FUNCTIONS

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Function notation

A mapping transforms one set of numbers into a different set of numbers.

A function is a special mapping that maps each number of a set to only
one number in another set.

f The function f for this diagram is ‘add 4’.

1 5
2 6 This can be written using function
3 7 notation in two ways:
4 8
5 9 f :x x4 or f (x)  x  4

f(1) = 5 means that the function f maps the number 1 to the number 5.

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Examples

1 f (x)  2x  1 Find f (5)

a fb(7)

a f (5)  2  5  1

 10  1

9

b f (7)  2  7  1

 14  1

 15

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Examples

2 f (x)  x 2  3x Find f (6)

a fb(2)

a f (6)  6 2  3  6

 36  18

 18

b f (2)  (2)2  3  2

 46

 10

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Examples

3 f (x)  2x 3  5 Find f (3)

a fb(1)

a f (3)  2  33  5

 2  27  5

 59

b f (1)  2  (1)3  5

 2  1 5

 2  5

3
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Examples

4 f (x)  2x  7 f (x)  35
Find the value of x for which

2x  7  35 take 7 from both sides

2x  28 divide both sides by 2

x  14

check: 2  14  7  35 ✓

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Examples

5 f (x)  x 2  3 f (x)  22
Find the values of x for which

x 2  3  22 add 3 from both sides

x 2  25 square root

x  5

check: 5 2  3  25  3  22 and (5)2  3  25  3  22

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Examples

6 f (x)  4x  1 and g(x)  3x  2

f (x)  g(x)
Find the value of x such that

First put the two functions equal to each other.

4x  1 3x  2 take 3x from both sides

x  1 2 take 1 from both sides

x  3

check: f (3)  4  3  1 11 and g(3)  3  3  2  11

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Composite functions

When one function is followed by another function, the

resulting function is called a composite function.
g f

x g(x) fg(x)

fg

fg(x) means the function g acts on x first, then f acts on the result.

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Examples

1 f (x)  2x  3 g(x)  5x  2
Find a fg(4) b gf(−5) c fg(x)

a fg(4) g acts on 4 first and g(4) = 5 × 4 − 2 = 18

 f (18) f is the function ‘double and add 3’

 2  18  3
 39

b gf (5) f acts on −5 first and f(−5) = 2 × −5 + 3 = −7

 g(7) g is the function ‘times by 5 and take 2’

 5  7  2
 37

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Examples

1 f (x)  2x  3 g(x)  5x  2
Find a fg(4) b gf(−5) c fg(x)

c fg(x) g acts on x first and g(x) = 5x − 2

 f (5x  2) f is the function ‘double and add 3’

 2(5x  2)  3
 10x  4  3
 10x  1

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Examples

2 f (x)  x 2  2 g(x)  2x  1
Find a fg(5) b gf(−2) c fg(x)

a fg(5) g acts on 5 first and g(5) = 2 × 5 − 1 = 9

 f (9) f is the function ‘square and add 2’

 92  2
 83

b gf (2) f acts on −2 first and f(−2) = (−2)2 + 2 = 6

 g(6) g is the function ‘double and take 1’

 2  6 1
 11

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Examples

2 f (x)  x 2  2 g(x)  2x  1
Find a fg(5) b gf(−2) c fg(x)

c fg(x) g acts on x first and g(x) = 2x − 1

 f (2x  1) f is the function ‘square and add 2’

 
2
 (2x  1)2  2 2x  1  (2x  1)(2x  1)  4x 2  2x  2x  1
 4x 2  4x  1 2
 4x 2  4x  3

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Inverse functions

The inverse of a function f (x) is the function that undoes what f (x) has done.

The inverse of the function f (x) is written as f 1(x)

f (x)
If f (x)  x  2 then f 1(x)  x  2

x y If f (x)  x  3 then f 1(x)  x  3

x
If f (x)  3x then f 1(x) 
3
f 1(x)

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 3x  1
To find the inverse of the function f (x) 
2
3x  1
Step 1: Write the function as y = y
2

3y  1
Step 2: Interchange the x and y variables x
2

Step 3: Rearrange to make y the subject 2x  3y  1

2x  1 3y
2x  1
y
3
2x  1
f 1(x) 
3

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 3
To find the inverse of the function f (x)  x  1
x 1
3
Step 1: Write the function as y = y
x 1

3
Step 2: Interchange the x and y variables x
y 1

Step 3: Rearrange to make y the subject x(y  1)  3

xy  x  3

xy  3  x
3 x
y
x
3 x
f 1(x) 
x
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To find the inverse of the function f (x)  (x  2)3

Step 1: Write the function as y = y  (x  2)3

Step 2: Interchange the x and y variables x  (y  2)3

Step 3: Rearrange to make y the subject 3

x y 2
y  3 x2

f 1(x)  3 x  2

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