Exponential

functions
Saturday, 17 February 18
 Recall: Power functions x !
7 x q x

x 7! x (identity, linear)
Examples: x
x 7! x2 (quadratic)
x 7! x1/2 (square root)
x 7! x 1
(reciprocal) x2

1 1 p
x = x 1/2
= x
x
x

Saturday, 17 February 18
 Recall: Let a > 0.

We have defined aq only when q is a rational number; that is, of

the form ±m/n, where m and n are positive integers (n = 0).
m/n m m/n
a = the n-th root of a (and reciprocal for a )
In the expression aq , a is the base and q is the
exponent (power).
defined
Fact: a q
can be defined for any number q 2 R
p p p 14142
example a 2 2 = 1.4142 . . . a 2
⇡ a 1.4142
= a 10000
p
As we take more and more p
decimal places in approximating 2,
the estimated values of a 2 that we calculate this way pconverge
to (approach) a certain number, the natural value of a 2 .
Saturday, 17 February 18
 Conclusion: Given a > 0, the number aq is defined for any q 2 R

Facts: a, b > 0 and p, q 2 R

• ap+q = ap · aq These rules are
q q q identical to those
• (a · b) = a · b
✓ ◆q for positive integers
a aq or rational numbers
• = q
b b
p q pq
• (a ) = a

Saturday, 17 February 18
 We are able to consider power functions
Consequence: (
q x 2]0, +1[, q  0
x 7! x with
x 2 [0, +1[, q > 0.
q>1 <latexit sha1_base64="Zv5YCG/6Ok9ZE4d/v2aT2qi+5PY=">AAALeHicdVZbb9s2FFa7W+vskm6Pe2GWFNklM+y8bAu2oombZEOcNE3itKjlGhRF2VwoiRHpxR6n/MU974cMGDBg26EsyYzkGZDF830fzyGPSB56gjOpWq0/7t1/6+133n3vwcPGyvsffPjR6qOPL2U8SQjtkZjHySsPS8pZRHuKKU5fiYTi0OP0pXfVMfzLX2giWRxdqJmggxCPIhYwghVAw1XW2Ji6IRZSxWj65noD3TA1RhuuR0cs0gQ8y7SBpi6L0KC19RW8AzXrb7lb6NrlFLVcN2f7FfZJq9lwaeTnPjYaw9X1VrOV/VC90c4b607+Ox0+eviX68dkEtJIEY6l7LdbQg00ThQjnKYNdyKpwOQKj2gfmhEOqRzoLCcpegyIj4I4gSdSKEPtHhqHUs5CD5QhVmNZ5Qy4jOtPVPDtQLNITBSNyDxQMOEIEmgSjHyWUKL4DBqYJAzGisgYJ5go+Ax3PAmcBIzzgYaGvGICZmTC5Z9LezH3AfJp4J5pnVGeh85SwCJ6Q+IwxJBeN8Cpvr1FLkwVc47crbwPUMKkCvMc6HQWXjppDvKRdruwXHxccUtTeIRkPI5yqdSuZKOwKuQQH5ZCoL6vEIkhEjYaqycVZv8amB30A3J3KsxPUcaYBVXjunTeDYJd19nDgh0tYz3CkhSm7zMpOJ5JNeNUuwCStJpPqQg4UnSqJkLvpODqMZIqwWYi2TKKKvOPfwX92HxJ2DYcvi0gNBrRjYpjzEMYwq27VTjHTdqshfdgnL9VMN+DCFVQCDOh0ploirqz89PdE6PKNVLgqB7QT2agQYUos2EVVWTQELYss+syWPShFTEzl6jiO6J4mQb7Y0tjrLpmlFgSMOqKQ1txuExBBbMkxqprxrNs7uZVTQu/kxS+NHOWfzDqfESNE/Ou9z7GU0PCq85Js+Y1Mq8Kc8NZluEkRDdfQ7veN6RYWuPKzLqKRXBqWTKwjag6DjaK8mhZs7pSk/hny0dmVjVTCRmeDr9019y1zepQYaDwB8cm1e1wUoteBoe6I+fhlx6AsX5T7PlcQUrJELZSeSjSxD5vhyb4vLQVgpMFf1JiBUgwX6AHBxZ6UKBnZxZ6VqBHRxZ6VKAvFrFelP0r9eB/j/ejBVY63LWi7BbgsQUeF+DrRe/XBda1hN0ytgWWsS8s8KIALy3wsgB7FtgrwOcW+LwA9yxwr8zxshQ/A3B/cg4VWCj0rEDPOzZcDvX8xIbLj7fPeb5sdTct09cpMLPkdjsl0WXCZsAsqTtVtlJLl/Lc1FXLxqZ8iHFhQgTFuE9zkwWBZgGC3YDiCG4eLDD7CbYLKtxJouGpoCKBRb9pFvea5TfbpLlNiA9T2nFllpj8f147Y3NNodDBm3BOlSn1E077rTAcaPhLNVzo4JVCAYUSWvhLEnPewVVMJ9QvtyGTdytzCnfFdvVmWG/0tpvfNdsvttef7uWXxgfOp85nzudO2/nGeer86Jw6PYc4vzt/Ov84/zb+Xllb2Vz5Yi69fy/v84lz57ey/R/bukJV</latexit>

q=1

q<1 q<0
1

q>0 1
q> 1
q= 1
1
q< 1
1

Monday, 26 February 18
 In power functions x 7! xq
the exponent is fixed, and the base is the variable

In exponential functions x !
7 a x

the base is fixed, and the exponent is the variable

To study the behavior of such functions, we look at their graphs.

Proposition.
ax When a > 1, the function x 7! ax
is increasing.

a>1
1 Proof.
Let y > x. Then ay ax = ax ay x 1 >0
(since a > 1 =) ay x > 1y x = 1)
x
Saturday, 17 February 18
 In power functions x 7! xq
the exponent is fixed, and the base is the variable

In exponential functions x !
7 a x

the base is fixed, and the exponent is the variable

To study the behavior of such functions, we look at their graphs.

a x ax
0<a<1
a>1
1
1

x x
Saturday, 17 February 18
 Fact: Exponential growth (or decay) is much faster than that of powers.
x 7! x2 x 7! 2x

Fig. 1. Comparison between a power

and an exponential function

Saturday, 17 February 18
 Fact: Exponential growth (or decay) is much faster than that of powers.
x 7! x2 x 7! 2x

Fig. 2. Comparison between a power

and an exponential function

Saturday, 17 February 18