Page 1 of 8

Transformation of curve

Given graph of ( ) f y x = and sketch:
1. Linear Transformation
( ) d a bx c y + + = f
a. translate a along the x-axis
b. scale
b
1
along the x-axis
c. scale c along the y-axis
d. translate d along the y-axis

2. ( ) x y f =
a. reflect the portion of the curve that is below the x-axis about the x-axis

3. ( ) x y f =
a. keep only portion of the curve ( ) x y f = that is in the 0 x region
b. reflect that portion about the y-axis

4. ( ) x y = f
a. keep only portion of the curve ( ) x y f = that is in the 0 x region
b. reflect that portion about the y-axis

5. ( ) x y f
2
=
a. Sketch ( ) x y f =
i. keep portion of ( ) x y f = that is above the x-axis. Square root all y values
ii. Draw 1 = y
iii. The new curve is above the old curve for region 1 0 < < y
iv. The new curve is below the old curve for region 1 > y
v. The new and old curve will intersect at 0 = y and 1 = y
b. Reflect ( ) x y f = about the x-axis to get ( ) x y f =
c. If the curve has a turning point at the x-axis, it will be a sharp edge else it is flat.


stationar
y point

sharp
non
stationary
point
flat



O
p
t
i
o
n
a
l

Page 2 of 8
6.
( ) x
y
f
1
=
a.
y
1
all y values.
b. Draw the line 1 = y
i. The new curve is above old curve for 1 0 < < y .
ii. The new curve is below the old curve 1 > y
c. Draw the line 1 = y
i. The new curve is above below curve for 0 1 < < y .
ii. The new curve is above the old curve 1 < y
d. The vertical asymptotes become x-axis intercepts
e. The x-axis intercepts become vertical asymptotes
f. The maximum point becomes minimum point
g. The minimum point become maximum points
h. Analysis small and large values.

7. ( ) f ' y x =
a. Vertical asymptotes x a = remains
b. Horizontal asymptotes y k = becomes 0 k =
c. Oblique asymptotes y ax b = + becomes y a =
d. Stationary points becomes x-intercepts
e. Stationary points of inflection become turning points.
f. Find a few points on ( ) f y x = , estimate the gradient and plot out on the ( ) f ' y x = .
g. Connect the points.

Note: Highlighted portion are optional.

Advance concepts : Composite transformations

For some questions, you may be required to do a series of transformations to get the final
answers. Example:
( )
f 1 y x = +
a) Sketch ( ) ( ) f 1 g y x x = + =
b) Sketch
( )
g y x = (
( ) ( )
g f 1 x x = + )


O
p
t
i
o
n
a
l

Page 3 of 8
Finding equations/ describing transformations

Let original equation of a curve be ( ) f y x = , after a series of transformation, the final
equation of the curve be ( ) g y x = .

Type 1: The final curve ( ) g y x = is unknown, find it.
Apply the transformations one at a time replacing the variables correctly each time.

Example 2010/I/5 (part of)
The curve with equation
3
y x = is transformed by a translation of 2 units in the positive x-
direction, followed by a stretch with scale factor
1
2
parallel to the y-axis, followed by a
translation of 6 units in the negative y-direction. Find the equation of the new curve in the
form ( ) g y x =

Let ( )
3
f y x x = =

After translation of 2 units in the positive x-direction: Replace x with x 2
( )
3
2 y x =
After a stretch with scale factor
1
2
parallel to the y-axis: Replace y with 2y
( ) ( )
3 3 1
2 2 2
2
y y x x = =
After a translation of 6 units in the negative y-direction: Replace y with y +6
( ) ( )
3 3 1
2
1
6 6
2
2
2
y x y x = + =
Hence
( )
3 1
2 6
2
y x = is the final equation of graph.


Page 4 of 8
Type 2: Given ( ) f y x = and ( ) g y x = describe the transformations.
Find a possible transformation a step at a time. At every transformation, replace the variables
correctly each time.

Note: There is no standard answer for this type of questions.

Example 2007/I/5 part of
Show that the equation
2
7 2
+
+
=
x
x
y can be written as
2 +
+ =
x
B
A y , where A and B are
constants to be found. Hence state a sequence of transformations which transform the graph
of
x
y
1
= to the graph of
2
7 2
+
+
=
x
x
y .

2 7 3
2
2 2
x
y
x x
+
= = +
+ +


Original curve
( )
1
f y x
x
= =
A: Translation of 2 units in the negative direction of x-axis. Replace x with x +2
1
2
y
x
=
+

B: Scaling with a factor of 3 parallel to the y-axis. Replace y with

3

3 2 2
1 3 y
x
y
x
=
+ +
=
C: Translation of 2 units in the direction of positive y-axis. Replace y with y 2
3 3
2 2
2 2
y y
x x
= = +
+ +



Page 5 of 8
Type 3: The original curve ( ) f y x = is unknown, find it.

Method 1
Undo the series of transformations one step at a time. At every transformation, replace the
variables correctly each time.

Method 2 (Advance method, do this only if you understand)
Since ( ) f y x = , it means ( ) , x y is a point on the curve.
1) Apply the series of transformation to the point ( ) , x y .
2) Substitute the final point into ( ) g y x = , the final curve after transformation.
3) Then make y in terms of x . That will be the equation of ( ) f y x = .

Example: SAJC/11/P2/1
The curve ( ) f y x = undergoes, in succession, the following transformations:
A: a translation of 4 units in the positive x-direction
B: a reflection in the y-axis
C: a stretch with scale factor 2 parallel to the x-axis
The equation of the resulting curve is
1
1
x
y
x

=
+
. Obtain the equation of the original curve
( ) f y x = .

Method 1

Let
1
g( )
1
x
y x
x

= =
+
. To obtain the original graph we need to work backwards and reverse
each transformation, starting with the last.

C: Stretch with scale factor
1
2
parallel to x-axis. Replace x with 2x
2 1
2 1
x
y
x

=
+

B: Reflection in the y-axis. Replace x with x
( )
( )
2 1
2 1
2 1 2 1
x
x
y
x x


= =
+ +

A : Translation of 4 units in the negative x-direction. Replace x with x +4
( )
( )
2 4 1
2 9 2 9
2 4 1 2 7 2 7
x
x x
y
x x x
+
+
= = =
+ + +

Hence the original curve is
2 9
2 7
x
y
x
+
=
+
.


Page 6 of 8
Method 2

Let ( ) , x y be a point on the original curve ( ) f y x = .

A: a translation of 4 units in the positive x-direction
( ) 4, x y +
B: a reflection in the y-axis
( ) ( ) ( ) 4 , 4, x y x y + =
C: a stretch with scale factor 2 parallel to the x-axis
( ) ( ) ( ) 2 4 , 2 8, x y x y =
The point ( ) 2 8, x y lies on the curve
1
1
x
y
x

=
+


( )
( )
2 8 1
2 9 2 9
2 8 1 2 7 2 7
x
x x
y
x x x

+
= = =
+ +

Hence the original curve is
2 9
2 7
x
y
x
+
=
+
.


Page 7 of 8
Applying transformation to conics/basic curves

Transformation can be applied to conics. You just need to remember the basic equations of
the curves and then applied linear transformation for other variations.

Basic idea

When you replaced the variable x with x a the curve is translated a units in the positive
x -axis.

Similarly, when you replaced the variable y with y b the the curve is translated b units in
the positive b -axis.

Note the difference in sign

Example: Circle ( ) ( )
2 2
2
4 1 5 x y + + =

The basic equation of a circle is
2 2 2
x y r + = . For this question, we will first look at
2 2 2
5 x y + = . This is a circle with centre at the origin and radius 5.

( ) ( )
2 2
2
4 1 5 x y + + =
We are replacing x with 4 x . We shifted the circle 4 units in the positive x -axis.
We are replacing y with 1 y + . We shifted the circle 1 units in the negative y -axis.

Therefore ( ) ( )
2 2
2
4 1 5 x y + + = is a circle with centre at ( ) 4, 1 and radius 5.

Example: Hyperbola
( ) ( )
2 2
2 2
1 2
1
2 3
x y
= .
The basic equation of this type of hyperbola is
2 2
2 2
1
x y
a b
= . For this question, we will first
look at
2 2
2 2
1
2 3
x y
= . The centre of the hyperbola is ( ) 0, 0 , the asymptotes are
3
2
y x = .

( ) ( )
2 2
2 2
1 2
1
2 3
x y
=
We are replacing x with 1 x . We shifted the 1 units in the positive x -axis.
We are replacing y with 2 y . We shifted the 2 units in the positive y -axis.

The centre is now at ( ) 1, 2 .
The asymptotes are now
( ) ( ) ( )
3 3 3 1 3 7
1 1 2 or
2 2 2 2 2
2
2
x y x y x y y x = + = + = + =

Page 8 of 8
Example: ( ) ln 2 y x =

The basic equation is ln y x = . The vertical asymptote is 0 x = and the x-intercept is ( ) 1, 0 .

( ) ln 2 y x =
We are replacing x with 2 x . We shifted the 2 units in the positive x -axis.

The new vertical asymptote is 2 0 2 x x = = .
The new x-intercept is ( ) 3, 0 .

Example: 3
x
y e = +

The basic equation is
x
y e = . The horizontal asymptote is 0 y = and the y-intercept is ( ) 0,1 .

( ) 3 3
x x
e e y y = = + .
We are replacing y with 3 y . We shifted the 3 units in the positive y -axis.

The horizontal asymptote is 3 0 3 y y = = and the y-intercept is ( ) 0, 4 .