Section 2.1 What Is a Function?

DEFINITION: A function f is a rule that assigns to each element x in a set A exactly one
element, called f (x), in a set B. The set A is called the domain of f. The range of f is the
set of all possible values of f (x) as x varies throughout the domain.
EXAMPLES:
1. Let f (x) = x +

x. Then
f (0) = 0 +
f (4) = 4 +

0=0
4=6

2. Let f (x) = 3x2 + x 5. Then

f (2) = 3 (2)2 + (2) 5 = 5
f (0) = 3 02 + 0 5 = 5
f (4) = 3 42 + 4 5 = 47
( )
( )2
1
1
1
15
f
=3
+ 5=
2
2
2
4

3. Let f (x) =

x+1
. Then
x

3+1
4
2
f (3) =
=
=
3
3
3

and
f (a 1) =
{

4. Let
f (x) =

and
g(x) =

f (5) =

5+1
6
=
5
5

a1+1
a
=
a1
a1

3x2 + x 5 if x 0

if x > 0
x+ x
3x2 + x 5 if x < 0

if x 0
x+ x

Then
f (2) = 3 (2)2 + (2) 5 = 5
f (0) = 3 02 + 0 5 = 5

f (4) = 4 + 4 = 6
and
g(2) = 3 (2)2 + (2) 5 = 5

g(0) = 0 + 0 = 0

g(4) = 4 + 4 = 6

Four Ways to Represent a Function

There are 4 possible ways to represent a function:
Verbally (in words)
Visually (by a graph)
Numerically (by a table of values)
Algebraically (by an explicit formula)
EXAMPLES:
1. Verbally: s(t) is speed of a car at time t
2. Visually:

x f (x)
1
2
8
3. Numerically: 2
7
-1
10
5
4. Algebraically:
(a) f (x) = 1, g(x) =
(b) f (x) =

(c) f (x) =

x
1
5 sin x 4
, h(x) = x2 , F (x) = , y =
x
x
ln x

1
, x>5
x
{ 2
x
if x 2
x + 1 if x > 2

Domain and Range

EXAMPLES:
1. f (x) = x2
Domain: All real numbers or (, ).
Range: {y | y 0} or [0, ).
2. f (x) =

1
x

Domain: {x | x 6= 0} or (, 0) (0, ), since x 6= 0.

Range: {y | y 6= 0} or (, 0) (0, ).
3. f (x) =

1
, x2
x

Domain: {x | x 2} or [2, ), since x 2.

Range: {y | 0 < y 1/2} or (0, 1/2].
4. f (x) =

1
x+5

Domain: {x | x 6= 5} or (, 5) (5, ), since x + 5 6= 0.

Range: {y | y 6= 0} or (, 0) (0, ).

5. f (x) =

x2
x2 3

3}
or
(,

3)

(
3,
3)

(
3, ), since x2 3 6= 0.
Domain:({x | x 6=

)
] [
1
1
Range: ,
, .
6
2
6. f (x) =

2x

6. f (x) =

2x

Domain: {x | x 2} or (, 2], since 2 x 0.

Range: {y | y 0} or [0, ).

7. f (x) =

1
2x

Domain: {x | x < 2} or (, 2), since 2 x > 0.

Range: {y | y > 0} or (0, ).

8. f (x) =

1
2x x2

8. f (x) =

1
2x x2

Domain: {x | 0 < x < 2} or (0, 2), since 2x x2 = x(2 x) > 0.

Range: {y | y 1} or [1, ).

9. f (x) =

x2

1
+ 3x + 2

Domain: {x | x < 2 or x > 1} or (, 2) (1, ), since x2 +3x + 2 = (x + 1)(x + 2) > 0.

Range: {y | y > 0} or (0, ).
10. f (x) =

x2 + 3x + 2

Domain: {x | x 2 or x 1} or (, 2] [1, ), since x2 + 3x + 2 = (x + 1)(x + 2) 0.

Range: {y | y 0} or [0, ).

11. f (x) =

x2 + 2

11. f (x) =

x2 + 2

2
Domain: All realnumbers,
or (, ), since x + 2 is always > 0.
Range: {y | y 2} or [ 2, ).

12. f (x) =

1x

Domain: {x | 0 x 1} or [0, 1], since x 0 and 1 x 0.

Range: {y | 1 y 1} or [1, 1].
13. f (x) =

x1

Domain: {x | x 1} or [1, ), since x 0 and x 1 0.

Range: {y | 0 < y 1} or (0, 1].

14. f (x) = x6 + x2 + x 1
Domain: (, ).
Range: {y | y 1.2392} or [1.2392, ).