Some Types of Functions and their Graphs

Mathematics 100

Institute of Mathematics

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Outline

1 Functions and their Graphs

Graphs of Relations and Functions
Polynomial Functions
Rational Functions
Split Functions
Absolute Value Function

2 The Greatest Integer Function

3 More examples on Functions

4 Lecture Exercises

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Graph of an equation

Definition
R
The graph of an equation in 2 is the set of all points in R2 whose
coordinates are numbers satisfying the equation.

Remarks:
1 The domain and range of a relation may be determined from its graph.
domain - horizontal extent of the graph
range - vertical extent of the graph
2 Determining if an equation y = f (x) is a function or not may be
determined from its graph.

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Vertical Line Test (VLT)

Theorem
If every vertical line intersects the graph of an equation at most once, then the
equation defines y as a function of x.

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Vertical Line Test (VLT)

Example
Consider the graph of y = x + 1.

3 Each vertical line intersects the

graph exactly once. Thus,
2
y = x + 1 defines a function.
1

domain = R
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3

R
−1
range =
−2

−3

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Vertical Line Test (VLT)
Example
Consider the graph of x2 + y 2 = 4, which is a circle with center at the origin
and radius 2.

3 By VLT, the given equation does

not define a function.
2

1
domain = [−2, 2]

−3 −2 −1 1 2 3
−1 range = [−2, 2]

−2

−3

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Polynomial Functions

Recall that:

A polynomial function is a function of the form

f (x) = an xn + an−1 xn−1 + . . . + a1 x + a0 ,

where the ai ’s are real numbers, with an 6= 0 and n is a nonnegative integer.

The integer n is called the degree of the polynomial f . The domain of a
polynomial function is . R

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Constant Functions

A constant function has the form

R
f (x) = c, where c ∈ .

Its graph is a horizontal line which

intersects the point (0, c).

dom f = R
ran f = {c}

Graph of f (x) = c

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Linear Functions

A linear function has the form

f (x) = mx + b, where m, b ∈ , R
with m 6= 0.
(0, b)

Here, m is called the slope of the

line and b is called the y-intercept.

dom f = R

Graph of f (x) = mx + b ran f = R

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Linear Functions

To sketch the graph of a linear function, consider the x-intercept and the
y-intercept.

x-intercept : value of x when y = 0

y-intercept: value of y when x = 0

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Linear Functions

Example
Sketch the graph of the linear function defined by f (x) = 2x + 4.

Solution:
Solve for the y-intercept:

x = 0 =⇒ y = 2 · 0 + 4 =⇒ y = 4

4 is the y-intercept and (0, 4) is a point on the line.

Solve for the x-intercept:

y = 0 =⇒ 0 = 2x + 4 =⇒ x = −2

−2 is the x-intercept and (−2, 0) is another point on the line.

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Linear Functions
Solution cont’d.:

5 We simply plot the x- and

y-intercepts and draw the line
4 (0, 4)
connecting the two.
3

2 dom f = R
R
1
(−2, 0)
ran f =
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3
−1

Graph of f (x) = 2x + 4

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Linear Functions

Example
Sketch the graph of the linear function defined by g(x) = −3x + 1. (Try this at
home.)

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Quadratic Functions

A quadratic function has the form f (x) = ax2 + bx + c, where a, b, c ∈ R,

with a 6= 0.
Its graph is called a parabola.

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Characteristics of a Parabola

It either opens upward or downward. It opens upward when a > 0, and

downward when a < 0.
The parabola has a maximum or a minimum point, called the vertex. The
vertex is given by
b 4ac − b2
 
− , .
2a 4a
b
The parabola is symmetric with respect to the line x = − 2a .
The root(s)/zero(s)/x-intercept(s) of a quadratic function can be obtained
by factoring (if possible) or by using the quadratic formula:
√
−b ± b2 − 4ac
x= .
2a

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Quadratic Functions

Example
Sketch the graph of the quadratic function defined by f (x) = x2 − 5x + 4.

Solution:
Its graph is a parabola that opens upward since a > 0.
The vertex is the point

b 4ac − b2 4 · 1 · 4 − (−5)2
       
−5 5 9
− , = − , = ,− .
2a 4a 2·1 4·1 2 4

The parabola has a minimum point at ( 25 , − 94 ).

The line of symmetry is x = 25 , i.e., the vertical line passing through the
vertex.

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Quadratic Functions

Solution cont’d.:

To find the x-intercepts, let y = 0 and solve for x:

0 = x2 − 5x + 4 = (x − 4)(x − 1).

x = 4 and x = 1
The x-intercepts are x = 4 and x = 1.
Thus, (1, 0) and (4, 0) are points on the parabola.
For the y-intercept, let x = 0 and solve for y:

y = 02 − 5 · 0 + 4 = 4.

The y-intercept is 4 and the parabola passes through the point (0, 4).

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Quadratic Functions
Solution cont’d.:

4 dom f = R
3
ran f = − 49 , +∞


2

1
(1, 0) (4, 0)

−2 −1 1 2 3 4 5
−1

−2
( 25 , − 94 )
−3

Graph of f (x) = x2 − 5x + 4

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Quadratic Functions

Example
Sketch the graph of the quadratic function defined by g(x) = −2x2 + 3x + 2.
(Try this at home.)

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Rational Functions

A rational function is a function of the form

P (x)
f (x) = ,
Q(x)

where P and Q are polynomial functions and Q is not the constant zero
R
function. The domain of the rational function above is {x ∈ : Q(x) 6= 0}.

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Rational Functions

Example
x2 − 4
Sketch the graph of the rational function defined by f (x) = .
x−2

Solution:
To sketch its graph, we note that if x 6= 2, then we can write the given
function as
x2 − 4 (x − 2)(x + 2)
f (x) = = = x + 2.
x−2 x−2
Hence, the graph of the given function is the same as the graph of
f (x) = x + 2 but with the point (2, 4) excluded.

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Rational Functions
Solution cont’d.:

5 dom f = R \ {2}
4 (2, 4)

3
ran f = R \ {4}
2

−3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4
−1

x2 − 4
g(x)
Graph of f (x) = x + 2
x−2

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Rational Functions

Example
x2 − 2x + 1
Sketch the graph of the rational function defined by g(x) = . (Try
1−x
this at home.)

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Rational Functions

Example
Sketch the graph of the rational function defined by

(x − 1)(x2 − x − 6)
h(x) = .
x−3

Solution:
If x 6= 3, we have

(x − 1)(x2 − x − 6) (x − 1)(x + 2)(x − 3)

h(x) = = = (x − 1)(x + 2).
x−3 x−3

Thus, the graph of h is the graph of h(x) = (x − 1)(x + 2) = x2 + x − 2

excluding the point with x-coordinate 3, i.e., the point (3, 10).

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Rational Functions
Solution cont’d.:

10
dom h = R \ {3}
9
8
ran h = − 94 , +∞


7
6
5
4
3
2
1

−4 −3 −2 −1−1 1 2 3 4
−2 (− 12 , − 94 )

(x − 1)(x2 − x − 6)
Graph of f (x) = x2 + x − 2
h(x)
x−3

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Split Functions (Piecewise-defined Functions)

A piecewise-defined function is a function that is defined by different

expressions in different parts of its domain.

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Split Functions

Example
Sketch the graph of the split function defined by

3 , if x > 0
f (x) =
−2 , if x ≤ 0.

Solution:
This means that we graph f (x) = 3 when x > 0 and graph f (x) = −2 when
x ≤ 0.

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Split Functions
Solution cont’d.:

4 dom f = R
3

2 ran f = {−2, 3}
1

−4 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4
−1

−2

−3

−4

Graph of f

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Split Functions

Example
Sketch the graph of the split function defined by

 x − 12 , if x < 1
g(x) =
 1 2
4 x + 1 , if x ≥ 1.

Solution:
1
We sketch g(x) = x − 2 when x < 1 and sketch the graph of g(x) = 41 x2 + 1
when x ≥ 1.

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Split Functions

Solution cont’d.:

2
dom g = R
ran g = −∞, 12 ∪ 54 , +∞



1

−1 1 2

−1

Graph of g

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Absolute Value Function

We introduce the absolute value function, defined by the split function


x , if x ≥ 0
f (x) = |x| =
−x , if x < 0.

4 dom f = R
3

2 ran f = [0, +∞)

1

−3 −2 −1 1 2 3
−1

Graph of f (x) = |x|

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Absolute Value Function

Example
Sketch the graph of the function f (x) = |x + 2|.

Solution:
By definition, f is a split function given by

x+2 , if x + 2 ≥ 0
f (x) = |x + 2| =
− (x + 2) , if x + 2 < 0.

x+2 , if x ≥ −2
=
−(x + 2) , if x < −2.

Thus, the graph of f is the graph of f (x) = x + 2 if x ≥ −2 and its graph is the
graph of f (x) = −(x + 2) if x < −2.

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Absolute Value Function

Solution cont’d.:

4 dom f = R
3

2 ran f = [0, +∞)

1

−5 −4 −3 −2 −1 1
−1

Graph of f (x) = |x + 2|

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Absolute Value Function

Example
Sketch the graph of g(x) = |x − 5| + 3. (Try this at home.)

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Greatest Integer Function (Step Function)

The greatest integer function is the function whose value at any real
number x is the greatest integer less than or equal to x, denoted by [[x]].
Formally, we have

[[x]] = n, if n ≤ x < n + 1, where n is an integer.

Example
1 [[2.4]] = 2
2 [[1.9]] = 1
3 [[0]] = 0
4 [[−3.2]] = − 4

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Greatest Integer Function

Note that the domain of this function is R. Observe that

if −2 ≤ x < −1, then [[x]] = −2
if −1 ≤ x < 0, then [[x]] = −1
if 0 ≤ x < 1, then [[x]] = 0
if 1 ≤ x < 2, then [[x]] = 1
if 2 ≤ x < 3, then [[x]] = 2

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Greatest Integer Function

3 dom f = R
2

1
ran f = Z
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4
−1

−2

−3

Graph of f (x) = [[x]]

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Greatest Integer Function

Example
Sketch the graph of the function f (x) = [[x + 2]].

Solution:
Let us first compute some function values of f .

If − 1 ≤ x + 2 < 0, then [[x + 2]] = −1,

i.e., if − 3 ≤ x < −2, then f (x) = −1.
If 0 ≤ x + 2 < 1, then [[x + 2]] = 0,
i.e., if − 2 ≤ x < −1, then f (x) = 0.
If 1 ≤ x + 2 < 2, then [[x + 2]] = 1,
i.e., if − 1 ≤ x < 0, then f (x) = 1.

and so on.

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Greatest Integer Function

Solution cont’d.:

4 dom f = R
3

2
ran f = Z
1

−4 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3
−1

−2

Graph of f (x) = [[x + 2]]

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More examples on functions

Example
Let 
 x−1 , if x < −1
f (x) = −3x2 + 1 , if − 1 ≤ x < 1
[[x − 4]] , if 1 ≤ x ≤ 6.


The function f can be written as follows:



 x−1 , if x < −1
2
− 3x + 1 , if −1≤x<1




−3 , if 1≤x<2




−2 , if 2≤x<3

f (x) =

 −1 , if 3≤x<4
0 , if 4≤x<5




1 , if 5≤x<6




2 , if x = 6.


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More examples on functions

2 dom f = (−∞, 6]

1
ran f = (−∞, 1] ∪ {2}

−2 −1 1 2 3 4 5 6
−1

−2

−3

Graph of f

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More examples on functions

Example
Let  2
x −4
 x + 2 , if − 3 ≤ x ≤ −1, x 6= −2


h(x) =

 [[x]] + 1 , if − 1 < x < 1

|x − 5| , if 1 ≤ x ≤ 7.

We can write h as:



 x−2 , if − 3 ≤ x ≤ −1, x 6= −2
0 , if −1<x<0



h(x) = 1 , if 0≤x<1
−x+5 , if 1≤x<5




x−5 , if 5 ≤ x ≤ 7.


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More examples on functions

4 dom h = [−3, 7] \ {−2}

3

2 ran h = [−5, −4) ∪ (−4, −3] ∪ [0, 4]

1

−3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
−1

−2

−3

−4

−5

Graph of h

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Lecture Exercises

1. Sketch the graph of f (x) = 2 · [[x]] and determine its range.

2. Sketch the graph of the function g and determine its domain and range.
2x + 4


 , if x < −1, x 6= −2
 x+2
g(x) = |1 − x| , if − 1 ≤ x < 0


 2
x − x − 2 , if x ≥ 0.

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