5 Sep 2019

Function Notation
and
Evaluating Functions
1

Function Notation
•𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑦
•Read as the value of 𝑓 at 𝑥, function of
𝑥 or simply 𝑓 of 𝑥
•𝑥 is the domain or the input value
•Use to indicate that the given equation
is a function

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Evaluating Function
𝟐
𝒇 𝒙 = 𝟐𝒙 − 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟔

function output values

Input values or range
or domain

Example #1:
Given 𝑓 𝑥 = 2𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 + 6, find 𝑓 𝑘 .
Sol’n.
Step #1: Substitute 𝑘 for all variable 𝑥.
Step #2: Solve the equation by order of
operations. (exponent,
multiplication, addition and
subtraction).

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Example #1:
Given 𝑓 𝑥 = 2𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 + 6, find
𝑓 𝑘 .

Sol’n.
𝑓 𝑘 =2 𝑘 2−3 𝑘 +6
𝑓 𝑘 = 2𝑘 2 − 3𝑘 + 6 ∎
5

Example #2:
Given 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 − 3, find 𝑓 −5 .

Sol’n.
𝑓 −5 = −5 2 − 3
𝑓 −5 = 25 − 3
𝑓 −5 = 22∎

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Evaluating Piecewise Function

Let 𝑓 be the function which is the set of
all ordered pairs 𝑥, 𝑦 such that
3𝑥 − 2 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < 1
𝑓 𝑥 =ቊ
𝑥 2 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≥ 1
a. Find 𝑓 5
b. Find 𝑓 −5

Evaluating Piecewise Function

a. Find 𝒇 𝟓
Sol’n:
𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥2
𝑓 𝑥 = 5 2
𝑓 𝑥 = 25 ∎
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Evaluating Piecewise Function

b. Find 𝒇 −𝟓
Sol’n:
𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 − 2
𝑓 𝑥 = 3 −5 − 2
𝑓 𝑥 = −15 − 2
𝑓 𝑥 = −17 ∎
9

Try it yourself !
Let 𝑓 be the function which is the set of
all ordered pairs 𝑥, 𝑦 such that
𝑥 2 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≠ 2
𝑓 𝑥 =ቊ
7 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 2
a. Find 𝑓 8
b. Find 𝑓 2

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Operations on Functions
Operation Notation
Sum/Addition 𝑓 + 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑓 𝑥 + 𝑔(𝑥)
Difference/Subtraction 𝑓 − 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑓 𝑥 − 𝑔(𝑥)
Product/ Multiplication 𝑓 ∙ 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑓 𝑥 ∙ 𝑔(𝑥)
𝑓 𝑓(𝑥)
Quotient/Division 𝑥 =
𝑔 𝑔(𝑥)
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Example #3:
Given 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥, find 𝑔 1 − 𝑔(−2).
Sol’n.
𝒈(𝟏) 𝒈 −𝟐
𝑔 1 = 1 2−2 1 𝑔 −2 = −2 2 − 2(−2)
𝑔 1 = 1−2 𝑔 −2 = 4 + 4
𝑔 1 = −2 𝑔 −2 = 8
𝑔 1 − 𝑔 −2 = -2 – 8
𝑔 1 − 𝑔 −2 = −10∎
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Example #4:
1
Given ℎ 𝑥 = 2𝑥 3 − 5𝑥 2 + 1, find ℎ 2 ∙ ℎ(3)
Sol’n.
𝒉(𝟐)
ℎ 2 =2 2 3−5 2 2+1
ℎ 2 = 2(8) − 5(4) + 1
ℎ 2 = 16 − 20 + 1
ℎ 2 = −3
13

Example #4:
1
Solution: ℎ(3) 𝒈 𝟏ൗ𝟑
3 2
1 1 1
ℎ =2 −5 +1
3 3 3
1 1 1
ℎ =2 −5 +1
3 27 9
1 2 5
ℎ = − +1
3 27 9
1 14
ℎ =
3 27

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Example #4:
1
Solution: ℎ 2 ∙ ℎ( )
3
1 14
ℎ 2 ∙ℎ = −3 ∙
3 27
1 14
ℎ 2 ∙ℎ =− ∎
3 9

15

Example #5:
Given ℎ 𝑥 = 2𝑥 3 − 5𝑥 2 + 1
1
a. Find ℎ 2 + ℎ 3
1
b. Find ℎ 2 − ℎ 3
ℎ 2
c. Find 1
ℎ 3

16

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 5 Sep 2019

Try it yourself !
Given ℎ 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 + 1 and
𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥2 − 1
a. Find ℎ 𝑥 + 𝑔 𝑥 c. Find ℎ 𝑥 ∙ 𝑔 𝑥
ℎ 𝑥
b. Find ℎ 𝑥 − 𝑔 𝑥 d. Find 𝑔 𝑥

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Composite Function
Def. If ƒ and 𝑔 are functions, the
composite function (“𝑓 composed with
g”) is defined by
𝑓∘𝑔 𝑥 =𝑓 𝑔 𝑥
The domain of 𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 consists of the
numbers 𝑥 in the domain of 𝑔 for which
𝑔(𝑥) lies in the domain of 𝑓.

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Example #6:
Given that 𝑓 is defined by
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 and 𝑔 is defined by
𝑔 𝑥 = 2𝑥 − 3, find 𝐹(𝑥) if
𝐹 = 𝑓 ∘ 𝑔.

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Example #6:
Sol’n:
𝐹 𝑥 = 𝑓∘𝑔 𝑥 =𝑓 𝑔 𝑥
= 𝑓 2𝑥 − 3
𝐹 𝑥 = 2𝑥 − 3 ∎

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Example #7:
Given 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 + 2 and
𝑔 𝑥 = 4 − 𝑥2

a. Find 𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 𝑥
b. Find (𝑔 ∘ 𝑓)(𝑥)
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Example #7:
a. Find 𝒇 ∘ 𝒈 𝒙
Sol’n:
𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑓 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑓(4 − 𝑥 2 )
= 4 − 𝑥2 + 2
= 4 − 𝑥2 + 2
𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 𝑥 = −𝑥 2 + 6 ∎
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Example #7:
b. Find (𝒈 ∘ 𝒇)(𝒙)
Sol’n:
𝑔 ∘ 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑔 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑔(𝑥 + 2)
=4− 𝑥+2 2
= 4 − (𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 4)
= 4 − 𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 − 4
𝑔 ∘ 𝑓 𝑥 = −𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 or −(𝑥 2 +4𝑥) ∎
23

Try it yourself !
Given 𝑓 𝑥 = 2𝑥 + 3 and
1
𝑔 𝑥 =2 𝑥−3
a. Find 𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 𝑥
b. Find (𝑔 ∘ 𝑓)(𝑥)
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 5 Sep 2019

Word Problems involving functions

The length of a pendulum in inches,
𝐿, is a function of its period, or the
length of time it takes to swing back
and forth, in seconds, 𝑡. The function
is defined by the formula 𝐿 = 9.73𝑡 2 .
Find the length of a pendulum if its
period is 4𝑠.
25

Word Problems involving functions

Sol’n:
𝐿 = 9.73 4 2
𝐿 = 9.73 16
𝐿 = 155.68 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 ∎

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Word Problems involving functions

Miguel works at an appliance store. He gets
paid $5.25 an hour and works 8 hours a day.
In addition, he earns a 3% commission on all
items he sells. Let 𝑥 represent the total
dollar value of the appliances that Miguel
sells, and let the function m represent
Miguel’s daily earnings as a function of 𝑥.
What function describes how much Miguel
earns in a day?
27

Word Problems involving functions

Sol’n:
$5.25 8 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 = 𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑦
0.03 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑦 = 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛
Therefore, the total earnings of Miguel per day is,
∴ 𝑚 𝑥 = 42 + 0.03𝑥
If Miguel sold 4 items with a total of $100, how
much earnings he has on that day?
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Word Problems involving functions

Sol’n:
𝑚 𝑥 = 42 + 0.03𝑥
𝑚 100 = 42 + 0.03 100
𝑚 100 = $45.00

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Try it yourself !
You need to rent a car for one day.
Mertz Rental charges $32 per day
plus $0.10 per mile. Saver Rental
charges $24 per day plus $0.18
per mile. Luxury Rental charges $51
per day with unlimited mileage.
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 5 Sep 2019

Questions:
a. Write a cost equation for each
rental agency.
b. Graph the three equations on the
same axes.
c. Which rental agency is the
cheapest?
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Chart Title
70

60

50

40

30

20
121

169
103
109
115

127
133
139
145
151
157
163

175
181
187
193
199
205
211
31

79
13
19
25

37
43
49
55
61
67
73

85
91
97
1
7

Mertz Saver Luxury

32

16