Diploma in Management Studies

Business Mathematics BUS003

Lecture 3 Functions and Their Graphs (I)
Topics to be discussed:
The Cartesian Coordinate System and
Straight Lines
Equation of Lines
Functions and Their Graphs
The Algebra of Functions
Ref: Tan, Chapter 2

Learning Outcomes
After this lecture, students should be able to:
Write down the equation of a line using the
point-slope, slope-intercept or general forms.
Sketch a straight line given its equation
Recognize parallel and perpendicular lines
Understand the concept of a function and its
graph, the vertical line test, domain and range.
Determine the domain and range of a function
Compute the sum, difference, product, quotient
and composition of functions.

The Cartesian Coordinate System

Take two perpendicular line, one is horizontal. These
lines intersect at a point 0, called the origin. The
horizontal line is the x-axis and the vertical line is the
y-axis.
We can represent a point in the plane by an ordered
pair of numbers (a, b). a is called the x-coordinate
and b the y-coordinate. In general (a, b) (b, a).
y

Quadrant I (+, +)

Quadrant II (( , +)

Quadrant III (-, -)

(a, b)

Quadrant IV (+, -)
3

Straight Lines
Let L denote the unique
straight line that passes
through
g two distinct p
points
(x1,y1) and (x2,y2).
The slope m of L is given by
m = y = y2 y1

x x2 x1
If x1=x2, then L is a vertical
line and the slope is
undefined
d fi d
m is a measure of rate of
change of y with respect to x

L
(x2, y2)
y=y2-y1
(x1, y1)
x=x2-x1

Examples of Straight line questions

Find the slope m of the
straight line that passes
through the points (-1,1)
and (5,3).
Using the formula,
m=3 - 1 =2=1

5 - (-1)
( 1) 6 3

(5,3)
(-1, 1)
x

Parallel Lines, Horizontal Line and

Vertical Line
Two distinct lines are parallel if their slopes are equal or
their slopes are undefined.
The slope of a horizontal line is zero.
The slope of a vertical line is infinity (undefined).
y

x=2
4
y=4

x
Parellel lines

x
Horizontal line

2
Vertical line

Example of Parallel Line

Let L1 be a line that passes through the
points (-2, 9) and (1,3) and let L2 be the
li th
line
thatt passes th
through
h th
the points
i t ((-4,
4
10) and (3,-4). Determine whether L1
and L2 are parallel.
39
The slope m1 of L1 is m1 1 (2) 2
The slope m2 of L2 is m2 4 100 2
3 (4)

Since m1 = m2, the lines L1 and L2 are

parallel
7

Exercise 3.1(a)
Find the slope of the line that passes
through the pair of points
(a) (4, 3) and (5, 8)

(b) (-2, 3) and (4, 8)

Answers to Exercise 3.1(a)

Exercise 3.1(b)
Given the equation y = 4x 3, answer the
f ll i questions.
following
ti
(a) If x increases by 1 unit, what is the
corresponding change in y?
(b) If x decreases by 2 units, what is the
corresponding change in y?

10

Answers to Exercise 3.1(b)

11

Equation of Lines
Let L be a straight line
y
parallel to the y- axis
(perpendicular to the xaxis).
i ) Th
Then L crosses th
the
x-axis at some point (a,0)
with the x-coordinate given (0, b)
by x = a, where a is some
real number. The vertical
line L is described by the
condition x = a.
A horizontal line is given
by the equation y = b

x=a
y=b

(a, 0)

12

Point Slope Form

An equation of the line that has slope m and passes
through the point (x1, y1) is given by y y1 = m(x x1)
e.g.
e g Find an equation of the line that passes through the
points (-3,2) and (4, -1)
The slope of the line is given by
m= [(-1-2)/(4-(-3)] = -3/7
Using the point slope form of the equation with the point
(-3,2), we have
y 2= -3 [(x-(-3)] 7y-14 = -3x 9 3x +7y-5 = 0

13

Perpendicular Lines
If L1 and L2 are two distinct lines that have
slopes m1 and m2 respectively, then L1 is
perpendicular
di l tto L2 (written
( itt as L1 L2 if and
d
only if m1 = - 1/m2).
e.g. Find the equation of the line that passes
through the point (3,1) and is perpendicular to
a line of slope = 2.
p of the required
q
line is g
given by
ym=
The slope
-. Using the point-slope form of the
equation of line, we have y 1 = -(x 3)
2y 2 = -x + 3 x + 2y 5 = 0
14

Slope-Intercept Form and General Form

The equation of the line that has the slope m
point ((0,, b)) is
and intersects the y axis at the p
given by y = mx + b.
e.g. Find an equation of the line that has slope 3
and y-intercept -4
Using the formula, the required equation is
y = 3x 4
q
Ax + By
y + C = 0,, where A,, B and C
The equation
are constants and A and B are not both zero, is
called the general form of a linear equation in
the variables x and y.
15

Exercise 3.2(a)
Write the equation in the slope-intercept form and then
find the slope and y intercept of the corresponding line

(a) 2x 3y 9 = 0

(b) 2x + 4y = 14

16

Answers to Exercise 3.2(a)

17

Exercise 3.2(b)
Find an equation of the line that satisfies
the condition
(a) The line passing through the point (a,b)
with slope equal to zero.
(b) The line passing through (-5, -4) and
parallel to the line passing through (-3, 2)
and
d (6
(6, 8)

18

Answers to Exercise 3.2(b)

19

Functions
A function is a rule that assigns to each
y one element
element in a set A to one and only
in a set B.
The set A is called the domain of the function.
Denote a function by f. If x is an element in the
domain of a function f, then the element in B
that f associates with x is written f(x) and is
called the value of f at x.
The set comprising all the values assumed by
y =f(x) as x takes on all possible values in its
domain is called the range of the function f.
20

10

Function as a Mapping
A
x1

x2

B
f

y1=f(x1)

y2=f(x2)

An element x in the domain of f is mapped into a unique element

f(x) in B

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Examples of Function
Let the function f be f(x) = 2x2 x + 1

(a). f(1) = 2(1)2 (1) + 1 = 2

(b). f(-2) = 2(-2)2 (-2) + 1 = 11
(c). f(a) = 2(a)2 (a) + 1 = 2a2 a + 1
(d). f(a+h) = 2(a + h)2 (a + h) + 1
= 2(a2 + 2ah + h2) a - h + 1
= 2a2 + 4ah + 2h2 a - h + 1

22

11

Determine the Domain of a Function

For the function y = f(x), the variable x is
called the independent variable and the
variable
i bl y th
the d
dependent
d t variable.
i bl
To determine the domain of a function, need
to know the restrictions (if any) that are
placed on the independent variable x.
If a function is defined by a rule relating x to
f(x) without specific mention of its domain, it is
understood that the domain will consist of all
values of x for which f(x) is a real number.
Thus division by zero and the square root of a
negative number is not defined.
23

Example of Domain of Function

(a ). f ( x) x 1

(b). f ( x)

1
x2 4

(c). f ( x) x 2 3

(a). The square root of a negative number is undefined. So it is

necessary that x 1 0 and x 1. Thus the domain f is the
interval [1, )
(b). The only restriction on x is that x2 4 0. Since (x2 4)
= (x + 2) (x 2) = 0 if x = -2 or x = 2, the domain of f consists
( , 2)) U ((2,, ))
Of the interval ((-,, -2)) U (-2,
(c). Any real numbers satisfies the equation, so the domain of
f is the set of all real numbers.

24

12

Graphs of Functions
If f is a function with domain A, then
corresponding to each real number x in A there
is precisely one real number f(x). We can
express this fact using ordered pairs of real
numbers (x, f(x)).
A function f with domain A is the set of all
ordered pairs (x, f(x)) where x belongs to A.
The
Th graph
h off a function
f
ti f is
i the
th sett off allll points
i t
(x,y) in the xy-plane such that x is in the domain
of f and y = f(x).
25

Example of Graph of Function

Sketch the graph of the function
y = x2 + 1 and determine its range
The domain of the
function is the set of all
real numbers.
Assign several values of
x and compute the
corresponding value y,
x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y 10 5 2 1 2 5 10
x2 0 and x2 + 1 1 for
all real number x. The
range of f is [1, )

(1, 2)

(-1,2)
(0, 1)

This is a parabola
26

13

Example of Graph of Function

Sketch the graph of the function
A function that is defined by
more than one rule is
called a piecewise-defined
function.
In the subdomain (-, 0),
f(x) = -x, which is a straight
line with slope = -1 and
intercept 0 on the left side
In the subdomain [0,),
[0 ) f(x)
= x which is a curve on
the right side

x
f ( x)
x

if

x0
x0

-2

27

The Vertical Line Test

It is not true that every curve in the xy-plane is
the graph of a function
function. For example
example, the curve
2
y = x has two y values for each x value (except
0) and hence violates the uniqueness property
of a function. (x = 4, y = 2)
A curve in the xy-plane is the graph of a function
y=f(x)
y
f(x) it and only if each vertical line intersects it
in at most one point.

28

14

Exercise 3.3(a)
Find the domain of the function
(a) f(x) = x2 + 3

(b) f ( x)

3x 1
x2

(c ) f ( x )

1 x
x2 4

29

Answers to Exercise 3.3(a)

30

15

Exercise 3.3 (b)

Let f be a function defined by the rule
f( ) = x2 x 6.
f(x)
6
(a) Find the domain of f.
(b) Compute f(x) for x = -3, -2, -1, 0, ,
1, 2, 3
(c) Use the results obtained in parts (a)
and (b) to sketch the graph of f

31

Answers to Exercise 3.3(b)

32

16

Exercise 3.3(c)
Sketch the graph of the function, find the
domain and range of the function

x
f ( x)
2 x 1

x0
if
x0

33

Answers to Exercise 3.3(c)

34

17

Sum, Difference, Product and Quotient

of Functions
Let f and g be functions with domains A and B
respectively. Then the sum f + g, difference f
g and product fg of f and g are functions with
g,
domain A B and rule given by
(f + g)(x) = f(x) + g(x)
Sum
(f g)(x) = f(x) g(x)
Difference
(fg) (x) = f(x)g(x)
Product
The quotient f/g of f and g has domain A B
excluding all numbers x such that g(x) = 0 and
rule given by f
f x Quotient
x
g x
g

A B denotes the set of all numbers common to both A and B

35 35

Examples of Manipulation of Functions

f ( x) x 1 g(x) = 2x + 1
Find the sum s, the difference d, the product p, and the
quotient q of the functions f and g
The
Th d
domain
i off f is
i A = [[-1,
1 )) and
d th
the d
domain
i off g iis B =
(-,), the domain of s, d and p is A B = [-1, ).

s ( x) ( f g )( x) f ( x) g ( x) x 1 2 x 1

d ( x) ( f g )( x) f ( x) g ( x) x 1 (2 x 1) x 1 2 x 1
p ( x) ( fg )( x) f ( x) g ( x) x 12 x 1 (2 x 1) x 1
f
f ( x)
x 1
q( x) ( x)

g ( x) 2 x 1
g
The domain of q(x) is [-1, ) together with the restriction
x-, denoted by [-1, -) U (-,).
36

18

Composition of Functions
Let f and g be functions. Then the
composition of g and f is the function
gf defined by (gf)(x) = g(f(x))
The domain of gf (read g circle f) is the
set of all x in the domain of f such that
f(x) lies in the domain of g
The
Th ffunction
ti gff is
i also
l called
ll d a
composite function
In general gf is different from fg
37

Example of composite function

f ( x) x 2 1
( g f )( x) g ( f ( x))

g ( x) x 1
f ( x) 1 x 2 1 1

( f g )( x) f ( g ( x)) ( g ( x)) 2 1 ( x 1) 2 1
x 2 x 11 x 2 x

38

19

Exercise 3.4(a)
Find the function f+g, f-g, fg and f/g

( a ) f ( x ) x 2 5;

g ( x)

(b ) f ( x )

g ( x)

x 3;

x 2
1
x 1

39

Answers to Exercise 3.4(a)

40

20

Exercise 3.4(b)
Find the rules for the composite function
fg and gf

(a) f ( x) x 1;
(b) f ( x)

x
;
x2 1

g ( x) x 2 1
g ( x)

1
x

41

Answers to Exercise 3.4(b)

42

21