Linear Functions: College Algebra
Linear Functions: College Algebra
College Algebra
Linear Function
•A linear function is a function whose graph is a straight line. Linear
functions can be written in the slope-intercept form of a line:
where is the initial or starting value of the function (when input, ), and is
the constant rate of change, or slope of the function.
The y-intercept is at
A linear function can be represented with an equation, words, a table and a
graph.
Linear Function
A linear function may be increasing, decreasing, or constant. The slope
determines if the function is an increasing linear function, a decreasing
linear function, or a constant function.
is
an increasing function if m>0 is
a decreasing function if m0 is
a constant function if m=0
Calculate Slope
•The point-slope form of a linear equation takes the form:
•Given two points, write the equation of the line.
1. Use the coordinates of the two points to find the slope.
2. Use the slope and one the coordinates of one point to find the equation for
the line.
3. Simplify to rewrite the equartion in slope-intercept form.
Example: Write the equation of the line that passes through and .
Solution:
or
Graphing a Function by Plotting Points
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Graphing a Linear Function Using -intercept and Slope
•In the equation
• is the -intercept of the graph and indicates the point at which the graph
crosses the -axis.
• is the slope of the line and indicates the vertical displacement (rise) and
horizontal displacement (run) between each successive pair of points.
•Another option for graphing is to
use transformations of the
identity function .
A function may be transformed by
a shift up, down, left, or right. A
function may also be transformed
using a reflection, stretch, or
compression.
Vertical Shift
the acts as the vertical
•In ,
shift, moving the graph up and
down without affecting the slope
of the line.
Notice that adding a value of to
the equation of shifts the graph
of a total of units up if is
positive and units down if is
negative.
Write Equations of Linear Functions
To find the -intercept, set a function equal to zero and solve for the value
of . For example, consider the function
Set the function equal to 0 and solve for .
The graph of the function crosses the -axis at the point (2, 0).
Horizontal Lines
•
A horizontal line indicates a constant
output, or -value.
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Absolute Value Function
absolute value function can be defined as a piecewise function:
•The
The most significant feature of the absolute value graph is the corner point at
which the graph changes direction. This point is shown at the origin.
Intercepts of an Absolute Value Function
•
Knowing how to solve problems involving absolute value functions is
useful.
For example, we may need to identify numbers or points on a line that are at
a specified distance from a given reference point
For the Formula for an Absolute Value Function, Find the Horizontal
Intercepts of its Graph
1. Isolate the absolute value term.
2. Use to write or , assuming
3. Solve for
Building Linear Models
•
Given a word problem that includes 2 pairs of input and output
values, use the linear function to solve the problem.
Topic: use
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