x 2 + 4x − 3.

3. Calculate the derivative of the function:

f (x) = 3x 3 − 5x 2 + 2x − 1.

4. Evaluate f (g (2)) where:

f (x) = x 2 , g (x) = 3x − 4.

5. Show that f (x) = e x is bijective.

6. Graph the exponential function:

f (x) = 2x .
1. Determine the range of the logarithmic function:

f (x) = ln(x), x > 0.

2. Write the equation of a linear function passing through the

points (1, 2) and (3, 6).
3. Verify if f (x) = x 3 + 1 is odd, even, or neither.
4. Solve f (x) = g (x) for the functions:

f (x) = x 2 − 1, g (x) = 2x − 3.

5. Determine the fixed points of the function:

f (x) = x 2 − 2x + 3.

6. Compute the slope of the tangent to the curve:

f (x) = x 2 − 3x + 1 at x = 2.
1. Find the intervals of increase and decrease for:

f (x) = x 3 − 6x 2 + 9x.
√
2. Determine if the function f (x) = x 2 is continuous for all
x ∈ R.
3. Graph the function:
x2 − 1
f (x) = .
x −1
Discuss the discontinuity.
4. Prove that the function f (x) = cos(x) is periodic.
5. Determine the domain and range of:
x2
f (x) = √ .
x −1
6. Find all values of c that satisfy the Mean Value Theorem for:

f (x) = x 2 + 2x on [1, 3].