MATHONGO – CHEAT SHEETS – FUNCTIONS

Definition
Let A and B are two non-empty sets, then a function f from A to B is defined as every
element of set A should have a unique image in set B.
In the function f : X  Y , y  f x  , X is called the domain of function f and Y is called
co-domain of function of f and function have real values for each element of set X. And
the exhaustive set of values of y the function attain for X is called range.

For example: y 2  x is not a function as if x  4, y  2 . But if domain of f (x ) is [0,

) i.e. set A and co-domain of f (x ) is [0, ) i.e. set B, then it is function of x.

(a) f ( x )  5 is a constant function (Domain R, Range {5})

(b) f ( x )  x,  x is an identity function (Domain R, Range R)

(c) f ( x)  a0  a1x  a2 x 2  ......... an x n is a polynomial function (Domain R, Range

is R in case of odd degree polynomials only)

(d) f ( x )  a x , (a  0 and a  1) is an exponential function (Domain R and Range is

positive real numbers)
y-axis y-axis
y = ax
(when a >1)
y = ax
(when a >1)
x-axis x-axis
O O

(e) f ( x)  loga x, ( x, a  0 also a  1) is logarithmic function (Domain positive real

numbers, Range R)
y-axis y-axis
y = logax
y = logax
(when a >1)
(when 0 < a <1)

x-axis x-axis
O O

(f) y  | x | is modulus function (Domain R, Range [0, ))

y-axis

(Even function, many one function)

x-axis
O

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MATHONGO – CHEAT SHEETS – FUNCTIONS
 1 for x  0 y-axis

(g) f (x)   0 x 0 is signum function and is
1
 1 for x  0

written as sgn x x-axis
(Domain R, Range {–1, 0, 1} ) O
(Odd function, Many one)
–1

(h) f ( x )  [ x] (where [.] denotes greatest integer) is greatest integer function and
f ( x )  [ x]  I ( I  x  I  1, where I is an integer)

2
Domain R, Range (set of integers)
1
–1 Many-one function
O 1 2 3
–1

Properties (i) [x  I ]  [x]  I

(ii) [x  y ]  [x]  [y ] if 0  {x}  {y }  1
[x]  [y ]  1 if 1  {x}  {y }  2
(iii) [x]  [x] if x  Integer
–[x]–1 if x  Integer
(iv) x  [ x]  { x}
(i) f ( x)  {x} is fractional part function of x.

Periodic Functions
A function y  f (x ) is a periodic function if f ( x  T )  f ( x ) for all x and T is
independent of x. Here T is called period of the function and smallest positive value of
T is called fundamental period.

(a) Period of sin x, cosx, sec x, cosec x, sin3 x, cos3 x is 2 .

(b) Period of | sin x |, | cosx |, tan x, cot x, sin2 x, cos2 x, tan2 x, sin4 x is .

(c) Period of {x} is 1.

(d) If f (x ) is periodic with period T, then f (ax  b) is also a periodic function with
period T / | a | . For example period of cos(3  6x) is  / 3 .

(e) sin x, cos x, ex are not periodic functions.

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MATHONGO – CHEAT SHEETS – FUNCTIONS
(f) If f(x) and g(x) are period functions with period T1 and T2 , then period of
f ( x)  g( x) is LCM of T1 and T2 . For example period of sinx  sin2x is 2. But
periods of | sinx |  | cosx | and sin4 x  cos4 x are /2.

Odd and Even functions

If y  f (x ) is a function such that

f (x )  f ( x ) function is an even function.

f (x)  f ( x) function is an odd function.

Examples of even functions are cosx, x 2 , | x | .

Examples of odd functions are sin x, x 3 .

Even functions are many one functions and always symmetric about y-axis.
Odd functions are symmetric about origin, here f (0)  0 if 0 belongs to domain of odd
function.

One-one and Many-one functions

If f ( x1 )  f ( x2 )  x1  x 2 only, then y  f (x) is one-one function

f ( x )  x 3 , f ( x )  x , f ( x)  log x are one-one functions but f ( x )  x 2 is many-one

function as f (3)  f (3) .

One-one functions are also called injective functions.

Onto and into functions

If Range of function is equal to co-domain, then function is onto function otherwise it is
into function. (Onto functions also called surjective functions)
  
For example: f :  ,    1, 1 defined by f ( x)  sin x is one-one onto function.
 2 2
One-one onto functions are also called bijective functions.

Inverse of a function
Inverse is determined only for bijective functions.
  
Method: f :  ,   [1, 1] defined by y  f ( x)  sin x is bijective function.
 2 2
Step I : Find x in terms of x  sin1 y  f 1(y ) (Let)

Step II : Replace y by x  f 1( x )  sin1 x

Here Domain of f (x ) is Range of f 1( x ) and Range of f (x ) is Domain f 1( x ) .

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MATHONGO – CHEAT SHEETS – FUNCTIONS
 1   1 
Geometrically  ,  is a point on y  f (x) , so  ,  must satisfy it’s inverse
4 2  2 4
function.

Composite functions
y  f (x) and y  g(x) are two functions of x, then f g( x), gf ( x), f f ( x), gg( x) are
composite functions.
f ( x)  sin x x R

g( x )  e x x R

 
f g( x )  sine x , g f ( x )  e sinx , f f ( x)  sinsinx, gg(x)  ee
x

f g

x f(x) g(f(x))

Here h( x )  g f ( x )
Here Range of f  Domain of g

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