RepresentationofFunctions|1

Chapter 1
FUNCTIONS

This chapter prepares the way for calculus by discussing the basic
concepts of functions. A function arises whenever one quantity depends on
another. For example; the area of a circle depends on its radius, electricity
bill depends on power consumption, and the population growth varies with
time.

1.1 Representation and Definition of Functions

We may represent functions in four ways.

1. Verbally (by description of words)
Example 1 Lyka’s present age is half her mother’s age who was forty-two
years old thirteen years ago.
2. Numerically (by a table of values we call tabular function)
Example 2 The amount of income tax an individual pays depends on
his/her income. The way that the income determines the tax is given by the
following tax law (before Year 2018).

The first column in Table 1.1 contains the input, the second column
the output. For example, an input of 400,000.00 gives an output of
95,000.00.
3. Visually (by a graph)
Example 3 The graph of a function tells us how the function behaves. If we
choose a value of x (input) in Figure 1.1, we can read one value of y (output).
Input 0, for instance, produces output –2 because (0, –2) is on the graph.
Inputs 2 and –2 also produce the same output –2.
 4. Algebraically (by an equation)
Example 4 The volume of a cube is expressed by the algebraic formula
V s  s3 where V represents the volume and s the length of the edge of the
cube. If s (input) is 2 cm, the volume (output) is 8 cm 3.
The function in Example 4 can be expressed in all four ways. The
most useful representation is probably the formula V s  s3 but a table of
values and the graph of the function can provide an additional insight into
the function.
As seen in the examples, a function consists of
 A set of inputs (called the domain);
 A rule by which each input determines one and only one output;
 A set of outputs (called the range).
The notation
y  f  x , read as “y equals f of x”, is commonly used
to denote functions where f is the name of the function, x is the input
number (the independent variable) and y the output number (the
dependent variable). Hence, we can now state the definition.
Definition A function f is a rule such that one variable, say x ,
determines the value of another variable, say y , such that for every value of
x there is one value of y .
The domain of the function is the set of all numbers for which the
rule makes sense and defines a real number.
Note: There is no restriction in the choice of letters to denote the variables as
long as we make clear what we mean by these letters.
For instance, the input in Table 1.1 may be denoted by I (for income)
and the output by T (for tax) so that the function may be written as
T  f  I  , which means that the amount of tax depends on the income.
 We observe in Example 3 that the three inputs –2, 0, and 2 produce
the same output –2. The points (–2, –2), (0, –2) and (2, –2) lie on the graph.
There are other points on the graph that have different values of x but the
same values of y .
The constant function f  x  is a multi-valued function. We can
k
have as many values of x but only one value of y as in the constant function
f  x   2 . The value of the function does not change whatever real value of
x is. The graph of the function is a horizontal line. (See Figure 1.2.)

Example 5 The graph of the function f is shown in Figure 1.3.

(a) Find the values of f 3 f 3 f 0 and f 2 .
, ,
(b) What are the domain and range of f ?

Solution

(a) We see from Figure 1.3 that the point 3, 0 lies on the graph of f ,
so the value of f at 3 is 0. A function value of 0 means that the point is on
the x  axis . This x value is called the x  intercept of the curve. Notice that
f 3  0 , so there are two x  intercepts, 3 and 3 .
The value of f at 0 is 3. The point 0,3 lies on the y  axis . The
function value at x  0 is called the y  intercept of the graph. The graph of
a function can have as many x–intercepts as possible (or none at all) but
there is at most one y  intercept.
 When x  2 , the point on the graph lies about 2.25 units above the
x  axis , so we estimate f  2   2.25 .
that
(b)  
We see that f x is defined when 3  x  3 , so the domain of f is

the closed interval 3,3. Notice that f takes all values from 0 to 3, so the
range of f is y 0  y  3.

The Vertical Line Test

We observe that the graphs in Figures 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 intersect the
y  axis only once. The y  axis is a vertical line. If we draw other vertical
lines on the graphs, each of these lines also intersect the graph at one and
only one point. This fact distinguishes the graphs of functions from other
graphs.
The graph of a function
y  f  x has this property:
No vertical line intersects the graph more than once. Conversely,
any graph with this property is the graph of a function.
To verify this property, consider Figure 1.4. If this were the graph of
a function f , then we would have f  2   1 because 2,1 lies on the graph
an f 2  because 2, 5 is also on the graph. But the same input 2
d
5
produces two different outputs, which is not possible for a function.
Therefore, Figure 1.4 is not the graph of a function.

Example 6 The graph of 2

x  y  4 y  1 is shown in Figure
1.5(a). It is a parabola and fails the vertical line test. But solving for y gives
y   x  3 2 which are actually two functions of x ; f  x    x  3 2

and
g  x   2 [See Figures 1.5(b) and (c)]. Notice that if the roles
 x3
of x and y are reversed, then the equation x  h  y  y2  4 y 1 defines a
function with y as the independent variable and x the dependent variable.
Example 7 Find the domain of each function.
(a) f  x  2x3  3x2  2x  4
A function whose exponents of the independent variable are
nonnegative integers is called a polynomial function. A polynomial function
is defined for all real numbers, so the domain is the set of all real numbers
which can be written as the open interval , 
x2
(b) g  x 2
x  3x  4

The quotient of two polynomial functions is called a rational
function. Since division by 0 is not allowed, the function is defined only for
all real numbers except at the roots of the denominator. Solving for the roots
of the denominator and excluding them from the set of all real numbers will
give us the domain of the function.
x2  3x  4  0
(x  4)(x  1)  0
x  4
x1
Thus, the function is not defined at x  4 and x  1, so the domain
of g is x x  4, x  1which could be written in interval notation,
, 4 4,1 1, 
(c) h  x  3  x
Because the square root of a negative number is an imaginary
number, function h is defined only when 3 x  0 . Solving for x gives
x x  3. Thus, the domain of h in interval notation is , 3.
 j  x  x  9
2
(d)
Similarly, x2  9 
0
x2  9 or x3
x  3
Thus, function j is defined at , 3 3,   .

(e) Ag
k  x
2

ain,  16  x2  0
x2  16
4  x  4
Therefore, the domain of k is the closed interval 4, 4.

Example 8 An open box is to be made from a rectangular piece of

cardboard by cutting out and discarding congruent squares from the four
corners then bending up the sides. If the dimensions of the cardboard are 16
by 20 inches, express the volume of the box whose independent variable is
the length of the side of the cut-out squares. What is the domain of the
function?
Solution Let x be the length of the sides of the cut-out squares

and V the volume of the box as shown in the figure.

The volume of a box (rectangular parallelepiped) is the product of
the three dimensions namely; the length l, width w and height h. Thus,
V  lwh
V  x   20  2x 16  2x  x  320x  72x2  4x3

The domain is x 0  x  8or the open interval  0,8 .

▮

Note: Although the resulting function is a polynomial, we cannot say that its
domain is ,  because we are constrained with the physical conditions of
the problem (length, width, height, area, volume are always positive).
Example 9 The surface area of a cylindrical can of radius r and
height h is 2 r  2 rh . If the can is twice as high as the diameter of its top,
2

express its surface area S as a function of r .

Solution Let D be the diameter. Since a diameter is twice the
radius, then from the given condition, h  2D  22r   4r . Substituting
this to the formula of S , we get

The Greatest Integer Function

The greatest integer function is the function whose domain is the set
of all real numbers and whose range is the set of integers. This function is
represented by f  x    x  . The value of f  x  is the integer to the left
side
of x on the number line. If x is itself an integer then  x   x . For example;
5.3  6 , 4  4 and 5.8  5 .
To graph the function, let us consider several inputs x and outputs
 x . Figure 1.6 shows the graph of f  x   x .
x 3, 2 2, 1 1, 0 0,1 1, 2 2,3 3, 4
 x –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3

A function whose graph consists of horizontal line segments, such as

Figure 1.6, is called a step function because they jump from one value to the
next. A step function is also considered as a piecewise-defined function (to
be discussed in the next section).
Increasing and Decreasing Functions

The graph of f (Figure 1.7) rises from A to B, falls from B to C, then

rises again from C to D. The function f is said to be increasing on the
interval a, b , decreasing on b, c  and increasing again on c, d  .

A function f is called increasing on an interval I if

f  x1   f  x2 whenever x1  in I
x2

It is called decreasing on I if
f  x1   f  x2  whenever x1  in I
x2
Example 10 Write the intervals where the graph of the function is
increasing and decreasing. (Approximate where necessary.)

The function is decreasing, increasing and again decreasing in the intervals

, 0, 0, 2.7and 2.7,  , respectively.
 Exercise 1.1
Name Score
Schedule Date

1. The graphs of f and g are given.

(a) Find
f  0  f 5 , g 1 and g  2  . Approximate where necessary.
,

(b) For what values of x is

f  x  g  x ?

(c) Estimate the solution of the equation g  x   3 .

(d) State the domain and range of f .

(e) State the domain of g .

(f) On what interval is g increasing?

(g) On what interval is f decreasing?

 In exercises 2 – 5, find the indicated function values by hand. Verify your
answer using the CALC or the TABLE feature of the calculator (CASIO fx-
991EX). Write also
x  3the domain of the function in interval notation.
2. f  x
x2  3x  4

(a) f 2

(b) f  0 

(c) f 1

(d) (
df 3
)
Domain
:

3. g  x  4  x  9

(a) g  8 

(b) g  5

(c) g 0 

(d) g  7 
Domain:

4. h  x x6
 x1
(a) h 5

(b) h 2

(c) h  6 

(d) h 10

Domain:
 u1
5. f u    3u
(a) f 1

(b) f  0 

(c) f 8
Domain:

6. The number N (in millions) of post-paid cellular phone subscribers in

the Philippines is shown in the table. (Yearend estimates are given.)
T 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017
N 2.0 2.3 2.8 4.0 9.0
(a) Use the data to sketch a rough graph (on a graphing paper) of N as a
function of t.
(b) Use your graph to estimate the number of cell-phone subscribers at
the end of 2012, 2013 and 2015.

2
7. Find the domain and range and sketch the graph of the function
f  x 16  6x  x on a graphing paper.


In exercises 8 – 9, find a formula for the described function and state its
domain.

8. The area of a rectangle is 100 m2. Express the perimeter as a function of

the length of one of its sides.

9. A right circular cone is inside a cube. The base of the cone is inscribed in
one face of the cube and its vertex is in the opposite face. Express the
volume of the region between the cone and the cube as a function of the
length of the edge of the cube.
 In exercises 10 – 11, the rule of a function f is given. Write an algebraic
formula for f (x)
10. Square the input, subtract 16, and take the square root of the result.

11. Cube the input, multiply by 3, add 5, and divide the result by the input.

12. At noon, a car leaves town A on a street road, heading south at 60 km/h,
and a plane 4 km above the ground passes over town A heading east at
650 km/h.
(a) Express the distance r travelled by the car and the distance s travelled by
the plane as functions of time.
(b) Express the distance d between the plane and the car in terms of r and s.
(c) Express d as a function of time.
(d) How far apart were the plane and the car at 1:30 P.M.?