14.
Functions
3
1) 7 ÷ =
4
7
2) 3 =
𝑥𝑥
3) Find the exact solution of this equation by completing
the square:
2𝑥𝑥 2 + 12𝑥𝑥 + 15 = 0
Check your answer by using the quadratic formula.
1
Function Notation
A function is a different notation for an equation like
𝑦𝑦 = 3𝑥𝑥 + 2
‘𝑦𝑦’ is replaced by for example 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) or 𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥):
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 3𝑥𝑥 + 2
or:
𝑓𝑓: 𝑥𝑥 → 3𝑥𝑥 + 2
What does this function 𝑓𝑓 tell us we have to do to our
input 𝑥𝑥?
What would our output 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) be for 𝑥𝑥 = 4?
Evaluating Functions
Example 1
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 3𝑥𝑥 + 2.
Find 𝑓𝑓 (−6).
2
Example 2
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 𝑥𝑥 2 − 𝑥𝑥 + 7.
Find a) 𝑓𝑓(3) and b) 𝑓𝑓(−2)
Example 3
𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥 ) = 2𝑥𝑥 3 − 5.
Find a) 𝑔𝑔(2) b) 𝑔𝑔(−4) c) 𝑔𝑔(𝑎𝑎) d) 𝑔𝑔(3𝑎𝑎)
3
Example 4
𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥 ) = 𝑥𝑥 2 + 1.
Find 𝑔𝑔(𝑎𝑎 + 3)
Example 5
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 𝑥𝑥 2 − 4 and 𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥 ) = 4𝑥𝑥 + 1.
Find the two values of 𝑥𝑥 for which 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥 ).
4
Exercise 1
5
Exercise 1 Answers
6
Exercise 2
7
Exercise 2 Answers
8
Combining Functions
𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) means find 𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥 ) first, then find 𝑓𝑓 of the result.
Always apply the function closest to 𝑥𝑥 first.
Example 6
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 𝑥𝑥 2 and 𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥 ) = 2 + 3𝑥𝑥.
Find 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ).
Find 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 (𝑥𝑥 ).
Usually 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) ≠ 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 (𝑥𝑥 ).
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Example 7
1
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = and 𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥 ) = 3 − 2𝑥𝑥.
𝑥𝑥
Find 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 )
Find 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 (𝑥𝑥 )
Find 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥)
Find 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓(3)
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Example 8
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 3𝑥𝑥 + 2 and 𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥 ) = 7 − 𝑥𝑥.
Solve the equation 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥 ) = 2𝑥𝑥.
11
Exercise 3
12
Exercise 3 Answers
13
Exercise 4
14
Exercise 4 Answers
15
Exercise 5
16
Exercise 5 Answers
17
Extension
18
Extension Answers
19
Inverse Functions
The inverse of 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) is another function, 𝑓𝑓 −1 (𝑥𝑥 ), which
reverses 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ).
What is the inverse of 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 𝑥𝑥 + 2?
Example 9
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 3𝑥𝑥 − 4 . Find 𝑓𝑓 −1 (𝑥𝑥 ).
1)Write out the equation 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑓𝑓(𝑦𝑦).
2)Make 𝑦𝑦 the subject.
3)Replace 𝑦𝑦 with 𝑓𝑓 −1 (𝑥𝑥 ).
Example 10
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 3𝑥𝑥 − 4 . Show that 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 −1 (𝑥𝑥 ) = 𝑥𝑥.
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Example 11
12+𝑥𝑥
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = . Find 𝑓𝑓 −1 (𝑥𝑥 ).
3
1)Write out the equation 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑓𝑓(𝑦𝑦).
2)Make 𝑦𝑦 the subject.
3)Replace 𝑦𝑦 with 𝑓𝑓 −1 (𝑥𝑥 ).
Example 12
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = √𝑥𝑥 + 4 . Find 𝑓𝑓 −1 (𝑥𝑥 )
21
Example 13
𝑥𝑥+1
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = . Find 𝑓𝑓 −1 (𝑥𝑥 ).
𝑥𝑥−2
Example 14
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 ) = 𝑥𝑥 2 − 4𝑥𝑥 + 9 for 𝑥𝑥 ≥ 2.
Find 𝑓𝑓 −1 (𝑥𝑥 ).
22
Exercise 6
23
Exercise 6 Answers
24
Exercise 7
25
Exercise 7 Answers
26
Exercise 8
27
Exercise 8 Answers
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More Questions
1)
2)
3)
29
4)
5)
30
Answers
1)
2−𝑥𝑥
a) b) (−2 + 4𝑥𝑥 − 2𝑥𝑥 2 )2
𝑥𝑥+2
2) b) 3
3) 𝑥𝑥 = 1, 𝑥𝑥 = 8
4)𝑥𝑥 = 3
5) a) 𝑥𝑥 2 + 12𝑥𝑥 + 35 b) 𝑥𝑥 = −7 , 𝑥𝑥 = −5
31