Introduction to Functions

A relation is a set of ordered pairs. A relationship between sets

of information. Any set of ordered pairs automatically relates
the set of 1st coordinates to the set of 2nd coordinates.

A 0,0 , 1,1, 1, 1, 4,2 , 4, 2 

Domain: The x-values of the ordered pair.

𝑑𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛( 𝐴): 0, 1, 4

Range: The y-values of the ordered pair.
range A:  2,  1, 0, 1, 2
 Examples of Relations
1. Height and Not a Function
Weight
2. Menu Items & Prices Function
3. Age and Income Not a Function
4. Person & Social Security Number Function
5. Person & Age Function
6. The quadratic function y = x2 Function
7. Product & Item ID Function
 Introduction to Functions
State the domain and range of each relation.

x y x y x y
1 3 4 2 2 3
2 5 -3 8 5 7
-4 6 6 1 3 8
1 4 -1 9 -2 -5
3 3 5 6 8 7

domain :  4, 1, 2, 3 domain :  3,  1, 4, 5, 6 domain :  2, 2, 3, 5, 8

range : 3, 4, 5, 6 range : 1, 2, 6, 8, 9 range :  5, 3, 7, 8
 1st people to use the function concept in a
mathematical context
• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646 – 1716) was a German polymath active as
a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat who is disputed
with Sir Isaac Newton to have developed calculus in addition to many other
branches of mathematics, such as binary arithmetic, and statistics. Leibniz has
been called the "last universal genius" due to his knowledge and skills in different
fields and because such people became much less common after his lifetime.
“Function is an indication that one quantity could be defined in terms of
another by some sort of algebraic expression. In complex cases, infinite sum”.

• Johann Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet (1805 – 1859) was a

German mathematician. In number theory, he proved special cases of Fermat's
last theorem and created analytic number theory. In analysis, he advanced the
theory of Fourier series and was one of the first to give the modern formal
definition of a function. He refined our notion of what is meant by variable, and
gave us our modern understanding of dependent and independent variables.
 Introduction to Functions

A function is a relation where every x value has one and only

one value of y assigned to it. A specific type of relation, where
each input value has only one output value.
State whether or not the following relations could be a function or not.

x y x y x y
4 2 1 3 2 3
-3 8 2 5 5 7
6 1 -4 6 3 8
-1 9 1 4 -2 -5
5 6 3 3 8 7

function not a function function

 Introduction to Functions
Functions and Equations.
State whether or not the following equations are functions or
not.
y 2 x  3 y x 2 x y2

x y x y x y
0 -3 2 4 1 1
5 7 -2 4 1 -1
-2 -7 -4 16 4 2
4 5 3 9 4 -2
3 3 -3 9 0 0

function function not a function

 Introduction to Functions
Functions can also be represented through mapping. In
this case, the relation or function is represented by the
set of all the connections by the arrows.

1 3 1 -1

3 1
2 4
6 6
5 17
9 8
11

A Function Not a Function

Remember that a relation becomes a function if the domain has unique output.
 Introduction to Functions
A function F from set A to set B is a relation with Domain A and Range B that
satisfies the following two properties:

1. For every element x in A, there is an element y in B such that (x,y) ∈ F.

 Every element of A is the first element of an ordered pair of F.

2. For all elements x in A and y and z in B, if (x,y) ∈ F and (x,z) ∈ F, then y = z

 No two distinct ordered pairs in F have the same element.

Example: Let A = {2, 4, 6} and B = {1, 3, 5}. Which of the relations R, S and T
defined below are functions from A to B?
a. R = { (2, 5), (4, 1), (4, 3), (6, 5)}
b. For all (x, y) ∈ A x B, (x, y) ∈ S means that y = x + 1.
c. T is defined by the arrow diagram

2 1
4 3
6 5
 Introduction to Functions
a. R = { (2, 5), (4, 1), (4, 3), (6, 5)}

R is not a function because it does not satisfy property (2). The ordered
pairs (4, 1) and (4, 3) have the same 1st element but different 2nd elements.
Graphically,

2 1
4 3
6 5

b. For all (x, y) ∈ A x B, (x, y) ∈ S means that y = x + 1.

S is not a function because it does not satisfy property one. It is not
true that every element of A is the 1st element in the ordered pair in S. For
example, 6 ∈ A but there is no y in B such that y = 6 + 1 =7.

2 1
4 3
6 5
 Introduction to Functions
Graphs can be used to determine if a relation is a
function.
Vertical Line Test
If a vertical line can be drawn so that it intersects a
graph of an equation more than once, then the equation
is not a function.
 Introduction to Functions
The Vertical Line Test
y

y 2 x  3
x y function
0 -3
5 7
x
-2 -7
4 5
3 3
 Introduction to Functions
The Vertical Line Test
y

y x 2 function
x y
2 4
-2 4 x
-4 16
3 9
-3 9
 Introduction to Functions
The Vertical Line Test
y

x y2 not a function

x y
1 1
1 -1
x
4 2
4 -2
0 0
 Introduction to Functions
Domain and Range from Graphs
y
Find the domain and
range of the function Domain
graphed to the right.
Use interval
notation.
x
Range
Domain: [–3, 4]
Range: [–4, 2]
 Introduction to Functions
Domain and Range from Graphs
y
Find the domain
and range of the
function graphed to
the right. Use Range
interval notation.
x

Domain: (– , )
Range: [– 2, ) Domain
 Introduction to Functions
Some restrictions to consider when finding the domain
and range of some functions that involve the following:

1. Radicals with even indexes: Radicands must be

nonnegative (i.e. radicand is greater than or equal to
zero).

2.Fractions: Denominators must not be equal to zero.

Example: Determine the domain and range of each of the

following functions:
1. 3x – y = 4
2. y = x2 – 4
3. 3y – xy = 2
 Introduction to Functions
1. 3x – y = 4

Domain Range
3x – y = 4 3x – y = 4
-y = 4 – 3x
x=
y = 3x – 4

D={x|x∈ℝ} R={y|y∈ℝ}
 Introduction to Functions
2. y = x2 - 4

Domain Range
y = x2 - 4 y = x2 – 4

x2 = y + 4
x = √(y+4)
D={x|x∈ℝ}
y+4≥0
y ≥ -4

R = { y | y ≥ -4 }
 Introduction to Functions
3. 3y – xy = 2

Domain Range
3y – xy = 2 3y – xy = 2
y(3-x) = 2 - xy = 2 - 3y

= =

y= x=

3-x=0
-y = 0
3=x
x≠3 y≠0

D={x|x≠3} R={y|y≠0}
 Function Notation
Function Notation
Shorthand for stating that an equation is a function.
Defines the independent variable (usually x) and the
dependent variable (usually y).
y 3 x  1 y x  3 x  1 f x  3 x  1
𝒚 =𝒚 ( 𝒙 ) =𝒇 ( 𝒙 )
 Function Notation
Function notation also defines the value of x that is to be used
to calculate the corresponding value of y.

f x  2 x  5 f(x) = 4x – 1 g(x) = x2 – 2x
find f(3). find f(2). find g(–3).
f 3 23 5 f(2) = 4(2) – 1 g(–3) = (-3)2 – 2(-3)

f 3 1 f(2) = 8 – 1 g(–3) = 9 + 6

f(2) = 7 g(–3) = 15
(–3, 15)
( 𝟑 , 𝟏)
(2, 7)
 Function Notation
Evaluating functions is simply to ‘plug and chug’. It means inserting
certain variable x (the plug), to get the result of y (the chug).

.
𝑓 ( −3 )=(−3) 2+3 (−3) −2
𝑓 ( − 3 ) =9 − 9 − 2
𝑓 ( − 3 )=− 𝟐
.
𝑔 ( 2 ) =3 (2 )2 − (5 ) 2
𝑔 ( 2 ) =12 − 10
𝑔 ( 2 ) =𝟐
 Function Notation
.
6( 4) −3
h ( 4) =
7 h ( 4 ) =𝟑

().
1 1 1
𝑓 ( )=16 ( ¿ 3 +4 ( ) − 2
2 2 2
1 1 1
𝑓 ( ) =16 ( ¿ +2 − 2 𝑓 ( ) =𝟐
2 8 2

.
2 ( − 2)8
2 −−
5 5
( − 2 )= ¿− 2 +3 1 h ( − 2 )=𝟑
 Function Notation

Given the graph of y

the following function, ●
find each function
value by inspecting
the graph. ●
f(x)
f(5) = 7
x
f(4) = 3 ●

f(5) = 1
f(6) = 6
●
 Operations on Functions
Definition: Let f and g be functions.

The notation for function operations is the same as the notation

for number/ arithmetical operations:

•addition: (f + g)(x) = f(x) + g(x)

•subtraction: (f − g)(x) = f(x) − g(x)

•multiplication: (f × g)(x) = f(x) × g(x)

•division: (f ÷ g)(x) = f(x) ÷ g(x)

 Operations on Functions
Use the following functions below:
• f (x) = x +3
• p(x) = 2x – 7
• v(x) = x2+ 5x + 4
• g(x) = x2+ 2x - 8
• h(x) =

Determine the following functions:

a. (v + g)(x)
b. (f · p)(x)
c. (f + h)(x)
d. (p – f)(x)
e. (v/g)(x)