MATH 107E – Engineering Calculus 1

Module 1.2 Domain & Range of Functions and Composite Functions

A. What is a domain of function?
a. The domain of a function is the set of all values that can be plugged into a function and
have the function exist and have a real number for a value. For the domain, there is a
need to avoid division by zero, square roots of negative numbers, logarithms of
zero and logarithms of negative numbers.

The domain of a function may be described explicitly, or it may be described implicitly by

an equation used to define the function. The implied domain is the set of all real numbers
for which the equation is defined, whereas an explicitly defined domain is one that is given
along with the function.

b. The range of a function is the resulting 𝒚-values obtained after substituting all the
possible 𝒙-values.

Example: Find the domain and range of the function

1. 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝟓𝒙 − 𝟑

Answer: Any value of 𝒙 can be plugged into the polynomial, therefore, the domain are all
real numbers.

Domain: −∞ < 𝒙 < ∞ or (−∞, ∞)

Range: It is an equation of a line inclined towards the right because the slope is 5 and
not zero. This means that this function can take on any value and so the range is also all
real numbers.
Range: (−∞, ∞)

2. 𝒇 (𝒙) = 𝟐 + √𝒙 − 𝟏

Answer: As 𝒙 varies over the interval [1, +∞), the value of √𝒙 − 𝟏 varies over the
interval [0, +∞).

Domain: [1, +∞) Range: [2, +∞)

3. 𝒇 (𝒙) = (𝒙 + 𝟏)/(𝒙 − 𝟏)

Domain: {𝒙 ∶ 𝒙 ≠ 𝟏} → or “The domain the set of real numbers 𝒙 such that

𝒙 ≠ 𝟏”.
Range: {𝑦 ∶ 𝑦 ≠ 1}

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Exercises: Find the domain and range of the following functions.
1. 𝑓(𝑥) = 1/(𝑥 – 3)
2. 𝐺(𝑥) = √𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 5
3. 𝑔(𝑥) = √𝑥 2 − 3
4. 𝑔(𝑡) = √3 − 4𝑡

B. Composite Functions

a. If we are given two functions, we can create another function by composing one function
into the other. The steps required to perform this operation are similar to when any function
is solved for any given value. Such functions are called composite functions.

A composite function is generally a function that is written inside another function.

Composition of a function is done by substituting one function into another
function.

Then, the composition of 𝒇(𝒙) and 𝒈(𝒙) is: (𝒇 ∘ 𝒈)(𝒙) = 𝒇(𝒈(𝒙))

Examples:
1. Given → If 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝟑𝒙𝟐 − 𝒙 + 𝟏𝟎 and 𝒈(𝒙) = 𝟏 − 𝟐𝟎𝒙 find
a. (𝒇 ∘ 𝒈)(𝟓)
It can be done two ways.
a.1 find (𝒇 ∘ 𝒈) → 𝒇(𝒈(𝒙)) = 𝟑(𝟏 − 𝟐𝟎𝒙)𝟐 − (𝟏 − 𝟐𝟎𝒙) + 𝟏𝟎
= 𝟑(𝟏 − 𝟒𝟎𝒙 − 𝟒𝟎𝟎𝒙𝟐 ) − (𝟏 − 𝟐𝟎𝒙) + 𝟏𝟎

𝒇(𝒈(𝟓)) = 𝟑[𝟏 − 𝟒𝟎(𝟓) − 𝟒𝟎𝟎(𝟓)] − [𝟏 − 𝟐𝟎(𝟓)] + 𝟏𝟎

= 𝟐𝟗, 𝟓𝟏𝟐

a.2 find first 𝒈(𝟓) = 𝟏 − 𝟐𝟎(𝟓)

= −𝟗𝟗

Then find 𝒇(−𝟗𝟗) = 𝟑(𝟗𝟗)𝟐 − (−𝟗𝟗) + 𝟏𝟎 = 𝟐𝟗, 𝟓𝟏𝟐

b. (𝒈 ∘ 𝒇)(𝒙)

Exercises: Find the domain and range of the following functions.

𝟑𝒙−𝟏 𝟐𝒙+𝟓
1. 𝒇(𝒙) =
𝟑
2. 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝟐 3. 𝒇(𝒙) = √𝟐𝒙 − 𝟏
𝟓𝒙+𝟐 𝟑𝒙 +𝟒

Learning Activity #3 (Due Date: September 24, 2021)

Find the domain and range of the given function.
1. 𝒈(𝒙) = 𝟓 − √𝟐𝒙
2. 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟖𝒙 + 𝟑
3. 𝒗(𝒚) = (𝒚𝟑 − 𝟐𝟕)/(𝒚 − 𝟑)
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Learning Activity #4 (Due Date: September 24, 2021)
Compute (𝒇 ∘ 𝒈)(𝒙) and (𝒈 ∘ 𝒇)(𝒙) for each of the given pairs of functions.
1. 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝟓 + 𝟐𝒙, 𝒈(𝒙) = 𝟖 − 𝟐𝟑𝒙
2. 𝒇(𝒙) = √𝟐 − 𝒙, 𝒈(𝒙) = 𝟐𝒙𝟐 − 𝟗
3. 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝒙/(𝟑 + 𝟐𝒙), 𝒈(𝒙) = 𝟖 + 𝟓𝒙

Attachment:
Table on summary of interval notation (courses.lumenlearning.com).

References
https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/Functions.aspx
https://www.storyofmathematics.com/composite-functions
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/
https://math.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Calculus/Book%3A_Calculus_(OpenStax)/01%3A_
Functions and Graphs/1.2%3A_Basic_Classes_of_Functions

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