Module 1.

FUNCTIONS

At the end of the module the students should be able to:

1. differentiate function from mere relation;
2. identify the domain and range of a relation;
3. identify and graph functions;
4. evaluate and perform operations on functions;
5. evaluate composition of functions; and
6. determine the inverse of a function.

Function
A function is a relation that uniquely associates members of one set with
members of another set. It is a rule of correspondence between two sets, such that, to
each element of the first set called domain, there corresponds one and only one
element of the second set called range.
A relation is a set of inputs and outputs, often written as ordered pairs (input,
output). We can also represent a relation as a mapping diagram or a graph. We can say
that all functions are relation, but not all relations are functions.
Example 1. Identify the following relations as FUNCTION or NOT.
a.
The given relation is a
MAPPING DIAGRAM, one
way to represent relation. In
the diagram the relation is
NOT A FUNCTION.

b.
The given relation is
represented by a GRAPH. In
the graph the relation is
FUNCTION.

c. y = x + 5, a relation expresses as EQUATION. The given relation is a

FUNCTION.
d. A = {(2, 1), (3, 2), (4, 4), (6, 5)}, a relation represented by ORDERED PAIRS.
The given relation is a FUNCTION.

Identifying Functions

1. One way to identify functions from the given relations is to examine the
abscissas, if no abscissa is of the same value then the given relation is a
function.
Example 2. Determine if the given relation is a FUNCTION or NOT.

NOT A FUNCTION
{(0,-2), (0,1), (1,2), (2,1), (3,4)},
observed that ordered pairs (0,-2) and
(0,1) are not one-to-one. You can see that
the abscissa 0 is paired with two
ordinates.
2. A vertical line test can also be used, especially if the given relation is
represented by graph. A vertical line test works by drawing vertical line/s on the
graph and if this vertical line intersects only to one point of the given graph, then
the given relation is a function.
Example 3. Function or Not
a.

FUNCTION
Observed the vertical lines, it only
passed once in each plotted point.

b. NOT A FUNCTION
One Vertical line passes intersects
with two given points.
Domain and Range

Domain refers to the set of possible input values (abscissas), the

domain of a graph consists of all the input values shown on the x-axis.
The range is the set of possible output values (ordinates), which are
shown on the y-axis.

Example 4. Determine the domain and range of the following relations.

a.

Domain: {0, 1, 2, 3}
Range: {-2, 1, 2, 4}

b.

Domain: {-1, 0, 1, 2, 8}
Range: {2, -3, -2, 3}

c. A = {(2, 1), (3, 2), (4, 4), (6, 5)}

Domain: {2, 3, 4, 6}
Range: {1, 2, 4, 5}
Types of Functions

1. Constant Function (f(x) = c)

The c-value can be any number, so the graph of a constant function is a
horizontal line. Here is the graph of f(x) = 4.

Domain: {x|x ε Ʀ}
Range: {f(x)|f(x) = 4}

2. Identity Function (f(x) = x)

For the identity function, the x-value is the same as the y-value. The graph
is a diagonal line passing through the origin.

Domain: {x|x ε Ʀ}
Range: {f(x)|f(x) ε Ʀ}

3. Linear Function (f(x) = mx + b)

An equation written in the slope-intercept form is the equation of a linear

function, and the graph of the function is a straight line.

f(x)= 3x +4
Domain: {x|x ε Ʀ}
Range: {f(x)|f(x) ε Ʀ}
4. Absolute Value Function
The absolute value function is easy to recognize with its V-shaped graph.
The graph is in two pieces and is one of the piecewise functions.

Domain: {x|x ε Ʀ}
f(x) = |x|
Range: {f(x)|f(x) > 0}

5. Quadratic Function (f(x) = ax2 + bx + c)

The graph of a quadratic function is a U-shaped curve called a parabola.

The sign on the coefficient a of the quadratic function affects whether the graph
opens up or down. If a < 0, the graph opens down and if a > 0 then the graph
opens up.

Domain: {x|x ε Ʀ}
Domain: {x|x ε Ʀ}
Range: {f(x)|f(x) > 0}
Range: {f(x)|f(x) < 0}
Evaluating Functions
To evaluate a function is to replace or substitute its variable with a given number
or expression.

Example1. Evaluate the function f(x) = 2x + 4 for x = 5.

Solution: f(x) = 2x + 4, since x = 5.

f(5) = 2(5) + 4
f(5) = 14

Example 2. Evaluate the function ℎ(x) = x2 + 2 for x = −3.

Solution: ℎ(x) = x 2 + 2, since x = −3.
ℎ(−3) = (−3)2 + 2
ℎ(−3) = 9 + 2
h(−3) = 11

Example 3. If g(x) = x2, find g(w + 1).

Solution: g(x) = x 2
g(w + 1) = (w + 1)2
g(w + 1) = (w + 1)(w + 1)
g(w + 1) = w2 + 2w + 1

Example 4. The function f is defined on the real numbers by f(x) = 2 + x − x2.

What is the value of f(-3)?
Solution: f(x) = 2 + x − x 2
f(−3) = 2 + (−3) − (−3)2
f(−3) = 2 + (−3) − 9
f(−3) = −10

Example 5. The function g is defined on the real numbers by g(x) = (x2+1)(3x−5).

What is the value of g(4)?

Solution: g(x) = (x2 + 1)(3x − 5)

g(4) = (42 + 1)[(3(4) − 5)]
g(4) = (16 + 1)(12 − 5)
g(4) = (17)(7)
g(4) = 119
x
Example 6: Evaluate the function ℎ(x) =
x √x−3 for x = 12.
Solution: ℎ(x) =
√x−3
12
ℎ(12) =
√12−3
12
ℎ(12) =
√9

h(12) = 4
Operations on Functions
Functions with overlapping domains can be added, subtracted, multiplied and
divided. If f(x) and g(x) are two functions, then for all x in the domain of both functions
the sum, difference, product and quotient are defined as follows.
a. (f + g)(x) = f(x) + g(x)
b. (f − g)(x) = f(x) − g(x)
c. (f ∙ g)(x) = f(x) ∙ g(x)
f f(x)
d. ( ) (x) = , g(x) ≠ 0
g g(x)

Example 1. Let f(x) = 2x + 1 and g(x) = x2 − 4, find (f + g)(x), (f − g)(x), (f ∙ g)(x)

f
and ( ) (x).
g

(f + g)(x) = f(x) + g(x)

(f + g)(x) = (2x + 1) + (x2 −
4)
(f + g)(x) = x2 + 2x − 3

(f − g)(x) = f(x) − g(x)

(f − g)(x) = (2x + 1) − (x2 −
4)
(f − g)(x) = −x2 + 2x + 5

(f ∙ g)(x) = f(x) ∙ g(x)

(f ∙ g)(x) = (2x + 1)(x2 −
4)
(f ∙ g )(x) = 2x3 + x2 – 8x
−4

f
( ) f(x) , g(x) ≠ 0
(x) = g (x )
g

f
( ) (x) (2x +
= , x ≠ ±2
1)
2
g x−4

Composition of Functions
Another way to combine two functions to create a new function is called
the composition of functions .
 In the composition of functions, we substitute an entire function into another
function. The notation of the function f with g is (f ⁰ g )(x) = f(g)(x) and is
read f of g of x. It means that wherever there is an x in the function f, it is replaced with
the function g(x).
Example 3.
Inverse Functions

An inverse function is a function that undoes the action of another function. A

function g is the inverse of a function f if whenever y = f(x) then x = g(y). In other words,
applying f and then g is the same thing as doing nothing. We can write this in terms of
the composition of f and g as g(f(x)) = x.

A function f has an inverse function only if for every y in its range there is only
one value of x in its domain for which f(x)=y. This inverse function is unique and is
frequently denoted by f−1 and called “f inverse.”

Example 1. Find the inverse of the following functions.

a. f(x) = 2x + 1
f−1(x) = y = 2x + 1 Given)
x = 2y + 1 Interchange and y and solve for y
x − 1 = 2y

x−1
y= 2
−1
f (x) =
x−1 Replacing y by f-1(x)
2

x−2
b. f(x) =
2x+3
x−2
f−1(x) = y =
2x+3

y−2
x = 2y + 3
x(2y + 3) = y − 2
2xy + 3x = y − 2
2xy − y = −3x – 2

(2x − 1)y = −3x −

2

−3x − 2
y= 2x − 1

−1 −3x − 2
f = 2x − 1
Example 3. If

Example 4.

Example 5.
References

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cause%20the%20domain%20refers%20to,shown%20on%20the%20y%2Daxis.
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quadratic-functions/
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nt%20are%20defined%20as%20follows.
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